1999 Volume 3 Issue 2 Pages 16-20
It is a well-known fact that food texture is affected by various factors such as compression methods，forms of plungers and clearance．The effects of compression speed on food texture，however，have not been sufficiently clarified．ln this situation，we adjusted the compression speed to the maximum and minimum levels to study the changes of food crushing property．Five types of food were used in the present experiments．Statistically significant differences in measurement values were recognized in all five types of food for the rupture stress．These differences were revealed in two of the five types of food concerning rupture strain and in one of them for the initial modulus．These results demonstrated that the compressiom speed remarkably affected the physical property levels of food．The speed of human masticatory movement is approximately ten times faster than that of the measurement equipment used in these experiments．Therefore，the physical state of food reported in this study might be significantly different from that in the human during their masticatory movement．The present study pointed out the necessity to establish a new simulated measurement system of human masticatory movement and the classification of food so that the relationship between human masticatory movement and the physical state of food might be correctly evaluated．
