Sensory effects of foodstuffs measured by new technology
New technology, developed by NIZO food research in the Netherlands, records and analyses the sound of rubbing of the tongue against the food, and can be used to predict the sensory effects of food innovations.
The company says the development is particularly suitable for manufacturers formulating for low-fat or low-carb products, to analyse the associated changes in mouthfeel.
Henrik Prinz, from NIZO food research, said: "Until now, standard rheology measurements are used to determine viscosity. More relevant is the way a product changes friction of surfaces and, for this reason, tribology is often attempted. However, the plastic or stainless steel surfaces used in tribometers cannot sufficiently mimic the soft, mucous-coated papillary surface of a live tongue."
Prinz claims the new "acoustic tribology" technology records and analyses the sound generated by rubbing or tapping of the tongue in the mouth during mastication.
'Acoustic tribology'
The inventor, George van Aken, said: "The sound produced by rubbing or tapping is caused by the same vibrations of the tissue that are sensed by the mechano-receptors in the tongue that signal the sensation of roughness, stickiness, structural coarseness of any food. Acoustic tribology is non-invasive, measures in real time and can be applied directly on human subjects without any preconditioning or preparation of the body surfaces."
He said the new technology provided much-needed objective information for manufacturers.
"The advantage of acoustic tribology, is that we measure where the consumer experiences the food: in the mouth. It gives objective information about the suppleness of movements and thus the lubricating behaviour of the food on the tongue and it can be applied to a wide range of foodstuffs," he added.
