Review highlights need for research ‘fusion’ when studying texture

The review, published in Food Hydrocolloids​, explored the importance of texture in foods, with particular focus on the potential of hydrocolloids. to modify food textures in different ways.

According to Dr Takahiro Funami, from the Texture Design Division of San Ei Gen F.F.I. Inc., Japan, “food manufactures should be aware that perceived flavour intensity can be controlled by manipulating food texture using hydrocolloids either in gel-type or liquid-type foods, enhancing favourable flavour and masking unfavourable flavour intentionally.”​

Importance of texture​

“Foods should never be foods if humans do not feel happiness and satisfaction during eating … From this perspective, palatability is the most important attribute of foods,” ​wrote Funami.

Dr Funami explained that food palatability is determined by a mixture of organoleptic attributes, including flavour, texture, appearance, sound, and temperature, however he noted that flavour and texture are the two major factors determining food palatability.

“It has been said that texture governs more than 30 per cent of food palatability, and when limited to staple foods that require large quantity in every meal, including rice, noodles, bread, and meat, the percentage is higher,”​ he noted.

Hydrocolloids have many functions in foods, including thickening, gelling, water holding, dispersing, stabilizing, film forming, and foaming. To this effect they have been used as a texture modifier many different types of processed food products.

However, hydrocolloids not only modify food texture but also flavour release from the food matrix. For this reason Funami explained that food products “should be formulated using various ingredients to optimize texture, which increases overall food palatability.”​

Review details​

“Texture in nature is a complex of various attributes, and many research areas are associated with texture studies, including psychology, oral physiology, and physicochemistry … To understand a whole body of texture, fusion of different research areas is necessary,”​ wrote Dr Funami.

The Japanese scientist also noted that perceived taste intensity in the mouth lowers with increasing viscosity or gel-strength of foods, adding that gelation “is an important functionality of food hydrocolloids in terms of texture modifier.”​

“Food manufactures should comprehend characteristics of each hydrocolloid and also synergistic effects of the mixture for the development and improvement of food products,”​ wrote Funami.

He explained that a single food hydrocolloid cannot meet all requirements in foods, and thus should be selected adequately depending on the functions required, adding that the blending of multiple food hydrocolloids may be a practical solution for it.

Source: Food Hydrocolloids​​
Published online ahead of print, doi: 10.1016/j.foodhyd.2011.03.010​
“Next target for food hydrocolloid studies: Texture design of foods using hydrocolloid technology”​
Author: T. Funami