A method for evaluating time-resolved rheological functionalities of fluid foods.

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Rheology
• Biophysics

Background:

• Evaluating the rheological properties of swallowed foods is crucial for understanding texture and swallowing.
• Existing methods struggle with the dynamic and heterogeneous conditions of food during digestion.
• Time-resolved rheology is essential for characterizing food breakdown and texture changes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a method for evaluating time-resolved rheological functionalities of swallowed foods.
• To assess the dynamic changes in shear-thinning properties of food thickeners.
• To quantify the impact of digestive enzymes on food rheology.

Main Methods:

• Utilized ultrasonic spinning rheometry (USR) to measure rheological properties over time.
• Investigated starch, guar gum, and xanthan gum solutions with alpha-amylase.
• Applied power law fitting to characterize shear-thinning properties (consistency index K and power law exponent n).

Main Results:

• USR successfully captured time-dependent rheological changes in food thickeners.
• Starch-based solutions showed a significant viscosity drop upon enzyme addition.
• Guar gum and xanthan gum solutions exhibited stable viscosity, as expected.
• The K-n space effectively quantified the time-varying shear-thinning characteristics.

Conclusions:

• USR is a practical tool for evaluating the time-resolved rheological properties of swallowed foods.
• The method allows for quantitative characterization of food thickener behavior during simulated digestion.
• This technique can aid in the development of foods with predictable textural changes during consumption.