A Computer Assisted Analysis of Some Theoretical Rate Effects in Mastication and in Deformation Testing of Foods

Simplified rheological models, with relaxation times comparable to those of solid foods, were used to simulate stress strain relationships at rates comparable to those in mastication and in common deformation tests (linear velocities on the order of 100 and 1 cm min −1 respectively). The simulations included the regimes of constant deformation and strain rates and a sinusoidal deformation pattern. They demonstrated that the information in sensory perception and mechanical testing can be different in both kind and magnitude largely due to the rheological character of the food and its relaxation time and to a lesser extent, to the exact deformation regime.