Physical Properties and Reproducibility of Marketed Foods for Assessing Consecutive Masticatory and Deglutition Functions

抄録

This study aimed to measure the physical properties of 13 marketed foods and gummy jelly（as a control）to comprehend their physical properties and reproducibility, with the goal of using marketed foods in a new testing method to assess consecutive masticatory and swallowing ability. Gummy jelly（UHA Mikakuto, Japan, Nara）and 13 frequently consumed marketed foods were used to assess the food texture and reproducibility of maximum compressive force. The compressing load and speed were set to 500N at 9.88 mm/s to simulate adults’ occlusal force and jaw closing speed during chewing. The pushrod jig pressed the test food 1 mm above the compression plate, and the maximum compressive force was recorded. The means of maximum compressive force were compared between the test foods using a one-way analysis of variance followed by Bonferroni-adjusted multiple comparisons. Hierarchical clustering analysis was conducted with 14 foods using maximum compressive force to interpret relationships between the foods. The reproducibility of foods was assessed by the coefficient of variation（CV）. The results suggested that traditional test foods used for assessing masticatory ability, such as gummy jelly and peanuts, exhibited significantly higher maximum compressive force than commonly marketed foods. Hierarchical clustering analysis further indicated dissimilar physical properties between traditional test foods and marketed foods. The foods’ reproducibility revealed that gummy jelly exhibited better reproducibility than peanuts. Almonds, kamaboko, and chocolate were identified to have acceptable reproducibility for the new testing method.