Determining the Detection Threshold for Perception of Selected Textural Attributes

Texture perception and appreciation was found to be one of the determinative factors for preference, which lead to business success. Moreover, it was claimed to be vital for safe consumption in some cases for the vulnerable population (i.e. elderlies, babies or dysphagic patients). To create more desirable, preferable or safer foods it is necessary to understand the perception limits of the textural attributes and investigate if there are any correlations between other possible sensation systems. This study is motivated with the aim of finding thresholds for the selected attributes of texture (liquid viscosity, soft-solid firmness, soft-solid elasticity and solid surface roughness) and explore whether there is any correlation between texture sensation and tactile sensation systems, which was claimed to be responsible for texture sensation. Current study was examined with sensory tests on the fingertip and tongue for the textural attributes perception thresholds. Tactile sensation limits were observed with touch sensitivity tests and two-point discrimination tests. For each attribute, correlations with the tactile sensitivity were tested. Results revealed that the tactile sensation was not directly determinative in texture discrimination and correlation between texture discrimination and tactile sensation was not possible to be established for those attributes. Another approach was comparing the sensitivities between the fingertip and tongue. These two parts of the body seemed to have similar texture sensitivity, excluding the fluid viscosity. Due to this general similarity in discrimination of texture, we suggested that one could use fingertip texture discrimination threshold to predict the tongue threshold. Findings of this study have implications in the food industry and can contribute to the general understanding of the sensory scientists. For industry, obtained thresholds for particular attributes could be used as guidance for creating desirable food products. Moreover, if the same approach could be followed, thresholds for the vulnerable groups can be obtained and used for medical food production for creating safe to consume foods. On the other hand, methodologies and findings of this study could provide information to sensory scientists to map the full image of the texture sensation thresholds.