CHAPTER 1 – Texture, Viscosity, and Food

Publisher Summary The four principal quality factors in food include its appearance, flavor, texture, and nutrition. Appearance, flavor, and texture are the “sensory acceptability factors” because they are perceived by the senses directly. Nutrition is a quality factor that is not perceived by the senses. The sensory acceptability factors of foods are extremely important because people obtain great enjoyment from eating their food. The importance of texture in the overall acceptability of foods varies widely, depending upon the type of food. Achieving the desired textural quality of food has important economic considerations. The importance of texture, relative to other quality factors of foods, may be affected by culture. The chapter describes the vocabulary of texture of food, as it is very important, especially in sensory testing and consumer verbalizations of quality. It is also reported that time of day exerted a strong influence on textural awareness and flavor. The chapter also presents the difference between texture and viscosity.