Connecting Texture and Breakup in Water and Simulated Gastric Fluid with Different Food-like Tablets

Three food-like tablet types, with Young’s moduli similar to those of real foods, were prepared to investigate breakup during digestion using caffeine as a model solute. Texture was evaluated in situ during simulated digestion by measuring Young’s moduli and fracturability at various time points, providing indicators of stiffness and toughness. Type 1 disintegrated immediately; Type 2 dissolved first, followed by breakup at (1.5 ± 0.2) min, and Type 3 underwent dissolution. Young’s modulus decreased rapidly for Type 1 within a minute (from 1.00 to 0.38 MPa), while Type 2 exhibited a decrease at 1.5 min (0.94–0.58 MPa) before breakup. Type 3 resisted disintegration due to its higher modulus of elasticity. The time-dependent decrease in Young’s modulus is consistent with previous studies, suggesting that soft materials are more readily broken down. In simulated gastric fluid (SGF), Type 2 displayed similar dissolution and breakup behaviour (1.8 ± 0.04) min, followed by structural stabilisation due to swelling, with a slight decrease in modulus and fracturability at breakup. The study introduces a novel method that combines time-resolved, in situ textural measurements with real-time visual observation under physiologically relevant pulsatile flow, using purpose-designed food-like model materials to support the prediction of food breakdown behaviour and the design of foods with controlled digestion.