Can we understand food oral processing using Kano model? Case study with confectionery products

Abstract

This study had two objectives, to determine oral processing parameters and its correlation with mechanical properties of selected confectionery products and to categorize oral processing and sensory attributes based on a Kano model. Thirteen panelists analyzed five confectionery products in the oral processing part of the study. In parallel, 327 interviews participated in a field survey to enable analyzing responses to food quality and oral processing attributes. It has been confirmed that oral processing parameters are interrelated with most of the mechanical properties of confectionery products. Average number of bites is correlated with consumption time per bite, chewing rate, and bite size. Consumption time and chewing rate were negatively correlated for Brownie cake. Satiation was associated with eating rate and calorie intake rate for Jelly Candy and Waffle. All food quality requirements were categorized as "attractive" and "one-dimensional." Oral processing parameters-food breakdown and eating rate are aligned to "attractive" category, bite size was identified as a "must-be" category, and number of chews is outlined as a "reverse" category. The Kano model results show that oral processing parameters have a strong influence on consumer satisfaction in parallel with well-known sensorial characteristics associated with food quality. K E Y W O R D S confectionery products, Kano model, mechanical properties, oral processing characteristics, quality characteristics 1 | INTRODUCTION Oral processing covers understanding of a wide range of food changes that occur from the first bite to the moment of swallowing, analyzing both food changes, and in-mouth sensations (Chen, 2014). Number of chews, bite size, eating rate, hardness, firmness or sensory attributes (Hiiemae et al., 1996; Koç et al., 2014), caloric intake (van den Boer et al., 2017), and satiety (Wang & Chen, 2017) as oral processing and sensory characteristics are correlated with the type of food consumed. Eating of food is mainly associated with energy and nutrient intake as well as with pleasure (Chen, 2009). In parallel, oral processing of food affects sensorial properties, food intake, and acceptance (Aguayo-Mendoza et al., 2019). When speaking about sweet taste, it is obvious that people like sweet products from their birth (Steiner, 1979). Variations in liking this type of products exist mainly due to age of consumers (Divert et al., 2017). However, the World Health Organization in its latest guideline recommends consumption of up to 50 g/day of total free sugars, highlighting the concern that intake in the form of various sugar-sweetened products and beverages may lead to an unhealthy diet, weight gain, and increased risk of noncommunicable diseases (WHO, 2015). This may lead to the assumption that some health issues are linked with oral processing. High prevalence of obesity is partially caused by food availability, but is also in relation to food that This article was published on AA publication on:

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