Appearance, flavor and texture are the three major acceptability factors in food consumption because they can impart enjoyment of the food. Food texture is a major factor in the sensory evaluation of food quality, and it is critical or important in the quality grading and marketing of solid food.
“Texture” is governed by a combination of mechanical and fracture properties and their modification and expression within the mouth during chewing.
Texture is important in determining the eating quality of foods and can have a strong influence on food intake and nutrition. Perceived texture is closely related to the structure and composition of the food, and both microscopic and macroscopic levels of structure can influence texture.
The sensation of food texture plays a crucial role in influencing consumers’ liking and preference of a food product. Texture is sensed primarily in the mouth, on the lips, teeth, gums and tongue, although some texture notes can be sensed by other parts of the body, such as the hand. Textural perception occurs directly through the tactile (touch) and kinesthetic (movement) senses, and indirectly through the senses of vision and hearing. In contrast to color and flavor, there are no specific sensory receptors for texture.
Consumer concern and interest of food texture vary from one type of food to another. For solid foods, sensory experience associated with fracture and breaking could be the most relevant textural features, whereas the sensation of flow behavior could be the most critical texture-related feature for fluid foods.
Texture is an important quality attribute in almost all foods, and is most important in foods that are bland in flavor or have the characteristics of crispness or crunchiness.
The importance of food texture
