A human-like chewing measurement system for the assessment of the perception of food consistence

Consistence and crispiness are key textural qualities capable to significantly increase the desirability of food, as proved by the 40% growth of market share of "crispy" products since 1994. To match this demand and improve the quality there is a strong need for an instrumental method for assessing these parameters. Most works reported in literature only focus on the Theological properties of food, completely ignoring the perceptive aspect. In this work a device capable to assess consistence of food is presented. A mechanical system composed of a joint jaw/mandible set and a dental prosthesis was designed to emulate the main movements of chewing. An array of strain gauges allowed the indirect measurement of the instant pressure acting upon the teeth. A consistency index was derived from the features extracted from the sensor signals and calibrated with the results of a differential test carried out by ten untrained panellists. A high degree of correlation was obtained, suggesting that the system might be used to predict the consumer perception of consistence.