Development of the swallowable composition of food in normal dentate subjects

This study aimed to find out the changes which occur in the frequency distribution of the size of particles produced during mastication of a convenient mouthful of hard-baked soya beans to its swallowable composition (SC), and to identify the particles which undergo rapid pulverization. In this group the total number of masticatory strokes utilized to prepare food for the SC varied between forty and eighty masticatory strokes. All the subjects produced a similar pattern of the frequency distribution of particles produced at the end of mastication and when mastication was interrupted at a particular phase. Particles larger than 1180 micrometers were pulverized to form particles smaller than 1180 micrometers. Most rapid pulverization was seen in particles of 2400 micrometers whereas particles of average size 655 micrometers, formed rapidly.