Texture Prolife

Texture is an important aspect of food quality, sometimes even more important than flavor and color. It is the textural characteristics perceived in a food product.

It is combination of physical properties perceived by senses of kinaesthesis, touch, sight and hearing.

Texture was most important in bland foods and foods that are crunchy or crisp. It influences the people’s image of food.

The characteristics most often referred to hardness, cohesiveness and moisture content.

In 1960s, scientists interested in developing a method that would allow the evaluation of texture and which would built on a well defined and rational foundation.

The purpose of texture characteristics classification system to bridge the gap between consumer texture terminology and the rheological properties of the product.

Textural characteristics have been classified into three main classes:
*Mechanical characteristics
*Geometrical characteristics
*Other characteristics, related mainly to moisture and fat content

This classification formed the basis of the Texture Profile method. Mechanical properties are defined as those characteristics related to the reaction of springiness, adhesiveness and viscosity. It’s described qualitatively and quantitatively.

Geometrical properties are related to the arrangement of the physical constituents within the food and been described qualitatively and semi-quantitatively.

The texture profile is defined as the organoleptic analysis of the texture complex of a food in terms of its mechanical, geometrical, fat and moisture characteristics, the degree of each present and the order in which they appear from the first bite though complete mastication.

In the texture profile, analysis of the properties is done at each of the three stages of ingestion: initial, masticatory and residual.
Texture Prolife