Food Texture Analysis in the 21st Century

Food texture encompasses physical characteristics perceived by the senses. Research in this area must be multidisciplinary in nature, accounting for fracture of food, sounds it makes during biting and chewing, its microstructure, muscle movements during mastication, swallowing, and acceptability. Food texture thus encompasses chemistry, physics, physiology, and psychology. This brief review of the field covers the areas of recent research in food texture and specifies where further understanding is needed.