An electronic sensing system (ESS) for texture characterization of foods was developed to observe and quantify dynamic texture changes during mastication. Electrical potentials of masseter muscles on the face, reflecting the chewing patterns and chewing activities, were recorded using surface electrodes. The effect of electrode positions within a 5 mm (± 2 mm) radius of the cheekbone and lower jawbone on the ESS recordings of masseter muscle activity was investigated. Sensory hardness scores were related moderately to highly (r{sup}2 = 0.64-0.92) to first bite total energy obtained from the ESS measurements, and sensory fracturability scores were related moderately (r{sup}2 = 0.65-0.83) to first bite total energy and first bite peak energy of the ESS measurements. The preliminary study demonstrated that the ESS has the potential to characterize texture attributes and study the real-time changes occurring in the mouth during ingestion of food.
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