Tribology and its growing use toward the study of food oral processing and sensory perception

Addressing astringency of grape seed extract by covalent conjugation with lupin protein

Astringency of phenolic-rich foods is a key tactile perception responsible for acceptability/rejection of plant extracts as ingredients in formulations. Covalent conjugation of phenolic extracts with plant proteins might be a promising strategy to control astringency, but suffers from a lack of mechanistic understanding from the lubrication point of view. To shed light on this, this ex vivo study evaluated the effect of conjugation of a phenolic grape seed extract (GSE) with legume protein (lupin, LP) on tribological and surface adsorption performance of GSE in the absence and presence of human saliva (ex vivo). Tribological results confirmed GSE had an inferior lubrication capacity as compared to LP. The lubrication performance of LP-GSE dispersions was comparable to their corresponding LP dispersion (p > 0.05) when covalently conjugated with LP (LP-GSE) with increasing LP:GSE ratio up to 1:0.04 w/w and at a specific degree of conjugation (DC: 2%). Tribological and surface adsorption measurements confirmed the tendency of GSE to interact with human saliva (ex vivo, n = 17 subjects), impairing the lubricity of salivary films. The covalent bonding of LP to GSE hindered GSE's interaction with human saliva, implying the potential influence of covalent conjugation on attenuating astringency. LP appeared to compete with human saliva for surface adsorption and governed the lubrication behaviour in LP-GSE dispersions. Findings from this study provide valuable knowledge to guide the rational design of sustainable, functional foods using conjugation of phenolics with plant proteins to incorporate larger proportions of health-promoting phenolics while controlling astringency, which needs validation by sensory trials.

Food-Oral Processing: Current Progress, Future Directions, and Challenges

Oral processing refers to the series of physical, chemical, and biological processes inside the oral cavity when we consume food. This process affects the taste, quality, and nutrient absorption of the body. In the human diet, oral processing plays a crucial role because it impacts not only the food flavor and texture but also the absorption and utilization of nutrients. With the progress of science and technology and the increasing demand for food, the study of oral processing has become increasingly important. This paper reviews the history and definition of oral processing, its current state of research, and its applications in food science and technology, focusing on personalized taste customization, protein structure modification, food intake and nutrition, and bionic devices. It also analyzes the impact of oral processing on different types of food products and explores its potential in the food industry and science research.

Understanding mechanisms behind the oily mouthcoating perception of pure vegetable oils using tribology

Tribology is the science of measuring friction between surfaces. While it has been widely used to investigate texture sensations of food applications, it is seldom applied in pure edible oil systems. In this research, we measured friction, viscosity, and solid fat content (SFC) of nine vegetable oils at 30 and 60°C. Polarized static microscopy was used to assess crystal formation between 60 and 30°C. Descriptive sensory analysis and quantification of oral oil coatings were performed on the oils at 60°C. Expressing the friction factor of oil over the Hersey number (calculated using high sheer-viscosity values) showed no differences in friction between 30 and 60°C, except for shea stearin. Static microscopy revealed crystallization occurred at 30°C for shea stearin, whereas no or few crystals were present for other oils. At 30°C, friction at 1 × 10-2 m/s showed an inverse correlation with SFC (R = -0.95) and with high shear rate viscosity (R = -0.84), as well as an inverse correlation (R = -0.73) with "oily mouthcoating" perception. These results suggest that friction could be a predictor of fat-related perceptions of simple oil systems. Additionally, we hypothesize that the presence of crystals in oils could lower friction via a ball-bearing lubrication mechanism.

Astringency and its sub-qualities: a review of astringency mechanisms and methods for measuring saliva lubrication

Astringency is an important mouthfeel attribute that influences the sensory experiences of many food and beverage products. While salivary lubricity loss and increased oral friction were previously believed to be the only astringency mechanisms, recent research has demonstrated that nontactile oral receptors can trigger astringency by responding to astringents without mechanical stimulation. Various human factors have also been identified that affect individual responses to astringents. This article presents a critical review of the key research milestones contributing to the current understanding of astringency mechanisms and the instrumental approaches used to quantify perceived astringency intensity. Although various chemical assays or physical measures mimic in-mouth processes involved in astringent mouthfeel, this review highlights how one chemical or physical approach can only provide a single measure of astringency determined by a specific mechanism. Subsequently, using a single measurement to predict astringency perception is overly idealistic. Astringency has not been quantified beyond the loss of saliva lubrication; therefore, nontactile receptor-based responses must also be explored. An important question remains about whether astringency is a single perception or involves distinct sub-qualities such as pucker, drying, and roughness. Although these sub-quality lexicons have been frequently cited, most studies currently view astringency as a single perception rather than dividing it into sub-qualities and investigating the potentially independent mechanisms of each. Addressing these knowledge gaps should be an important priority for future research.

A Neural Mechanism in the Human Orbitofrontal Cortex for Preferring High-Fat Foods Based on Oral Texture

Although overconsumption of high-fat foods is a major driver of weight gain, the neural mechanisms that link the oral sensory properties of dietary fat to reward valuation and eating behavior remain unclear. Here we combine novel food-engineering approaches with functional neuroimaging to show that the human orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) translates oral sensations evoked by high-fat foods into subjective economic valuations that guide eating behavior. Male and female volunteers sampled and evaluated nutrient-controlled liquid foods that varied in fat and sugar ("milkshakes"). During oral food processing, OFC activity encoded a specific oral-sensory parameter that mediated the influence of the foods' fat content on reward value: the coefficient of sliding friction. Specifically, OFC responses to foods in the mouth reflected the smooth, oily texture (i.e., mouthfeel) produced by fatty liquids on oral surfaces. Distinct activity patterns in OFC encoded the economic values associated with particular foods, which reflected the subjective integration of sliding friction with other food properties (sugar, fat, viscosity). Critically, neural sensitivity of OFC to oral texture predicted individuals' fat preferences in a naturalistic eating test: individuals whose OFC was more sensitive to fat-related oral texture consumed more fat during ad libitum eating. Our findings suggest that reward systems of the human brain sense dietary fat from oral sliding friction, a mechanical food parameter that likely governs our daily eating experiences by mediating interactions between foods and oral surfaces. These findings identify a specific role for the human OFC in evaluating oral food textures to mediate preference for high-fat foods.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Fat and sugar enhance the reward value of food by imparting a sweet taste and rich mouthfeel but also contribute to overeating and obesity. Here we used a novel food-engineering approach to realistically quantify the physical-mechanical properties of high-fat liquid foods on oral surfaces and used functional neuroimaging while volunteers sampled these foods and placed monetary bids to consume them. We found that a specific area of the brain's reward system, the orbitofrontal cortex, detects the smooth texture of fatty foods in the mouth and links these sensory inputs to economic valuations that guide eating behavior. These findings can inform the design of low-calorie fat-replacement foods that mimic the impact of dietary fat on oral surfaces and neural reward systems.

Benchmarking of a microgel-reinforced hydrogel-based aqueous lubricant against commercial saliva substitutes

Xerostomia, the subjective sensation of 'dry mouth' affecting at least 1 in 10 adults, predominantly elders, increases life-threatening infections, adversely impacting nutritional status and quality of life. A patented, microgel-reinforced hydrogel-based aqueous lubricant, prepared using either dairy or plant-based proteins, has been demonstrated to offer substantially enhanced lubricity comparable to real human saliva in in vitro experiments. Herein, we present the benchmarking of in vitro lubrication performance of this aqueous lubricant, both in its dairy and vegan formulation against a range of widely available and employed commercial saliva substitutes, latter classified based on their shear rheology into "liquids", "viscous liquids" and "gels", and also had varying extensional properties. Strikingly, the fabricated dairy-based aqueous lubricant offers up to 41-99% more effective boundary lubrication against liquids and viscous liquids, irrespective of topography of the tested dry mouth-mimicking tribological surfaces. Such high lubricity of the fabricated lubricants might be attributed to their limited real-time desorption (7%) from a dry-mouth mimicking hydrophobic surface unlike the tested commercial products including gels (23-58% desorption). This comprehensive benchmarking study therefore paves the way for employing these microgel-based aqueous lubricant formulations as a novel topical platform for dry mouth therapy.

Mouthfeel subqualities in wines: A current insight on sensory descriptors and physical-chemical markers

Astringency and more generally mouthfeel perception are relevant to the overall quality of the wine. However, their origin and description are still uncertain and are constantly updating. Additionally, the terminology related to mouthfeel properties is expansive and extremely diversified, characterized by common traditional terms as well as novel recently adopted descriptors. In this context, this review evaluated the mention frequency of astringent subqualities and other mouthfeel attributes in the scientific literature of the last decades (2000-August 17, 2022). One hundred and twenty-five scientific publications have been selected and classified based on wine typology, aim, and instrumental-sensorial methods adopted. Dry resulted as the most frequent astringent subquality (10% for red wines, 8.6% for white wines), while body-and related terms-is a common mouthfeel sensation for different wine types, although its concept is still vague. Alongside, promising analytical and instrumental techniques investigating and simulating the in-mouth properties are discussed in detail, such as rheology for the viscosity and tribology for the lubrication loss, as well as the different approaches for the quantitative and qualitative evaluation of the interaction between salivary proteins and astringency markers. A focus on the phenolic compounds involved in the tactile perception was conducted, with tannins being the compounds conventionally found responsible for astringency. Nevertheless, other non-tannic polyphenolic classes (i.e., flavonols, phenolic acids, anthocyanins, anthocyanin-derivative pigments) as well as chemical-physical factors and the wine matrix (i.e., polysaccharides, mannoproteins, ethanol, glycerol, and pH) can also contribute to the wine in-mouth sensory profile. An overview of mouthfeel perception, factors involved, and its vocabulary is useful for enologists and consumers.

Insights into the Multiscale Lubrication Mechanism of Edible Phase Change Materials

Investigation of a lubrication behavior of phase change materials (PCM) can be challenging in applications involving relative motion, e.g., sport (ice skating), food (chocolates), energy (thermal storage), apparel (textiles with PCM), etc. In oral tribology, a phase change often occurs in a sequence of dynamic interactions between the ingested PCM and oral surfaces from a licking stage to a saliva-mixed stage at contact scales spanning micro- (cellular), meso- (papillae), and macroscales. Often the lubrication performance and correlations across length scales and different stages remain poorly understood due to the lack of testing setups mimicking real human tissues. Herein, we bring new insights into lubrication mechanisms of PCM using dark chocolate as an exemplar at a single-papilla (meso)-scale and a full-tongue (macro) scale covering the solid, molten, and saliva-mixed states, uniting highly sophisticated biomimetic oral surfaces with in situ tribomicroscopy for the first time. Unprecedented results from this study supported by transcending lubrication theories reveal how the tribological mechanism in licking shifted from solid fat-dominated lubrication (saliva-poor regime) to aqueous lubrication (saliva-dominant regime), the latter resulted in increasing the coefficient of friction by at least threefold. At the mesoscale, the governing mechanisms were bridging of cocoa butter in between confined cocoa particles and fat coalescence of emulsion droplets for the molten and saliva-mixed states, respectively. At the macroscale, a distinctive hydrodynamic viscous film formed at the interface governing the speed-dependent lubrication behavior indicates the striking importance of multiscale analyses. New tribological insights across different stages and scales of phase transition from this study will inspire rational design of the next generation of PCM and solid particle-containing materials.

Effect of Solid Fat Content in Fat Droplets on Creamy Mouthfeel of Acid Milk Gels

Previous studies have shown that emulsions with higher solid fat content (SFC) are related to a higher in-mouth coalescence level and fat-related perception. However, the effect of SFC in fat droplets on the fat-related attributes of emulsion-filled gels has not been fully elucidated. In this study, the effect of SFC on the creamy mouthfeel of acid milk gel was investigated. Five kinds of blended milk fats with SFC values ranging from 10.61% to 85.87% were prepared. All crystals in the blended milk fats were needle-like, but the onset melting temperature varied widely. Blended milk fats were then mixed with skim milk to prepare acid milk gels (EG10−EG85, fat content 3.0%). After simulated oral processing, the particle size distribution and confocal images of the gel bolus showed that the degree of droplet coalescence in descending order was EG40 > EG20 > EG60 > EG10 ≥ EG85. There was no significant difference in apparent viscosity measured at a shear rate of 50/s between bolus gels, but the friction coefficients measured at 20 mm/s by a tribological method were negatively correlated with the coalescence result. Furthermore, quantitative descriptive analysis and temporal dominance of sensations analysis showed that SFC significantly affected the ratings of melting, mouth coating, smoothness and overall creaminess, as well as the perceived sequence and the duration of melting, smoothness and mouth coating of acid milk gels. Overall, our study highlights the role of intermediate SFC in fat droplets on the creamy mouthfeel of acid milk gels, which may contribute to the development of low-fat foods with desirable sensory perception.

A Method for the Tribological Assessment of Oral Pharmaceutical Liquids

OBEJECTIVE Patient acceptance of pediatric formations is critical to compliance and consequently therapeutic outcomes; thus, having an in vitro method to evaluate sensory perception of pharmaceutical products would be beneficial. The objective of this research is to develop a sensitive and reproducible tribological method to characterize pharmaceutical suspensions at low force and sliding speeds.METHODS The discriminating potential of the method was examined using tribology profiles (coefficient of friction (COF) vs sliding speed) for commercially available products and products made for this study with widely varying sweetness, thickness and grittiness; these formulations were used to judge the sensitivity of the method. Samples were measured using 3M Transpore™ surgical tape to simulate the tongue surface, steel half ring geometry, constant gap setting, target axial force of 2 N in a 600 second exponential ramp for rotation speed.RESULTS The COF ranged from 0.1 to 0.6. For the speeds studied, the high viscosity commercial suspension Ibuprofen Drops and Acetaminophen suspension show a classic Stribeck Curve with an increasing COF at the higher rotation speeds, which indicates these formulations entered the hydrodynamic lubrication phase, while the lower viscosity suspensions only reached the mixed lubrication phase.CONCLUSIONS The contribution of particles seems to affect the COF in a dynamic pattern compared to products that are categorized as either low gritty or high viscosity. These results are important as they provide a potentially rapidly in vitro method for screening pediatric medications and help to identify the factors that affect the palatability of pediatric formulations.

Soft Tribology and Its Relationship With the Sensory Perception in Dairy Products: A Review

Nowadays, dairy products, especially fermented products such as yogurt, fromage frais, sour cream and custard, are among the most studied foods through tribological analysis due to their semi-solid appearance and close relationship with attributes like smoothness, creaminess and astringency. In tribology, dairy products are used to provide information about the friction coefficient (CoF) generated between tongue, palate, and teeth through the construction of a Stribeck curve. This provides important information about the relationship between friction, food composition, and sensory attributes and can be influenced by many factors, such as the type of surface, tribometer, and whether saliva interaction is contemplated. This work will review the most recent and relevant information on tribological studies, challenges, opportunity areas, saliva interactions with dairy proteins, and their relation to dairy product sensory.

The Effect of Corn Dextrin on the Rheological, Tribological, and Aroma Release Properties of a Reduced-Fat Model of Processed Cheese Spread

Low-calorie and low-fat foods have been introduced to the market to fight the increasing incidence of overweightness and obesity. New approaches and high-quality fat replacers may overcome the poor organoleptic properties of such products. A model of processed cheese spread (PCS) was produced as a full-fat version and with three levels of fat reduction (30%, 50%, and 70%). Fat was replaced by water or by corn dextrin (CD), a dietary fiber. Additionally, in the 50% reduced-fat spreads, fat was replaced by various ratios of CD and lactose (100:0, 75:25, 50:50, 25:75, and 0:100). The effect of each formulation was determined by measuring the textural (firmness, stickiness, and spreadability), rheological (flow behavior and oscillating rheology), tribological, and microstructural (cryo-SEM) properties of the samples, as well as the dynamic aroma release of six aroma compounds typically found in cheese. Winter’s critical gel theory was a good approach to characterizing PCS with less instrumental effort and costs: the gel strength and interaction factors correlated very well with the spreadability and lubrication properties of the spreads. CD and fat exhibited similar interaction capacities with the aroma compounds, resulting in a similar release pattern. Overall, the properties of the sample with 50% fat replaced by CD were most similar to those of the full-fat sample. Thus, CD is a promising fat replacer in PCS and, most likely, in other dairy-based emulsions.

Influence of Fat Replacers on the Rheological, Tribological, and Aroma Release Properties of Reduced-Fat Emulsions

Reduced-fat food products can help manage diet-related health issues, but consumers often link them with poor sensory qualities. Thus, high-quality fat replacers are necessary to develop appealing reduced-fat products. A full-fat model emulsion was reduced in fat by replacing fat with either water, lactose, corn dextrin (CD), inulin, polydextrose, or microparticulated whey protein (MWP) as fat replacers. The effect of fat reduction and replacement, as well as the suitability of different types of fat replacers, were determined by analyzing fat droplet size distribution, composition, rheological and tribological properties, and the dynamic aroma release of six aroma compounds prevalent in cheese and other dairy products. None of the formulations revealed a considerable effect on droplet size distribution. MWP strongly increased the Kokini oral shear stress and viscosity, while CD exhibited similar values to the full-fat emulsion. All four fat replacers improved the lubricity of the reduced-fat samples. Butane-2,3-dione and 3-methylbutanoic acid were less affected by the changes in the formulation than butanoic acid, heptan-2-one, ethyl butanoate, and nonan-2-one. The aroma releases of the emulsions comprising MWP and CD were most similar to that of the full-fat emulsion. Therefore, CD was identified as a promising fat replacer for reduced-fat emulsions.

Altering almond protein function through partial enzymatic hydrolysis for creating gel structures in acidic environment

Protein inadequacy is the major problem for most plant-based dairy yoghurt substitutes. This study investigated three limited degree of hydrolysis (DH: 1%, 5%, and 9%) of almond protein and the combined effect of DH and hydrolysed almond protein (HP) to non-hydrolysed almond protein (NP) ratios (HP/NP: 40:60, 20:80, 10:90 and 5:95) on the physicochemical properties of resulting fermentation induced almond-based gel (yoghurt). The gel microstructure, particle size, firmness, pH, water holding capacity (WHC), lubrication, flow, and gelation characteristics were measured and associated with the DH, composition, and SDS-PAGE results. The results show significant differences in gel samples with the same HP/NP (40:60) ratio of protein but different protein DH. A higher DH (9%) resulted in samples with lower hardness (6.03 g), viscosity (0.11 Pa s at 50 s-1), cohesiveness (0.63) and higher friction (0.203 at 10 mm/s) compared to sample with 1% DH with higher hardness - 7.34 g, viscosity at 50 s⁻¹ - 0.16 Pa s, cohesiveness - 0.86 and friction at 10 mm/s - 0.194. Comparing samples with the same DH (5%) but different HP/NP ratios showed smaller coarse microgel particles (21.36 μm) and lower hardness (7.17 g), viscosity (0.14 Pa s at 50 s⁻¹) and friction value (0.189 at 10 mm/s) in samples with high HP/NP (40:60) compared to sample with low HP/NP (5:95) that contained significantly large coarse microgel particles (34.61 μm) with the gel being very hard (9.38 g), highly viscous (0.32 Pa s at 50 s⁻¹), and less lubricating (0.220 at 10 mm/s).

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Enzymatic treatment changes the almond protein profile.

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Increased the degree of hydrolysis weakens the gel strength.

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The more hydrolysed protein used in formulation the softer the gel.

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Limited hydrolysis may contribute to bacterial metabolism.

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The microstructure verifies the improvement of gel's water holding capacity.

Roles of viscosity, applied load and surface wettability on the lubrication behaviour of model liquid/semi-solid foods: Measurements with a bespoke tribo-cell fixture and rotational rheometer

Thin film sliding and friction phenomena of food bolus confined between tongue-palate surfaces during oral processing can be explored using tribological measurements. However, these measurements are still limited within the food industry due to the requirement of expensive commercial instruments which are not commonly used in the food industry. This work has designed and manufactured a modular "tribological cell" (tribo-cell) that can simulate lubricated soft-hard contact interfaces and can be mounted on a rotational rheometer to perform tribological measurements. The tribo-cell was validated by performing tribological measurements using a range of corn syrup solutions as model liquid foods. It was shown that the Stribeck curve describing the change in friction behaviour with entrainment speed or with the product of entrainment speed and liquid viscosity could be obtained. Since tribology deals with surface property, the cell was then used in the further studies to demonstrate the effects of applied normal load and surface wetting on the tribological response of lubricated hard-soft contact of the designed fixture. These parameters were shown to have a marked influence on in the boundary and mixed-lubrication regimes. The designed tribo-cell was also used to illustrate the impact of fat content on the lubrication properties of commercial liquid and semi-solid foods with different fat contents, thus, pointing out to the importance of tribology as a vital tool for product formulation designs in food and beverage industry.

Understanding relations between rheology, tribology, and sensory perception of modified texture foods

The aim of this work was to examine relations between instrumental and sensory parameters in a texture modified food matrix, with and without saliva. Nine pureed carrot samples (eight thickened and a control) were developed with starch (0.4 and 0.8% wt/wt), xanthan (0.2 and 0.4% wt/wt) or starch-xanthan blends that met International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) Level 4 guidelines using fork and spoon tests. Rheological and tribological tests were conducted on the food and simulated bolus prepared by adding fresh stimulated saliva to the food (1:5, saliva:food) to mimic oral processing. Perceived sensory properties were identified using a temporal dominance of sensations (TDS) test (n = 16) where panelists were given a list of nine attributes. The area under the curve was extracted from TDS curves for each attribute/sample and this was correlated with rheological (viscosity at 10 s^-1 , G', G″, and tan δ at 1 Hz) and tribological (friction coefficient in three regimes) data. The viscosity of the control sample decreased after adding hydrocolloids (except Starch_0.8%) and with saliva incorporation. G' and G″ either increased or were similar for xanthan and blends and decreased for starch-thickened samples. Hydrocolloid addition increased friction for all samples and was higher with saliva addition. Sensory results showed that samples with starch were perceived as thick and grainy while xanthan was perceived as smooth and slippery. A greater number of sensory attributes correlated with viscoelastic parameters compared to friction coefficients. Correlations were highest with the saliva added samples, further highlighting the importance of including saliva during instrumental testing.

Rheological and tribological characterization of different commercial hazelnut and cocoa-based spreads

Five commercial hazelnut/cocoa spreads with different compositions were tested by rheology/tribology. The impact of each formulation on the structural/lubricant performances was investigated. Rotational/oscillatory rheology was chosen to assess material behavior during flow. Viscosity variation as a function of temperature and chamber geometry was evaluated. Oscillatory mode tests were carried out to obtain information on product viscoelasticity. Tribological analysis was performed at different temperatures aiming at simulating the chewing/swallowing process. All samples were categorized as pseudo-plastic and viscoelastic materials, with the elastic component prevailing over the viscous one. Major differences were detected in terms of consistency index, depending on the total lipid content. Temperature increase enhanced spread fluidity with a decreasing viscosity according to the Arrhenius model (R² > 0.942) and greater values of activation energy reflecting higher sensitivity to microstructural changes. An inverse relationship between Casson viscosity η c and sugar/fat ratio highlighted additional correlations between structural parameters and spread formulation. Tribological measurements at 25°C highlighted that, at the initial eating stage, the friction factor (0.112 - 0.262 at sliding velocity of 8∙10^-6 m/s) was strongly affected by either the amounts of solid fat or hazelnut percentage. Tribological data corroborated the theory for which tribology and rheology cover different domains. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Lubrication and Sensory Properties of Emulsion Systems and Effects of Droplet Size Distribution

The functional and sensory properties of food emulsion are thought to be complicated and influenced by many factors, such as the emulsifier, oil/fat mass fraction, and size of oil/fat droplets. In addition, the perceived texture of food emulsion during oral processing is mainly dominated by its rheological and tribological responses. This study investigated the effect of droplet size distribution as well as the content of oil droplets on the lubrication and sensory properties of o/w emulsion systems. Friction curves for reconstituted milk samples (composition: skimmed milk and milk cream) and Casein sodium salt (hereinafter referred to as CSS) stabilized model emulsions (olive oil as oil phase) were obtained using a soft texture analyzer tribometer with a three ball-on-disc setup combined with a soft surfaces (PDMS) tribology system. Sensory discrimination was conducted by 22 participants using an intensity scoring method. Stribeck curve analyses showed that, for reconstituted milk samples with similar rheological properties, increasing the volume fraction of oil/fat droplets in the size range of 1-10 µm will significantly enhance lubrication, while for CSS-stabilized emulsions, the size effect of oil/fat droplets reduced to around 1 µm. Surprisingly, once the size of oil/fat droplets of both systems reached nano size (d₉₀ = 0.3 µm), increasing the oil/fat content gave no further enhancement, and the friction coefficient showed no significant difference (p > 0.05). Results from sensory analysis show that consumers are capable of discriminating emulsions, which vary in oil/fat droplet size and in oil/fat content (p < 0.01). However, it appeared that the discrimination capability of the panelist was significantly reduced for emulsions containing nano-sized droplets.

Instrumental characteristics from extensional rheology and tribology of polysaccharide solutions

Instrumental characteristics from extensional rheology and tribology for aqueous xanthan gum (XG) and locust bean gum (LBG) solutions were studied in the presence or absence of simulated saliva. Extensional viscosity was calculated from the filament shrinkage behavior using a capillary breakup extensional rheometer, whereas the friction coefficient was measured using a set-up consisting of polydimethylsiloxane substrate and a glass ball bearing on a rotational rheometer. Increase in extensional viscosity was detected immediately after initiation of extensional flow, particularly XG, and also immediately before the filament rupture, particularly LBG. Extensional viscosity tended to decrease with increased addition of simulated saliva for XG, while to increase for LBG. In both cases, effect of cations in the saliva was greater than that of mucin. From the shape of the Stribeck curve (i.e., dependence of the friction coefficient on the entrainment speed) and comparison of the friction coefficient itself, lubricity of XG was greater than that of LBG. Simulated saliva added decreased the friction coefficient for each polysaccharide through functions of cations rather than mucin. Extensional viscosity and tribological measurements revealed mechanical properties of polysaccharide solutions which cannot be determined or quantified by shear viscosity alone.

Physics of agarose fluid gels: Rheological properties and microstructure

Agarose, a strongly gelling polysaccharide, is a common ingredient used to optimize the viscoelastic properties of a multitude of food products. Through aggregation of double helices via hydrogen bonds while cooling under quiescent conditions it forms firm and brittle gels. However, this behavior can be altered by manipulating the processing conditions viz shear. For example, gelation under shear leads to microgel particles with large surface area, which in turn leads to completely different rheological properties and texture. Such fluid gels are shown to play an important role in texture modification of foods and beverages for dysphagia patients. In this study, different concentration of agarose fluid gel (0.5 % wt, 1 % wt and 2 % wt) were considered. Rheological measurements of the microgel particles showed an increase of storage and loss modulus with increasing concentration. However, 1 % wt fluid gel exhibited the lowest viscosity in the low shear range and the shortest LVE range. Furthermore, the effect on the microstructure and size of gel particles were also investigated by using light microscopy and particle size analysis. It was observed that as the concentration of agarose increased the particle size and unordered chains present at the particle surface decreases. Based on our results, we propose specific models suggesting the impact of the particle size, the concentration and the "hairy" projections on the rheological and tribological properties that could help in understanding the differences in characteristics of fluid gels.

Exploring Tools for Designing Dysphagia-Friendly Foods: A Review

Dysphagia is a medical condition that affects normal swallowing. To prevent the risk of aspiration or choking, thickened fluids and texture-modified foods have been used for dysphagia management with the goal of slowing down the flow of liquids and protecting the airway. This article summarizes the available information about the rheological and textural parameters, the characterization of the most-used thickeners and the application of alternative texture modification technologies that are crucial to developing safe dishes for people who suffer from swallowing difficulties. Regarding rheological and textural measurements, fundamental and empirical methods are described.

Understanding the oral processing of solid foods: Insights from food structure

Understanding the relationship between the structure of solid foods and their oral processing is paramount for enhancing features such as texture and taste and for improving health-related factors such as management of body weight or dysphagia. This paper discusses the main aspects of the oral processing of solid foods across different categories: (1) oral physiology related to chewing, (2) in-mouth food transformation, (3) texture perception, and (4) taste perception, and emphasis is placed on unveiling the underlying mechanisms of how food structure influences the oral processing of solid foods; this is exemplified by comparing the chewing behaviors for a number of representative solid foods. It highlights that modification of the texture/taste of food based on food structure design opens up the possibility for the development of food products that can be applied in the management of health.

An overview of the perception and mitigation of astringency associated with phenolic compounds

Astringency, as a kind of puckering, drying, or rough sensation, is widely perceived from natural foods, especially plants rich in phenolic compounds. Although the interaction and precipitation of salivary proteins by phenolic compounds was often believed as the major mechanism of astringency, a definitive theory about astringency is still lacking due to the complex oral sensations. The interaction with oral epithelial cells and the activation of trigeminal chemoreceptors and mechanoreceptors also shed light on some of the phenolic astringency mechanisms, which complement the insufficient mechanism of interaction with salivary proteins. Since phenolic compounds with different types and structures show different astringency thresholds in a certain regularity, there might be some relationships between the phenolic structures and perceived astringency. On the other hand, novel approaches to reducing the unfavorable perception of phenolic astringency have been increasingly emerging; however, the according summary is still sparse. Therefore, this review aims to: (a) illustrate the possible mechanisms of astringency elicited by phenolic compounds, (b) reveal the possible relationships between phenolic structures and perception of astringency, and (c) summarize the emerging mitigation approaches to astringency triggered by phenolic compounds. This comprehensive review would be of great value to both the understanding of phenolic astringency and the finding of appropriate mitigation approaches to phenolic astringency in future research.

Measurement of molten chocolate friction under simulated tongue-palate kinematics: Effect of cocoa solids content and aeration

The perception of some food attributes is related to mechanical stimulation and friction experienced in the tongue-palate contact during mastication. This paper reports a new bench test to measure friction in the simulated tongue-palate contact. The test consists of a flat PDMS disk, representing the tongue loaded and reciprocating against a stationary lower glass surface representing the palate. The test was applied to molten chocolate samples with and without artificial saliva. Friction was measured over the first few rubbing cycles, simulating mechanical degradation of chocolate in the tongue-palate region. The effects of chocolate composition (cocoa solids content ranging between 28 ​wt% and 85 ​wt%) and structure (micro-aeration/non-aeration 0–15 ​vol%) were studied. The bench test clearly differentiates between the various chocolate samples. The coefficient of friction increases with cocoa solids percentage and decreases with increasing micro-aeration level. The presence of artificial saliva in the contact reduced the friction for all chocolate samples, however the relative ranking remained the same.

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Development of a reciprocating sliding friction test to mimic tongue-palate motion.

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Variations in friction coefficient depending on chocolate composition and structure.

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Higher cocoa content samples had higher friction coefficient.

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Friction coefficient decreased with aeration (0–15% vol).

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The presence of an artificial saliva film reduced chocolate friction.

Identification of Somatosensory Compounds Contributing to Slipperiness and Thickness Perceptions in Canned Prunes (Prunus domestica)

The role of small molecules on the somatosensory properties of prunes (Prunus domestica) was investigated. Sensory descriptive analysis defined two main somatosensations, "thickness" and "slippery". On the basis of these two attributes, sensory-guided multidimensional fractionation techniques allowed for the isolation of four main compounds, which were identified by mass spectrometry and comparison to authentic standards. Three compounds were identified as monosubstituted isomers of chlorogenic acid, namely, 1-O-caffeoylquinic acid (1-CQA), 3-O-caffeoylquinic acid (3-CQA), and 4-O-caffeoylquinic acid (4-CQA), in addition to a fourth, vanillic acid glucoside (VG). Sensory recombination model analysis of each compound at endogenous concentrations of the prunes indicated that all compounds significantly contributed to slippery sensations, whereas 3-CQA, 4-CQA, and VG contributed to thickness sensations (α = 0.05).

Drinking tastes of Chinese rice wine under different heating temperatures analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and tribology tests

Drinking tastes and lubrication properties of Chinese rice wine (CRW) under different heating temperatures were studied by tribology tests, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and sensory evaluations. CRW's drinking tastes were evaluated by taste panelists. Flavor compounds were detected by GC-MS. Lubrication properties of CRW were measured by tribometer. Drinking tastes changed under different heating temperatures and were the best at 60°C assessed by panelists. Four key compounds, furfural, benzaldehyde, butanedioic acid diethyl ester, and phenylethyl alcohol, were determined by GC-MS affecting drinking tastes of CRW. Their variation trends were consistent with the changes of CRW's tastes. The variation of CRW's lubrication properties had a positive correlation with that of CRW's taste, especially astringency. The lowest friction coefficient implied the best lubrication performance and taste at 60°C. Therefore, it was possible to rapidly evaluate drinking tastes of CRW using tribology technology based on the results. Reasons for temperatures influencing CRW's lubrication properties and drinking tastes were also analyzed in this study.

Sensorial Perception of Astringency: Oral Mechanisms and Current Analysis Methods

Understanding consumers' food choices and the psychological processes involved in their preferences is crucial to promote more mindful eating regulation and guide food design. Fortifying foods minimizing the oral dryness, rough, and puckering associated with many functional ingredients has been attracting interest in understanding oral astringency over the years. A variety of studies have explored the sensorial mechanisms and the food properties determining astringency perception. The present review provides a deeper understanding of astringency, a general view of the oral mechanisms involved, and the exciting variety of the latest methods used to direct and indirectly quantify and simulate the astringency perception and the specific mechanisms involved.