Bolus matters: the influence of food oral breakdown on dynamic texture perception

Abstract

This review article focuses on design of food structure, characterisation of oral processing by boli characterisation and dynamic texture perception. Knowledge of the food properties governing bolus formation and bolus properties determining temporal changes in texture perception is of major importance. Such knowledge allows academia to better understand the mechanisms underlying texture perception and food industry to improve product texture. For instance, such knowledge can be used for developing foods with desired texture perception that fit in a healthy diet or that are customized to specific consumer groups. The end point of oral processing is the formation of a safe-to-swallow bolus. The transitions of solid and soft solid foods into bolus are accompanied by tremendous modifications of food properties. The review discusses dynamic changes in bolus properties resulting in dynamic changes of texture perception during oral processing. Studies monitoring chewing behaviour are discussed to complement the relationships between bolus properties and dynamic texture perception. We conclude that texture perception evolves over mastication time and depends on food properties, such as mechanical properties, mainly in the beginning of oral processing. Towards the middle and end of oral processing, bolus properties depend on food properties and explain texture perception better than food properties.

Preliminary exploration for evaluating acuity of oral texture perception

“…Solid and semisolid foods that are ingested into the oral cavity are then processed via mastication (Devezeaux de Lavergne, van de Velde, & Stieger, ). When food is processed to a food bolus that can be swallowed, it is transferred from the oral cavity into the pharynx by the action of stage II transport (Palmer, Rudin, Lara, & Crompton, ); then, it is transferred into the esophagus by the reflexive motor action of swallowing.…”

Intra‐oral trigeminal‐mediated sensations influencing taste perception: A systematic review

“…During food consumption, the eating process implies mastication, salivation, bolus formation, transport of particles in different locations in the mouth and swallowing. The textural aspects of food are responsible for tactile sensations such as thickness, firmness, melting, hardness, smoothness or roughness, and their impact on taste perception has been highlighted since the 1970. Thickening a water solution with starch, cellulose, carrageenan or xanthan decreases sweetness, sourness and saltiness intensity .…”

“…As saliva flow rate, amylase activity and pH affected taste perception, we may presume that taste disturbances may be related to dilution and transport of tastants, saliva enzymatic activity and buffering capacity of saliva . As parameters of textural properties of foods monitored by periodontal innervation contribute to taste perception, dental status should then be taken into account when discussing the impact of trigeminal sensations on taste perception. The literature review based on aqueous solution testing indicates that lower third molar removal has no effect on NaCl taste detection threshold but can affect basic taste recognition thresholds of up to 34% of patients in the short term .…”

“…Besides taste, oral somatosensory sensations related to food and oral conditions are generated during eating through Aβ, Aδ and C mechanosensory, chemosensory, thermosensory, proprioceptive and nociceptive trigeminal afferents innervating the mouth, oro‐facial muscles and the temporomandibular joint and integrated in the central nervous system . On one hand, mouthfeel and afterfeel deal with physical food properties such as temperature, particle size, textural, rheological and tribological features (ie, thickness, firmness, melting, hardness, smoothness, roughness and coating), and its chemical aspects related to pungency or sharpness (especially with chili peppers, black pepper, horseradish and wasabi roots), coolness (ie evoked by peppermint), tingling (ie evoked by carbonated drinks) or irritating effects (nicotine, mustard oil, ginger and thyme) . On the other hand, trigeminal‐mediated sensations related to oral dryness, tactile perception or pain when eating are also dependent on oral conditions including oral hygiene, saliva, dental status, dental appliances, peripheral lesion of the lingual nerve (LN) and oral disease …”

Structural and mechanical characteristics of bread and their impact on oral processing: a review

“…Physiological aspects of oral processing have been comprehensively reviewed (Chen, ) and its relation with texture perception and oral tribology has been extensively addressed (Stokes et al ., ; Foegeding et al ., ; Devezeaux de Lavergne et al ., ). Different from previous reviews, the present article focuses on bread mechanical characteristic, which is an important but frequently overlooked functional property that links food structure with oral processing.…”