Consumer textural food perception over time based on Mouth Behavior

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Sensory Science
• Human Behavior

Background:

• Food texture assessment is challenging due to dynamic changes during consumption.
• Traditional methods often rely on static or averaged textural data.
• Individual differences in eating behavior are increasingly recognized as crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how individual Mouth Behaviors influence food texture perception during eating.
• To determine if personalized texture experiences affect overall food liking.
• To explore the relationship between Mouth Behaviors and dynamic texture assessment.

Main Methods:

• Utilized dynamic sensory analysis techniques to capture texture changes over time.
• Categorized participants based on distinct Mouth Behaviors.
• Correlated individual Mouth Behaviors with real-time texture assessments and overall liking.

Main Results:

• Individuals with different Mouth Behaviors modify food texture differently during mastication.
• Personalized texture modification significantly impacts the perceived texture trajectory.
• Food liking is strongly associated with the ability to achieve a preferred texture aligned with Mouth Behavior.

Conclusions:

• Mouth Behaviors are a key determinant of dynamic food texture perception.
• Averaged texture assessments may not fully capture consumer experience.
• Future food product development should consider individual eating behaviors for optimized sensory appeal.