Speech Analysis Techniques: A Potential Model for the Study of Mastication Sounds

Acoustical characteristics of mastication sounds may provide information regarding the texture of food: however, methods are needed to study these sounds. Spectrographic analysis, a speech analysis technique, is a potential method for the study of mastication sounds. To illustrate this technique, spectrograms and waveforms are presented for sounds of foods that are reference standards for the hardness and fracturability scales of the Texture Profile Method. Spectrograms also are presented for the sounds of 3 vowels. Acoustical characteristics of these 2 types of sounds are described and compared from the spectrograms and waveforms.