The "hard to swallow" phenomenon previously reported for peanut paste has been investigated for other oil seed butters. The Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) technique showed similar findings, adding to the list of materials which do not follow Hutchings and Lillford's break down path (Journal of Texture Studies 19: 103-115). From our data we propose a modification to the Hutchings and Lillford model which allows for initial hydration of dry foods. The model holds well for oil seed pastes and may also help to explain the behaviour of some dry, carbohydrate rich, foods previously constrained to fit extant models.Since TDS does not measure the magnitude of an attribute, we undertook Time Intensity studies to assess stickiness of peanut pastes during oral processing. In the absence of another attribute becoming dominant, the intensity of sticky/cohesive sensations may remain paramount but diminish in intensity, prior to swallowing. KeywordsDry foods; Low water content; oral processing; Hutchings and Lillford's break down path; Temporal Dominance of Sensations; Hard to swallow oil seed paste Practical applicationModelling oral processing may help us to understand the triggers for swallowing and thus assist people with swallowing difficulties (dysphagia). The much cited model developed by Hutchings and Lillford appears not to hold for all foods and exceptions necessarily require further investigation. This paper considers other published studies on oral processing of low water foods, offering an alternative interpretation to those previously given.