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Characterisation of chocolate eating behaviour
A M Carvalho-da-Silva1, I Van Damme, B Wolf
1Food Sciences Department, Sutton Bonington Campus, The University of Nottingham, LE12 5RD, UK.
Physiology & Behavior
|June 21, 2011
Summary
Chocolate texture significantly impacts how people eat it, influencing chewing time and how long it stays in the mouth. Consumers exhibit distinct chocolate eating behaviors, categorized by chewing speed and style.
Area of Science:
- Food Science
- Consumer Behavior
- Sensory Science
Background:
- Limited understanding of how chocolate's physical properties influence consumer eating behavior.
- Variation in chocolate texture can affect sensory perception and consumption patterns.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate chocolate eating behavior in relation to textural differences.
- To explore the impact of mouthcoating on in-mouth chocolate residence time.
Main Methods:
- Utilized surface electromyography (sEMG) to measure masticator muscle activity.
- Employed electroglottography (EGG) to record swallowing events.
- Analyzed chewing time, swallowing events, and mouth residence time.
Main Results:
- Differences in mouthcoating significantly affected in-mouth residence time.
- Chocolate perceived as more mouthcoating led to increased chewing time and delayed swallowing.
- Consumer eating behaviors were clustered into 'fast chewers', 'thorough chewers', and 'suckers'.
Conclusions:
- Chocolate's textural attributes, particularly mouthcoating, play a crucial role in modulating eating behavior.
- Individual differences in chewing rate, duration, and swallowing patterns define distinct consumer eating styles.
- Understanding these behaviors can inform chocolate product development and sensory analysis.
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