Fact or Friction: Characterizing Food by Tribology

Rheology has been used for many years to characterize the flow properties of foods and beverages, and rheological measurements have been well correlated with results of sensory evaluation. While rheology has been used for many decades, tribology—the science and technology related to friction, lubrication, and wear—has been applied to food only more recently. Tribology is concerned with quantifying the coefficient of friction as a function of sliding speed and normal load under dry or…