2025 Volume 39 Issue 1-2 Pages 54-57
The physical properties of a food bolus are crucial for safe swallowing and are shaped through mastication and saliva incorporation. While texture and moisture content influence bolus formation, taste components such as salt and sugar also affect mastication by increasing salivary secretion. If these effects can be evaluated objectively, it may enable a novel sensory assessment method. This study aimed to develop a method to assess taste effects on mastication by analyzing facial movements, particularly mandibular motion, using 3D data from a smartphone-based scanner.
