Terminology of Food Texture
SENSORY BASED TERMINOLOGY FOR FOOD TEXTURE MEASUREMENTS
Sensory science uses a wide range of subjective terminology to describe the Mechanical, Geometrical and Chemically derived parameters that contribute to a products textural perception by the consumer.
Terms Relating to Mouthfeel Characteristics - Mainly Chemically Derived and Terminology of Food Texture – Mainly Mechanically Derived are listed below.
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Accuracy – How closely the measured value comes to the true value
Adhesiveness – Sometimes referred to as stickiness, this is related to how a food adheres to the inside of the mouth surfaces during chewing
Body - The sensation of substance.
Cellular Aerated - A predominantly regular, void structure.
Chewiness – a combination of gumminess and springiness, this is the amount of effort that goes into preparing a solid product for swallowing
Cohesiveness – refers to how a food product stays together after deformation
Coarse - Possesses large constituent particles.
Creamy - The presence of thick, smooth liquid in the mouth.
Crystalline - The presence predominantly of a collection of crystals.
Dry - A reduction in the free fluids in the mouth.
Fibrous - Readily separated thread-like structure.
Fine - Small, uniform constituent particles.
Fizzy - Giving a tingling sensation, having hissing sounds, as in sparkling beverages.
Flaky - A structure of readily separated layers.
Foamed (Foamy) - A predominance of small, empty or gas-filled voids in semi-solids or liquids.
Fracturability (brittleness) – A food’s ability to crack or crumble, opposite of cohesiveness
Getaway - Perceived as the shortness of duration of mouthfeel.
Gritty - Presence of small, hard particles.
Gumminess – A combination of hardness and cohesiveness, this is the amount of effort that goes into preparing a semi-solid food for swallowing
Hardness – The peak force that results from a sample being compressed to a given distance, time, or % of deformation
Juicy - A progressive increase in the free fluids in the mouth during mastication.
Lumpy - Presence of large irregular particles.
Mealy Grainy - Presence of components of different degrees of firmness or toughness.
Moist - Neither an increase nor reduction in the free fluids in the oral capacity.
Mushy - The presence of wet, soft solids in the mouth.
Powdery Chalky - Presence of, or readiness to breakdown into very small particles.
Precision – How many significant digits are used to express the measurement
Puffed (Puffy) - An expanded and often distorted cellular structure.
Pulpy - A soft, plastic, wet, fibrous structure.
Repeatability - The variation in measurements obtained when one person measures the same unit with the same measuring equipment
Sharp - An intense or painful reaction to a substance being eaten.
Slimy - The sensation of slipperiness on the surfaces of the mouth.
Smooth - The absence of detectable solid particles.
Soggy - Saturated with moisture, heavy and wet, sodden or soaked.
Spongy - Both stringy and cellular.
Springiness – A food’s ability to return to its original form after being compressed
Stringy - Presence of tough thread-like structure.
Texture – Sometimes called mouth feel, this is the physical interaction that food has in the mouth during the chewing process. This can sometimes also be the interpreted by finger feel
TPA (Texture Profile Analysis) – A two bite test that imitates the action of chewing. From the results, a number of sensory related parameters can be determined
Watery - Both wet and deficient in body.
Waxy - The presence of thick, oily liquid or plastic solid in the mouth.
Wet - An immediate increase in the free fluids in the mouth.