Particle Size Distribution of Food Boluses after Mastication of Six Natural Foods

Abstract

There is a large variability between and among individuals in the physiology of mastication, but it is not known whether this produces a similar variability in the particle sizes of food boluses at the end of the chewing process. Food boluses obtained just before swallowing were analyzed in ten subjects (aged 36.7 +/- 9.5 yrs) with normal dentition. Food samples of 3 nuts (peanut, almond, pistachio) and 3 vegetables (cauliflower, radish, and carrot) were chewed and expectorated after self-estimated complete mastication. Measurements with sieving and laser diffraction methods indicated that particles were much larger in vegetables than in nuts. Particle size distributions were similar among nuts and among vegetables. Surprisingly, no inter-individual variability was observed in the particle distributions for the 6 foods, although several sequence variables differed markedly. A need for a bolus to be prepared with a precisely determined texture before it can be swallowed may explain the inter-subject variability of the masticatory function.

Possible Mechanism behind the Hard-to-Swallow Property of Oil Seed Pastes

“…Peyron et al, 2004). Similarly they suggested that a minimum level of lubrication was necessary to swallow the bolus and again they represented this threshold as a plane across the degree of lubrication axis.…”

Effects of appetite, BMI, food form and flavor on mastication: almonds as a test food

“…There is also evidence of differences in particle sizes after a standardized number of chews, between 2.5 and 5.1 mm for carrots and 0.9-2.1 mm for Brazil nuts (Lucas and Luke, 1986). Other studies have reported differences in particle size distributions due to food type, yet indicate a lack of variability between and among individuals (Peyron et al, 2004). Intra-individual variability resulting in varied particle sizes may have implications for lipid bioaccessibility.…”

Temporal Dominance of Sensations of peanuts and peanut products in relation to Hutchings and Lillford’s “breakdown path”

“…Other researchers have studied oral food processing (mastication, bolus formation, swallowing, etc), for example electromyography has been used to study the muscle activity while chewing peanuts (Hanawa, Tsuboi, Watanabe, & Sasaki, 2008;Kohyama & Mioche, 2004;Kohyama, Mioche, & Martin, 2002) and the resultant particle size distribution evaluated by various techniques such as wet sieving or laser diffraction (Peyron, Mishellany, & Woda, 2004). Flynn et al looked at particle size distribution of peanuts prior to swallowing and postulated multiple compartments within the mouth during mastication (Flynn et al, 2011).…”