Measurement of selection changes and breakage functions during chewing in man

Food comminution in man was studied in terms of intra-oral selection and breakage processes, with a silicone rubber used as test food, aided by a sieving procedure and simultaneous form- and color-labeling of particles. The subjects chewed on mixtures of particles with a specific form (either cubes or half-cubes). In addition, seven particle sizes, within a range of 1.2 to 8.0 mm, each had a specific color. Damaged cubes or half-cubes revealed their chance of being selected for breakage. The color of the fragments indicated their original size, and thus the breakage distribution of selected particles. The selection chance increased as a power function of particle size. The degree of fragmentation was, in general, maximal for a particle size of about 4 mm. Our double-labeling technique permits a detailed unraveling of anatomical and physiological variables in the chewing process.