Texture and Viscosity Measurement

The process of evaluating food texture has come a long way since the 1950s, when scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology developed a novel instrument called the strain-gauge denture tenderometer. Designed to simulate the masticatory action of the human mouth, its purpose was to record in an unbiased manner the physical condition of a food sample.

A dentist outfitted the device with a set of plastic dentures, so it’s no surprise the instrument was affectionately known as "Mr. Chewe…