Sudden transition from solid to liquid behaviour makes the mayonnaise more creamy
When we eat a food product, we perceive its sensory properties and subconsciously decide whether we like the food. Next to properties of flavor and taste, we perceive textural properties. How thick, rough and creamy the food is perceived depends on the structure and properties of the food product in the mouth. This thesis explores which properties of semisolid foods (mayonnaise, Dutch custard) are important for the perception of creaminess and other textural properties as well as how we can instrumentally measure these properties.
The results show that, for custard, interaction with saliva is very important. This interaction is, however, not well captured by the conventional instrumental measurements. For mayonnaise, conventional measurement are sufficient. Perception of most of the texture properties can be predicted well by one single type of product properties: flowing behavior of the mayonnaise in the mouth. Especially the transition from the solid-like behavior of the bite of mayonnaise to the liquid-like behavior in the mouth is important. When the transition happens suddenly and rapidly the mayonnaise is perceived as creamier than when it proceeds more gradually. Other, more complicated product properties, such as lubrication, and other types of instrumental measurements, such as those that resemble the movements in the mouth, are less relevant for mayonnaise.
Marjolein Terpstra did her research at WCFS (TIFN).