Journal of texture studies最新文献

The number of consumers following plant-based diets has increased and in turn, the variety of plant-based foods available on the market has also increased. Many plant-based foods aim to mimic the functionality and sensory properties of conventional dairy products; however, they may not be suitable for specific populations. Dysphagia, for example, is a swallowing condition requiring texture-modified foods that meet specific criteria. While many conventional thickened products exist that are safe for individuals with dysphagia, the growing interest in plant-based eating alongside the increasing prevalence of dysphagia prompts a need for research on the use and safety of thickened plant-based alternatives. This study investigated the sensory properties of a thickened protein-enhanced ice cream (dairy and whey) compared to thickened protein-enhanced plant-based frozen desserts (cashew and pea, and coconut and pea). The formulations were evaluated using the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization (IDDSI) Spoon Tilt Test and a sensory trial (n = 104 participants, 47 flexitarians and 57 typical consumers) using static (hedonic scales and check-all-that-apply [CATA]), and dynamic (temporal check-all-that-apply (TCATA)) methods. The dairy and whey sample consistently passed the IDDSI test, while the plant-based samples did not. TCATA identified that the plant-based samples had an increased cohesiveness and adhesiveness, and decreased slipperiness when compared to the dairy and whey sample. The differences in textural properties may explain why the plant-based samples did not pass the IDDSI test. The study identified that although plant-based foods strive to mimic conventional dairy products, they have different textural and flavor properties.

The question whether food preference decisions are controlled by innate instincts, or a conscious decision-making process is still open. The answer to this question is important not only for neuroscientists, psychologists, and philosophers but also for food scientists and developers. Looking from different perspectives involved in food preference decisions could not only settle a long ongoing debate but also pave the way to understand why people prefer to eat what they eat.

The variation of friction coefficient (μ) of model wine and model saliva mixtures with entrainment speed (V_R) on simulated oral surfaces was evaluated by oral tribology. Combined with techniques of dynamic light scattering (DLS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), rheometer, and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D), the correlation between characteristics of the model wine and model saliva mixtures (particle size and morphology, suspension viscosity, adsorption film thickness, and viscoelasticity) and the oral lubrication loss was established. The results showed that the higher the concentration of tannin in the model wine, the larger the size of the complexes with the model saliva, and the higher the thickness, viscoelasticity, and roughness of the adsorption film formed, which resulted in the increase of friction coefficient in the boundary lubrication regime. Different from previous results, it is found that the maximum value of the friction coefficient (μ_max) in the boundary regime has the best positive correlation with the astringency perception intensity of the model wine accordingly.

It is necessary to find food additives that can reduce the food friction coefficient, in order to make it easier for the elderly and people with dysphagia to swallow. The sesame paste and rice paste are two typical foods eaten by the elderly. In this research, the tribological and rheological properties of 2 paste with 12 hydrocolloids were investigated. The results showed that three hydrocolloids (xanthan gum, gellan gum, and pectin) could reduce the friction coefficients of sesame paste and rice paste within a certain range of oral friction velocity. The friction coefficients of two kinds of original paste are in the order of 10⁻¹. The addition of three hydrocolloids can reduce them to about 10⁻², effectively improving lubrication. After adding hydrocolloids, the particles cross-link to form a network structure, which improves the viscosity and lubrication of food to a certain extent. This has potential application value for designing food that is more conducive to swallowing.

Consumer interest in alternative plant-based foods is growing, including products where plant proteins are isolated and reformulated to mimic meat. This study aims to investigate the fundamental changes in sensorial (textural) properties between meat and plant proteins using a hybrid protein burger matrix. Burger patties were used as a model, prepared with a range of protein composition (beef: plant-based protein; 100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100) with identical added fat (17%) and at two salt (0 and 0.6%) contents. Conventional sensory descriptive profiling elicited 21 sensory attributes and profiles of samples were obtained to explore relationship(s) with composition. Early-stage oral processing texture attributes were well-differentiated across the sample space, while less discrimination was observed across samples for latter stage mastication texture attributes. Animal meat content increased scores for saltiness and flavor intensity indicating that plant-based meat analogues require a higher salt content to achieve similar levels of salt and flavor perception. These findings provide key insights into the impact of meat and/or plant-based protein composition on sensory properties in a hybrid burger patty model system. Future work should consider the mechanical properties of such products with the objective of finetuning ingredients and processing to obtain meat analogues with desirable sensorial attributes.

As a by-product of soybean processing, soybean hulls contain soybean hull polysaccharides (SHPS). This study aims to develop a plant-based yogurt with SHPS addition and assess the consequences of SHPS on the physicochemical properties and growth of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) in yogurts. The study investigated the water holding capacity (WHC), microstructure, rheological properties, texture, pH, organoleptic attributes, volatile compounds, flavor profile, and LAB population. The findings reveal that the addition of SHPS significantly impacted these properties. SHPS improved the physicochemical properties, increased the level of flavor compounds, and improved the organoleptic properties of yogurt. Yogurt with 0.6% SHPS demonstrated superior WHC, texture, rheological properties, and the highest organoleptic evaluation scores. However, when SHPS additions exceeded 0.6%, WHC, texture, and rheological properties of the yogurts decreased. Furthermore, SHPS-added yogurts contained more LAB compared to yogurt without SHPS. LAB grew better in media with SHPS than in media without glucose. Streptococcus thermophilus grew best among the LAB strains. This study highlights the potential of SHPS in yogurt production and its promising applications in fermented food products.

Viscoelastic properties of 3D printable peanut-based food ink were investigated using frequency sweep and relaxation test. The incorporation of xanthan gum (XG) improved the shear thinning behavior (n value ranging from 0.139 to 0.261) and lowered the η*, G′, and G′′ values, thus making food ink 3D printable. The addition of XG also caused a downward shift in the relaxation curve. This study evaluates the possibility of an artificial neural network (ANN) approach as a substitute for the Maxwell three-element and Peleg model for predicting the viscoelastic behavior of food ink. The results revealed that all three models accurately predicted the decay forces. The inclusion of XG decreased the hardness and enhanced the cohesiveness, so enabling the 3D printing of food ink. The hardness was highly positively correlated with Maxwell model parameters F_e, F₁, F₂, F_3, and Peleg constant k₂ (0.57) and negatively correlated with k₁ (−0.76).

We have calculated an entropy or information measure of previously reported experimentally determined temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) data of texture attributes for two sets of emulsion filled gels throughout the mastication cycle. The samples were emulsion filled gels and two-layered emulsion filled gels. We find that the entropy measure follows an average curve, which is different for each set. The specifics of the entropy curve may serve as a fingerprint for the perception of a specific food sample.

To reduce the adverse physical effects on the oral mucosa caused by excessive hardness of betel nut fibers, steam explosion was used to soften betel nuts. The effect of three operating parameters (pressure holding time, explosion pressure, and initial moisture content) on the morphology, texture, and chemical composition of the betel nuts was investigated. The fiber hardness and Shore hardness decreased by 56.17%–89.28% and 7.03%–34.29%, respectively, and the transverse tensile strength and fiber tensile strength also decreased by up to 60.72% and 24.62%, respectively. Moreover, the coefficient of static friction and moisture content increased. After steam explosion, the betel nut increased in transverse diameter, became darker and more yellow–red in color, and showed a damaged microstructure. The contents of free phenol and alkaloids decreased after steam explosion treatment, with free phenols and total alkaloids decreasing from 34.32 mg(GAE)/g and 7.84 mg/g to 21.58 mg(GAE)/g and 6.50 mg/g, respectively, after the A-50 s treatment condition. The steam explosion increased the quantity of phenols, alkaloids, and soluble solids released from the betel nut under the same simulated release conditions of the texture analyzer. The research also showed that increased pressure holding time and explosion pressure enhanced the explosion efficiency, while the initial moisture content was reduced the explosion efficiency. Therefore, steam explosion is an effective pretreatment approach to soften betel nut and facilitate healthy development of the betel nut industry.

In contrast to taste sensitivity, the assessment of texture or tactile sensitivity has received relatively little attention in the food context. Texture plays an important role in food preferences and food intake, and individual differences make it important to understand physiological drivers of perception as tactile sensitivity. The multi-dimensional and dynamic aspects of texture perception suggest there is not one single method that can explain individual differences. This scoping review aims to systematically map methods assessing tactile sensitivity, in the context of food, highlighting differences in approach and implementation. Eligibility criteria included papers describing methods to assess individual differences in tactile sensitivity, that involved human participants and the context was relevant to food behavior. Sources are peer-reviewed publications of original research in English. In mapping the methods, we assessed how they relate to food texture parameters (mechanical, geometrical, and surface) and the dynamics of breaking down (touch with hand, first bite/sip, oral processing, residual or after-swallowing sensations). We also review other parameters associated (oral processing, preference, diet and food intake behavior). The literature in this relatively young area is still very fragmented and it is difficult to have a clear picture regarding best practices or recommendations for the measurement of tactile sensitivity in the food context. Future studies should aim to methodological harmonization for application in the food behavior area, with a design of experiment combining different aspects of tactile sensitivity to food, focusing on the thresholds and perceived intensity of textural parameters as well as affective and behavioral responses, and covering the whole spectrum of tactile texture perception (mechanical, geometrics, and surface), including the dynamics of perception.