The mouthfeel imparted by fat in food cannot be fully described by one sensory phenomenon. The presence of fat induces changes in (for example) perceptions of thickness, slipperiness, rate of bolus breakdown, and post-swallow mouth-coating.  A conceptual model was hypothesized to relate this series of time-dependent perceptions to physical properties of the bolus structure as it is broken down by shear forces, dilution, and digestion. Rheology and tribology measurements were made, along with sensory scores determination, on a set of model salad dressing samples to provide data for parameterizing the conceptual model. The model dressing compositions were based on a survey of ingredients commonly used in commercial dressings (including full fat, reduced fat, and fat free types). Correlation analyses based on principal components analysis (PCA) and partial least squares (PLS) were used to determine which groups of instrumental measurements were most likely to be affected by the various breakdown structures defined in the conceptual model. These groups of measurements populated the so-called latent structures of a subsequent multiple regression model inspired by structural equation modeling (SEM) techniques in order to quantify the causal relationships among the breakdown structures. This parameterized model also quantifies the relationships between these proposed structures and the various sensory attributes that are affected by fat and/or fat replacers. The model allows for intuitive, physical descriptions of the contributions of ingredients to structure and their subsequent affects on mouthfeel properties. It also provides a quantitative framework for proposing and testing new reduced-fat and fat-free formulations.

Structure -> function modeling to enable fat reduction without sacrificing mouthfeel in liquid foods

247th National Meeting (2014)

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