In Vitro Robotic Chewing Studies of Food Texture Changes During Mastication

Area of Science:

• Food science and technology
• Biomechanics
• Rheology

Background:

• Understanding food texture changes during mastication is crucial for food design and oral processing.
• Mastication involves complex interactions between food properties, chewing mechanics, and saliva.
• Previous studies often relied on simplified models or in vivo human trials, limiting control over variables.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of different chewing behaviors on the textural transformation of roasted peanuts and white bread.
• To quantify food texture changes using a robotic chewing system and analyze correlations with mastication parameters.
• To elucidate the underlying mechanisms of texture modification during simulated chewing.

Main Methods:

• A robotic chewing system simulated various chewing trajectories, occlusal forces, and saliva flow rates.
• Roasted peanuts and white bread were chewed to 0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% of their determined swallowing cycles.
• Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) measured nine food texture variables, analyzed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Partial Least Squares Regression (PLSR).

Main Results:

• Roasted peanuts showed strong correlations between hardness, adhesive force, cohesiveness, and chewing cycles, with an 81.5% average hardness reduction.
• White bread's texture changes were less pronounced; hardness initially increased due to compression before softening.
• Saliva flow rate significantly influenced springiness and adhesive force for peanuts and bread, respectively, while chewing trajectory impacted bread's cohesiveness.

Conclusions:

• Food texture transformation during mastication is highly dependent on food type and specific chewing parameters.
• Robotic chewing systems provide a controlled environment to study mastication dynamics and food breakdown mechanisms.
• Findings highlight the distinct textural modifications of peanuts and bread, influenced by chewing stages, saliva, and mechanics, though participant sample limitations warrant cautious interpretation.