Beyond “chewy”: Towards an instrumented language of food texture

The vocabulary used to describe food texture is becoming increasingly sophisticated, driven by novel processing technologies, alternative ingredients and a greater focus on sensory optimisation. For R&D and QA teams, these descriptors are only useful if they can be linked to measurable physical properties.

A Texture Analyser, such as the TA.XTplusC, provides that bridge by converting subjective terms like “pillowy” or “jammy” into quantified parameters such as fracture force, work of adhesion or springiness.

Below, the emerging language of texture is reframed for a technical audience, with examples of how these concepts can be quantified using Stable Micro Systems instrumentation and test methods.

1. Multi-sensory terms

These descriptors reflect textures perceived not only in the mouth but also through sound and sometimes visual appearance. Instrumentally, this often means coupling force-time data with acoustic or structural information.

Hyper-texture

Definition
“Hyper-texture” informally refers to products deliberately engineered with multiple, contrasting structural domains in a single bite, such as a crispy shell surrounding a soft or creamy core.

Instrumental characterisation
With a Texture Analyser, hyper-textured products can be profiled using multi-stage or layered tests:

• Small diameter cylinder probe penetration tests to identify sequential fracture events in layered snacks or confectionery.
• Three-point bend tests for bars or wafers to characterise bending strength followed by internal structural failure.

Force-distance curves such as those shown above from a Texture Analyser allow you to quantify the number of fracture events, their force magnitude and the energy required to transition between textural domains, supporting optimisation of “contrast” in products such as snacks, biscuits or filled chocolates.

Audible crunch / crisp

Definition
“Crisp” or “crunchy” are inherently multi-sensory, combining tactile fracture with sound generated during structure failure.

Instrumental characterisation
A Texture Analyser equipped with an Acoustic Envelope Detector can synchronise force and sound measurement during fracture and can provide methods for measuring crispness/crunchiness, where:

• Peak force and its rate of change reflect fracture strength and brittleness.
• Acoustic parameters (sound amplitude, number of acoustic events) quantify “loudness” and “liveliness” of the crunch.

2. Terms from food science and engineering

These terms are already familiar in R&D and are directly linked to mechanical properties that can be measured with standardised test methods.

Fracturability

Definition
Fracturability describes the tendency of a material to crack or shatter under an applied load. It is often preferred to “brittleness” because it is derived from specific test conditions and associated with clearly defined fracture points.

Instrumental characterisation
With a Texture Analyser, fracturability is quantified using, for example:

• Three-point bend tests for bars, biscuits and wafers.
• Penetration / compression tests for crisps and puffed snacks using fixtures such as the Crisp Fracture Support Rig. 

From the resulting curves, parameters such as fracture force, fracture distance, fracture strength and work of failure are extracted. See detailed methods and data analysis for fracturability/brittleness measurement. 

Cellular aerated

Definition
“Cellular aerated” describes structures with a regular or semi-regular void network created by gas expansion, whipping, or aeration (for example, extruded puffs, aerated chocolate or whipped confectionery).

Instrumental characterisation
A Texture Analyser can quantify such systems through:

• Uniaxial compression tests to determine modulus, yield point and collapse behaviour of the aerated matrix.
• Correlation of force data with e.g. density or porosity measurements to distinguish “light” versus “fragile” textures.

Application examples for extruded and puffed snacks are described in snack product texture analysis. 

Transition foods

Definition
“Transition foods” change texture when exposed to moisture, temperature or mechanical work, such as crisp wafers that rapidly disintegrate in the mouth.

Instrumental characterisation
Texture Analysers support evaluation by:

• Testing samples after controlled pre-hydration or at physiologically relevant temperatures.
• Monitoring the reduction in hardness or fracture force over time as moisture is introduced.

By designing time- or temperature-dependent protocols, R&D teams can build objective profiles of how quickly a product transitions from “crisp” to “soft” or “pureed”, which is critical for dysphagia-appropriate foods and elderly nutrition.

3. Terms from culinary arts and consumer marketing

These descriptors are common in consumer communications yet map directly to well-established mechanical and rheological parameters.

Melt-in-your-mouth

Definition
Describes products that fracture cleanly then rapidly disintegrate or melt at oral temperature with minimal residual particle perception. Typical examples include premium chocolate and delicate pastries.

Instrumental characterisation
For chocolate and fat-containing systems, approaches to assess this textural characteristic maybe:

• Snap tests (three-point bend or cantilever) to measure initial fracture.
• Controlled temperature compression to simulate softening and melting near 30–37 °C.

Temperature control and measurement will be necessary for this type of assessment.

Pillowy

Definition
“Pillowy” refers to soft, low-density structures with high compressibility and good recovery, often used for bread, steamed buns and aerated bakery/confectionery products.

Instrumental characterisation

• Bulk compression tests to measure low initial modulus and high strain at a modest stress.
• Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) to obtain hardness, springiness, cohesiveness and resilience, where pillowy textures typically show low hardness and high springiness.

Texture Analysers are widely used in bakery R&D to optimise gas cell structure and crumb softness, improving perceived freshness and bite.

Jammy

Definition
“Jammy” indicates a soft, sticky, and slightly chewy system, characteristic of fruit preparations, fillings, and some sauces.

Instrumental characterisation
Stable Micro Systems offer multiple fixtures for such high-viscosity or adhesive systems, including back-extrusion and spreadability rigs often used for confectionery and fillings.

Relevant parameters include:

• Adhesiveness / work of adhesion from withdrawal curves.
• Yield stress and consistency from back-extrusion.

These measurements distinguish products that are “jammy” (soft but cohesive and sticky) from those that are runny or gel-like.

Supple

Definition
“Supple” describes textures that are soft, flexible and deform without cracking, applicable to products such as fresh pasta, tortillas or tender meat cuts.

Instrumental characterisation

• Tensile or extension tests to measure elongation at break and tensile strength.
• Three point bend to measure flexibility/distance of bending.

These methods yield quantitative thresholds for “supple” versus “tough” or “rubbery” textures, useful in reformulation and process optimisation.

4. Terms from health and wellness

As product development targets satiety, reduced sugar or fat, and higher fibre or protein, texture descriptors are increasingly used to communicate health-linked eating behaviours.

Chew-conscious

Definition
“Chew-conscious” refers to foods deliberately designed to require more mastication, often linked to slower consumption, increased satiety and potentially improved glycaemic response.

Instrumental characterisation
Using TPA or repeated-bite tests, a Texture Analyser can quantify:

• Chewiness (typically hardness × cohesiveness × springiness).
• Toughness / work of compression across multiple cycles.

These parameters are useful for high-protein or reduced-sugar snacks where designers want to maintain a more substantial bite. Learn about low-in foods texture analysis to understand how texture must be actively managed as fat, sugar or salt are reduced.

Fibre-forward

Definition
“Fibre-forward” products prominently feature whole grains, seeds or added dietary fibre, often resulting in denser and more heterogeneous structures.

Instrumental characterisation

For cereal bars, seeded crackers or fibre-enriched snacks, Texture Analysers can quantify:

• Increased fracture work and cutting force, reflecting higher structural integrity and particulate loading.
• Changes in hardness and cohesiveness as fibre level, water binding and processing conditions vary.

The snack applications page provides examples of how crispness, extensibility and fracturability are measured in modern, fibre-rich snack formats.

Implications for R&D, sensory science and quality control

As texture vocabulary becomes more nuanced, there is a clear need to map sensory descriptors to robust, instrument-based metrics. Texture Analysers in the Stable Micro Systems range, including the TA.XTplusC, TA.XTplus100C and TA.HDplusC, provide:

• High-resolution force and distance control for accurate characterisation of subtle textural changes.
• A wide library of probes and fixtures for fracture, compression, shear, extrusion and adhesive tests across snacks, confectionery, bakery and low-in foods.
• Software (such as Exponent) capable of defining custom parameters aligned to internal descriptors like “pillowy” or “jammy”, and correlating these with sensory panel data.

By formalising how terms such as “hyper-texture”, “audible crunch”, “chew-conscious” or “fibre-forward” relate to mechanical and acoustic properties, R&D teams can:

• Translate marketing language into measurable targets.
• Design experiments that directly optimise consumer-relevant attributes.
• Implement objective quality control limits that reflect real sensory performance.

In short, moving “beyond chewy” requires not only richer vocabulary but also robust instrumentation. A properly configured Texture Analyser turns emerging texture language into a precise, reproducible toolkit for modern product development and process control.