Masticatory object evaluation method, masticatory object evaluation system, program, and recording medium

Abstract

To provide a masticatory object evaluation method, a masticatory object evaluation system, a program, and a recording medium capable of estimating and explaining evaluation of texture and flavor obtained from sensory evaluation and a difference between masticatory objects.SOLUTION: And performing multivariate analysis using, as explanatory variables, two or more measurement parameters based on one or more measured values selected from the group consisting of a measured value measured from the masticatory object during the repeated compression treatment and a measured value measured from the masticatory object after the repeated compression treatment, and using, as an objective variable, a sensory characteristic parameter based on one or more sensory characteristic values of the masticatory object.SELECTED DRAWING: None

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for evaluating a chewing object, a system for evaluating a chewing object, a program, and a recording medium. Specifically, the present invention relates to a method, system, program, and recording medium for evaluating a chewing object that can predict and explain the evaluation of texture and flavor obtained from sensory evaluation and the differences between chewing objects. [Background technology]

[0002] Regarding food evaluation methods, there are technologies for analyzing food based on measurements taken when a person eats the food (Patent Documents 1 and 2). On the other hand, there is a technology for analyzing food using a device configured to replicate human mastication (Patent Documents 3 to 5). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-032770 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-134361 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-167470 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-162731 [Patent Document 5] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-134526 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the process of developing foods (masticatory objects), it is necessary to evaluate the properties (physical and chemical properties) that humans sense while eating. The commonly used sensory evaluation is useful for evaluating the perception of a person when chewing a chewable object, but has limitations in terms of objective evaluation. Humans perceive the texture and flavor felt when forming a food bolus, as well as the differences between chewed objects, by comprehensively grasping various stimuli and their changes over time, etc. Therefore, conventional technologies such as those disclosed in Patent Documents 1 to 5 are insufficient to predict and explain the complex texture and flavor felt by humans when forming a food bolus, as well as the differences between chewed objects.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a method, a system, a program, and a recording medium for evaluating a chewing object, which are capable of predicting and explaining the evaluation of texture and flavor obtained from sensory evaluation and the differences between chewing objects. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] As a result of extensive research, the inventors have found that by using a processing device configured to be able to repeatedly compress the object to be chewed, and by performing multivariate analysis with two or more measurement parameters as explanatory variables and a sensory characteristic parameter based on one or more sensory characteristic values ​​of the object to be chewed as a target variable, it is possible to predict and explain the evaluation of texture and flavor obtained from sensory evaluation and the differences between objects to be chewed, and have completed the present invention. According to the present invention, the following mastication object evaluation method and the like can be provided. 1. A method for evaluating a chewing object, comprising: Repeatedly compressing the chewing object; and performing a multivariate analysis using two or more measurement parameters based on one or more measurement values ​​selected from the group consisting of a measurement value measured from the object to be masticated during the repeated compression process and a measurement value measured from the object to be masticated after the repeated compression process as explanatory variables, and a sensory characteristic parameter based on one or more sensory characteristic values ​​of the object to be masticated as a response variable; A method comprising: 2. The method according to 1, wherein the number of compressions in the iterative compression process is three or more. 3. The method according to 1 or 2, wherein the two or more measurement parameters include characteristic values ​​of two or more different chewing objects selected from the group consisting of mechanical properties, geometric properties, taste component properties, aroma component properties, optical properties, and thermodynamic properties. 4. The two or more measurement parameters are: The load, impulse, energy, adhesive force, torque, displacement, strain, acoustic sensor measurement value, ultrasonic sensor measurement value, olfactory sensor measurement value, optical sensor measurement value, electrochemical sensor measurement value, temperature sensor measurement value, and changes therein over time, applied to the object to be masticated during the repeated compression process; and the particle size distribution, bolus formation state, hardness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, friction coefficient, viscosity, moisture content, measurement values ​​by an ultrasonic sensor, measurement values ​​by an olfactory sensor, measurement values ​​by an optical sensor, measurement values ​​by an electrochemical sensor, and measurement values ​​by a temperature sensor of the chewing object after the repeated compression treatment; The method according to any one of 1 to 3, comprising measurement parameters based on one or more selected from the group consisting of: 5. The method according to any one of 1 to 4, wherein the sensory characteristic parameters are based on one or more sensory characteristic values ​​selected from the group consisting of a sensory characteristic value obtained from a sensory evaluation of the chewing object, a sensory characteristic value measured from the chewing object during the repeated compression process, and a sensory characteristic value measured from the chewing object after the repeated compression process. 6. The method according to any one of 1 to 5, wherein the multivariate analysis is multiple regression analysis, principal component regression analysis, or partial least squares regression. 7. The method according to any one of 1 to 6, comprising, as a pre-processing step for the multivariate analysis, performing principal component analysis to reduce two or more measurement parameters into one or more principal components. 8. A method according to any one of 1 to 7, wherein the two or more measurement parameters include one or more measurement parameters based on time-course information. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein the temporal information is based on measurements at two or more different points in time during the iterative compression process. 10. The method according to any one of 1 to 9, wherein the repeated compression treatment is performed using a processing device configured to be able to repeatedly compress the object to be chewed. 11. A chewing object evaluation system, comprising: a means for repeatedly compressing the chewable object; and a means for performing multivariate analysis using, as explanatory variables, two or more measurement parameters based on one or more measurement values ​​selected from the group consisting of a measurement value measured from the object to be masticated during the repeated compression processing and a measurement value measured from the object to be masticated after the repeated compression processing, and a sensory characteristic parameter based on one or more sensory characteristic values ​​of the object to be masticated as a response variable; Including, the system. A program for causing a computer to operate each of the means described in 12.11. A computer-readable recording medium having the program described in 13.12 recorded thereon. 14. The recording medium according to 13, including a server on a network. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a method for evaluating a chewing object, a system for evaluating a chewing object, a program, and a recording medium, which are capable of predicting and explaining the evaluation of texture and flavor obtained from sensory evaluation and the differences between chewing objects. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of an example of a processing apparatus. [Figure 2] 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of an upper jig and a lower jig of the processing apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 3] 2 is a photograph of an upper jig and a lower jig of the processing device 1 of FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing eigenvalues ​​and contribution rates of principal components obtained by principal component analysis. [Figure 5] This is a loading matrix showing the loadings of each explanatory variable in the principal components obtained by principal component analysis. [Figure 6] This is a scatter plot of each meat food product plotted on a plane with principal component 1 on the horizontal axis and principal component 2 on the vertical axis. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The method for evaluating a chewing object, the system for evaluating a chewing object, the program, and the recording medium of the present invention will be described in detail below. In this specification, "x to y" represents a numerical range of "not less than x and not more than y." The upper and lower limits of the numerical ranges can be combined in any way. Furthermore, among the individual embodiments of the aspects of the present invention described below, it is possible to combine two or more embodiments that are not mutually contradictory, and an embodiment that combines two or more embodiments is also an embodiment of the aspects of the present invention.

[0010] 1. Method for evaluating chewing objects A method for evaluating a chewing object according to one aspect of the present invention includes: subjecting the chewing object to a repeated compression treatment (hereinafter also referred to as a "treatment step"); and performing a multivariate analysis (hereinafter also referred to as an "analysis step") using, as explanatory variables, two or more measurement parameters based on one or more measurement values ​​selected from the group consisting of a measurement value measured from the chewing object during the repeated compression treatment and a measurement value measured from the chewing object after the repeated compression treatment, and using, as objective variables, a sensory characteristic parameter based on one or more sensory characteristic values ​​of the chewing object.

[0011] According to this aspect, it is possible to predict and explain the evaluation of texture and flavor obtained from sensory evaluation and the differences between objects to be chewed. Humans perceive the texture and flavor felt when forming a food bolus through mastication by comprehensively grasping various stimuli and their changes over time. Therefore, it is desirable to evaluate differences between chewing objects from such a comprehensive perspective. In this regard, in this embodiment, rather than simply obtaining measurement values ​​for the repeated compression process, multivariate analysis is performed using two or more measurement parameters, each based on one or more measurement values, as explanatory variables, and using a sensory characteristic parameter based on one or more sensory characteristic values ​​of the chewing object as a response variable. This makes it possible to predict and explain the evaluation of texture and flavor obtained from the sensory evaluation and the differences between chewing objects from a comprehensive perspective, taking into account the importance of multiple measurement values ​​(or multiple measurement parameters). Furthermore, in this embodiment, by using a processing device, various processing conditions for the repeated compression process can be set with high accuracy and high reproducibility compared to when a human chews. Furthermore, by using a processing device, processing conditions that are difficult to set when a human chews (in terms of ability or ethics) can also be set. Furthermore, compared to human sensory evaluation, individual differences are eliminated, allowing for evaluation with excellent objectivity.

[0012] (Processing process) In the processing step, the object to be chewed is repeatedly compressed using a processing device configured to be able to repeatedly compress the object to be chewed. The processing device is not particularly limited as long as it is configured to be able to repeatedly compress the object to be chewed. For example, the food property evaluation device described in WO 2022 / 250167 may be used as the processing device. The processing device is configured to include, for example, two or more members (jigs) for applying pressure to the object to be chewed, and by moving one or more of the two or more members, to sandwich and compress the object to be chewed between the two or more members, and to partially or completely release the compression.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a processing apparatus according to one embodiment. The processing apparatus 1 has an upper jig 10, a lower jig 20, a sensor 12, a drive unit 30, and a measurement control unit 40. Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 of the processing apparatus 1 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a photograph of the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 of the processing apparatus 1 of Fig. 1.

[0014] The upper jig 10 is provided with an upper mating portion 11. The lower jig 20 is provided with a lower mating portion 21 that is shaped to mating with the upper mating portion 11 so as to face the upper mating portion 11. The lower mating portion 21 of the lower jig 20 has a shape in which multiple protrusions in the shape of a quadrangular pyramid are arranged. The protrusions of the lower mating portion 21 are in the shape of a quadrangular pyramid with a square base. The upper mating portion 11 of the upper jig 10 has an uneven shape that can be mated with the multiple protrusions of the lower mating portion 21.

[0015] The upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 can be suitably used to evaluate the characteristics of, for example, meat products (meat foods), chocolate, chocolate snacks, gum, gummy candy, and the like. The shapes of the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 are not limited to the example shown in the drawings, and any shape can be given depending on the type of object to be chewed to be processed, the characteristics of the object to be evaluated, etc. As another example of the shape of the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20, the upper occlusal portion 11 of the upper jig 10 may have a shape with a hemispherical convex portion at the tip, for example, and the lower occlusal portion 21 may have a shape with a hemispherical surface as the inner wall surface so as to occlude with the upper occlusal portion 11.

[0016] There are no particular limitations on the materials of the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20. The upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 preferably have a hardness suitable for forming an intraoral model. From this perspective, preferred materials for the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 include, for example, resins such as ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymer) resin; acrylic resin; fluorine-containing resins such as polyvinylidene fluoride; hard resins; and dental resins. Furthermore, materials other than resin may be used as the material for the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20. Examples of materials other than resin include metals and non-metals. Examples of metals include gold-silver-palladium alloys, gold alloys, and platinum-gold alloys. Examples of non-metals include ceramics and zirconia. For example, by selecting materials used for dentures as the materials for the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20, it is possible to apply the method to denture development (e.g., evaluating the ease with which chewed objects stick to dentures). Each of the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 may be made of only one type of material, or may be made of a combination of two or more types of materials. For example, in the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 mainly made of a first material, a part or all of the surface that comes into contact with the object to be chewed may be made of a second material. For example, the first material may be the above-mentioned resin, and the second material may be one or more types selected from the group consisting of the above-mentioned metals and non-metals. Here, the method for applying the second material (e.g., one or more types selected from the group consisting of metals and non-metals) is not particularly limited, and for example, a known surface coating method may be used without limitation, and specific examples include sputtering (vacuum deposition) and the like.

[0017] The sensor 12 is incorporated in the upper jig 10 and measures physical quantities applied to the upper jig 10. The sensor 12 may be embedded in the upper jig 10. The sensor 12 is, for example, a force sensor and a six-axis sensor. The physical quantities measured by the sensor 12 include, for example, force and torque applied to the upper jig 10. The sensor 12 may also include, for example, a displacement sensor. The displacement sensor is configured to be able to measure the movement distance of the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 or the deformation distance of the object to be masticated.

[0018] The drive unit 30 has, for example, a motor. The drive unit 30 drives the lower jig 20 so that the lower jig 20 performs a reciprocating linear motion LR in a linear direction to engage with and separate from the upper jig 10. The drive unit 30 also drives the upper jig 10 so that the upper jig 10 performs a reciprocating rotational motion RR in a rotational direction about a rotation axis AX that is the linear direction of the reciprocating linear motion LR of the lower jig 20.

[0019] The processing device 1 has a pressure adjustment unit that adjusts the pressure applied between the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 when the upper mating portion 11 of the upper jig 10 and the lower mating portion 21 of the lower jig 20 come into contact during mating. The pressure adjustment unit includes a solid elastic body such as a motor or a spring, and adjusts the pressure applied between the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 using the power of the motor or the elastic force of the solid elastic body. If the pressure adjustment unit is motor-driven, it may be driven by the motor that constitutes the drive unit 30. Note that the means for adjusting the pressure applied between the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 are not limited to those exemplified above, and air pressure may also be used, for example. From the perspective of reducing hysteresis (history effect) and enabling easy and highly accurate pressure adjustment, it is preferable to use a solid elastic body such as a motor or a spring, especially a motor.

[0020] The measurement control unit 40 controls the reciprocating linear motion LR of the lower jig 20 and the reciprocating rotational motion RR of the upper jig 10, which are performed by the drive unit 30. The measurement control unit 40 also measures the physical quantity applied to the upper jig 10 from the output of the sensor 12. The measurement control unit 40 can obtain impulse data by integrating the measured force data over time.

[0021] The processing device 1 places the chewing object to be evaluated on the lower occlusal portion 21, drives the lower jig 20 to perform a reciprocating linear motion LR, and obtains a physical quantity (measured value) as an output from the sensor 12 when the upper jig 10 is driven to perform a reciprocating rotational motion RR.

[0022] In the processing device 1, for example, the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 are disposed at positions where the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 do not come into contact with each other even when they are closest to each other. The processing device 1 is configured to be able to adjust the clearance (also called "clearance during compression") between the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 when they are closest to each other. When an object to be masticated to be evaluated is present on the lower occlusion portion 21, a force according to the set occlusal force is applied from the lower jig 20 to the object to be masticated, and is further applied to the upper jig 10 via the object to be masticated. In the occlusion between the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20, a force exceeding the set occlusal force is not applied.

[0023] In the processing device 1, for example, a cylindrical protective part 22 is provided on the outer periphery of the lower jig 20. The protective part 22 prevents the object to be chewed from flying out from the space between the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 to the outside.

[0024] The processing device 1 further includes, for example, an artificial saliva supply unit 50 that adds and flows artificial saliva at a predetermined flow rate between the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20. An inflow tube 51 extends from the artificial saliva supply unit 50, penetrating the protective unit 22, into the space between the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20. Although only one inflow tube 51 is provided in FIG. 1, multiple inflow tubes may be provided. Under the control of the measurement control unit 40, artificial saliva is added and flows between the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 at a predetermined flow rate. It is not necessary to supply the artificial saliva at a predetermined flow rate. For example, a predetermined amount of artificial saliva may be supplied between the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 at the start of the repeated compression process.

[0025] The artificial saliva is intended to reproduce the saliva in the oral cavity, and is not particularly limited as long as it is a liquid, and examples thereof include water and aqueous solutions. When an aqueous solution is used as the artificial saliva, the components other than water in the aqueous solution are not particularly limited. For example, the aqueous solution may contain one or more components selected from the group consisting of xanthan gum, sodium bicarbonate, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate trihydrate, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride dihydrate, mucin, proteins (albumin, globulin, lysozyme, lactoferrin, histatin), nitrogen compounds (urea, uric acid, creatinine), and enzymes (amylase, maltase). The composition and flow characteristics of the artificial saliva can be adjusted as appropriate. The flow characteristics (e.g., viscosity coefficient, etc.) of the artificial saliva can be adjusted by adjusting the concentration of components other than water in the aqueous solution (particularly components that change the flow characteristics of water, such as thickening components such as mucin and xanthan gum). A liquid with flow characteristics similar to those of saliva can be used as the artificial saliva.

[0026] In one embodiment, the simulated saliva is an aqueous solution of xanthan gum. In one embodiment, the artificial saliva can be an aqueous solution containing sodium bicarbonate, dipotassium hydrogen phosphate trihydrate, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, calcium chloride dihydrate, and mucin in any amount, and adjusted to pH 6.95 with hydrochloric acid. Alternatively, in one embodiment, amylase may be added to each of these two aqueous solutions.

[0027] The processing device 1 is provided so that, for example, at least a portion including the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 can be adjusted to a predetermined temperature. The predetermined temperature is, for example, a temperature close to body temperature (30 to 45°C). The portion including the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 may be the entire processing device 1. The temperature can be adjusted using, for example, a hot air device, a heater, or the like.

[0028] The processing device 1 can be equipped with various sensors, such as an acoustic sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, an olfactory sensor, an optical sensor, an electrochemical sensor, and a temperature sensor. The acoustic sensor may correspond to the sense of hearing of the eater and may be used to measure the sounds (e.g., volume at each frequency) generated during the iterative compression process. Ultrasonic sensors can measure, for example, physical properties (eg, Young's modulus, Poisson's ratio, structural properties (eg, thickness, size of a sample)), chemical properties (eg, concentration), and the like. The olfactory sensor can respond to the consumer's sense of smell and can be used to measure the concentration of various volatile substances that are generated during and after repeated compression processes. The optical sensor can optically detect changes in the state of the chewing object during and after the repeated compression process, and can measure image information, changes in the state of the chewing object, moisture distribution, temperature distribution, and eluted substances. The electrochemical sensor can respond to the consumer's sense of taste and can be used to electrochemically measure leached substances during and after repeated compression processes. The temperature sensor can measure a value related to temperature. The temperature sensor can be, for example, a thermograph. The temperature sensor can be installed, for example, inside one or both of the upper jig and the lower jig, and can measure the temperature of the region between the upper jig and the lower jig, or the temperature of the object to be chewed during or after the repeated processing. Using these sensors included in the processing device 1, various measurement values ​​can be measured from the object to be chewed during and after the repeated compression process.

[0029] A first example of the operation (driving) of the processing device 1 described above will be described below. A chewing object to be evaluated is placed on the lower occlusion portion 21. Next, the drive unit 30 drives the lower jig 20 so that the lower jig 20 performs a reciprocating linear motion LR in a direction in which the lower jig 20 occludes with the upper jig 10, and also drives the upper jig 10 so that the upper jig 10 performs a reciprocating rotational motion RR around the rotation axis AX in the direction of the reciprocating linear motion LR of the lower jig 20. When the upper occlusion portion 11 of the upper jig 10 and the lower occlusion portion 21 of the lower jig 20 come into contact during occlusion, the drive unit 30 adjusts the pressure applied between the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20.

[0030] A specific example of the reciprocating linear motion LR of the lower jig 20 and the reciprocating rotational motion RR of the upper jig 10 will be described. First, a chewing object to be evaluated is placed on the lower occlusal portion 21 of the lower jig 20. Next, the lower jig 20 is raised in the linear motion direction LR, and the lower occlusal portion 21 of the lower jig 20 is brought into occlusion with the upper occlusal portion 11 of the upper jig 10. Next, the lower occlusal portion 21 of the lower jig 20 occludes the upper occlusal portion 11 of the upper jig 10, and the object to be chewed is crushed with a predetermined force into the gap between the lower occlusal portion 21 and the upper occlusal portion 11. In this state, by rotating the upper jig 10 in the first rotational movement direction RR, the upper occlusal portion 11 of the upper jig 10 is brought into contact with the object to be chewed and causes a shearing motion. Next, the rotation of the upper jig 10 in the first rotational motion direction RR is stopped, and the lower jig 20 is lowered in the linear motion direction LR to release the engagement between the lower mating portion 21 of the lower jig 20 and the upper mating portion 11 of the upper jig 10. Next, the lower jig 20 is raised in the linear motion direction LR, and the lower mating portion 21 of the lower jig 20 is mated with the upper mating portion 11 of the upper jig 10. In this state, the upper jig 10 is rotated in a second rotational motion direction RR, which is the opposite direction to the first rotational motion direction RR, so that the upper mating portion 11 of the upper jig 10 is brought into contact with the object to be chewed and subjected to a shearing motion. The above operation is repeated. Of the above operations, the process in which the lower jig 20 rises from the lowest position, engages with the upper jig 10, and then falls back to the lowest position is counted as one compression.

[0031] A second example of the operation of the processing device 1 will now be described. A method for evaluating food physical properties using the food physical property evaluation device of this modified example will be described. A chewable object to be evaluated is placed on the lower occlusal portion 21 of the lower jig 20, and the lower jig 20 is raised to occlude the lower occlusal portion 21 of the lower jig 20 with the upper occlusal portion 11 of the upper jig 10. At this time, the upper jig 10 and the lower jigs 20 are positioned so that they do not come into contact with each other even when they are closest to each other. As the lower occlusal portion 21 of the lower jig 20 occludes the upper occlusal portion 11 of the upper jig 10, the chewable object is crushed with a predetermined force into the gap between the lower occlusal portion 21 and the upper occlusal portion 11. Next, the lower jig 20 is lowered to release the occlusion between the lower occlusal portion 21 of the lower jig 20 and the upper occlusal portion 11 of the upper jig 10. After the occlusion is released, the upper jig 10 is rotated 90 degrees horizontally until the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20 are positioned so that they do not come into contact with each other even when they are closest to each other. By repeating the above process, multiple mastications are performed. The 90-degree horizontal rotation of the upper jig 10, which is performed for each mastication, is reversed, for example, every two mastications. Except for the above configuration and operation, this is the same as the first example of the operation (driving) of the processing device 1 described above.

[0032] As the operation of the processing device 1, the operations described in the first and second examples above may be combined as appropriate. The operation of the processing device 1 can be set appropriately depending on the type of object to be chewed, the purpose of evaluation, and the like.

[0033] The processing device 1 may be configured so that one or more processing conditions (operating conditions) can be set. The processing device 1 may be configured to be able to set one or more processing conditions selected from the group consisting of, for example, compression force, compression speed, compression frequency, number of compressions, rotation speed, rotation angle, amount of artificial saliva added, composition of artificial saliva, flow characteristics of artificial saliva, temperature, clearance during compression, processing amount, and shape of compression jig. The compressive force is the maximum force acting on an object to be chewed, and corresponds to the bite force during chewing. The compression speed is the compression distance per unit time and corresponds to the bite speed during mastication. The compression frequency is the number of compressions (bites) per unit time, and corresponds to the bite frequency during mastication. The number of compressions corresponds to the number of bites during mastication. The rotation speed is the angular velocity when two members (e.g., upper jig 10 and lower jig 20) are rotated relative to each other with the compression direction as the rotation axis while the object to be chewed is compressed between them. As a result of this relative rotation, the above-mentioned "shearing action" can be performed. The relative rotation only needs to rotate one member as seen from the other member, and one member (e.g., lower jig 20) may be fixed and the other member (e.g., upper jig 10) may be rotated, or the two members may rotate at different angular velocities (in this case, the difference between the angular velocities of the two members can be considered as the rotation speed). The rotation speed can be, for example, the speed (angular velocity) of the reciprocating rotational motion RR described above. The rotation angle is the angle in one relative rotation. The amount of artificial saliva added corresponds to the amount of saliva produced during mastication. The artificial saliva may be added all at once at the start of the repeated compression process, or may be added continuously during the repeated compression process. When the artificial saliva is added continuously, the amount of artificial saliva added can be set as the artificial saliva addition flow rate. The composition of the artificial saliva can be expressed as a numerical value, such as the concentration of an optional component contained in the artificial saliva. The optional component is not particularly limited, and when the artificial saliva is an aqueous solution, it is particularly a component that changes the flow properties of water, such as a thickening component such as mucin or xanthan gum. It may also be the concentration of an enzyme such as amylase or maltase. The simulated saliva flow characteristic may be, for example, the viscosity coefficient of the simulated saliva. The processing amount is the amount of chewable material fed to the processing device for one repeated compression process, and corresponds to the amount of chewable material taken in one bite. The compression jig shape is the shape of two members (jigs) for compressing the object to be chewed, such as the shape of the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20. These shapes can be expressed as numerical values ​​such as the height of the convex portions, the number of convex portions, the tip angle of the convex portions, the curvature of the convex portions (the same applies to the concave portions), etc.

[0034] The processing device 1 can measure the physical quantity from the output of the sensor 12 while performing the reciprocating linear motion LR of the lower jig 20 and the reciprocating rotational motion RR of the upper jig 10 .

[0035] The processing device 1 allows visual confirmation of the appearance of the bolus during and after a predetermined number of mastications, and can also be used to measure other physical properties of the bolus. Furthermore, the output of the sensor 12 is used to measure the force acting on the upper jig 10 during occlusion and the torque acting on the upper jig 10 due to rotational shear between the upper jig 10 and the lower jig 20. The measurement control unit 40 also obtains impulse data by integrating the measured force (load) data over time. It also obtains time-varying physical quantities, such as time-varying force (impulse when integrated) and time-varying torque.

[0036] The iterative compression process using the processing device described above will now be described in detail. The chewing object to be subjected to the repeated compression treatment (i.e., the chewing object to be evaluated) is not particularly limited as long as it can be placed in the mouth and chewed by a person who eats it. Here, the person who eats it may be a human or any animal that can chew (e.g., mammals such as dogs, cats, cows, pigs, horses, rats, etc.). Furthermore, the object to be chewed may be one that is intended to be swallowed, or one that is not intended to be swallowed. The properties of the object to be chewed are not particularly limited, and for example, a solid or semi-solid is preferable. Note that "solid" refers to an object that is not in a fluid state at room temperature and normal pressure. "Semi-solid" refers to an object that is hardly deformed when no stress is applied at room temperature and normal pressure, but in a fluid state when a slight stress is applied. The semi-solid may be in a state such as a paste, sauce, slurry, cream, gel, etc., but is not limited to these. Here, "room temperature and normal pressure" means a temperature of 25°C and 1 atmosphere (1013.25 hPa).

[0037] The object to be chewed may be, for example, food, medicine, quasi-drug, etc. In this specification, the terms "drug" and "quasi-drug" are defined in the Japanese "Act on Ensuring Quality, Efficacy and Safety of Pharmaceuticals, Medical Devices, etc." Examples of pharmaceutical forms include tablets, jellies, gummies, chewing gum, powders, granules, and the like. Examples of the form of quasi-drugs include tablets, jellies, gummies, chewing gum, powders / granules, candies, and pastes. Specific examples of chewable objects include gummies, chewing gum, chewing tobacco, chocolate, baked goods, cheese, meat products, fish products, egg products, soy products, alternative foods (e.g., meat substitutes), cultured foods (e.g., cultured meat), powdered and granular foods, etc. In this embodiment, any object to be chewed can be used as the object to be subjected to the repeated compression treatment. In this case, it is not necessarily necessary to separately prepare an uncrushed sample and a crushed sample as the object to be chewed, and only one of the uncrushed sample or the crushed sample can be used.

[0038] The amount (or number) of chewing objects to be supplied to the processing device for one repeated compression process can be appropriately set depending on the size of the chewing objects, etc. When performing multiple repeated compression processes, it is preferable that this amount is constant.

[0039] Next, the chewing object supplied to the processing device is repeatedly compressed by the processing device under predetermined processing conditions. The repeated compression process is a process of repeatedly compressing the chewing object, and can also be said to be a process of repeatedly compressing and decompressing the chewing object. The repeated compression process can also be said to be a process that reproduces chewing movements. Compression of the object to be chewed is usually achieved by reducing the distance between a pair of members (upper and lower jigs) provided in the processing device and sandwiching the object to be chewed between the pair of members. After the chewing object is compressed, it is decompressed. Decompression is usually achieved by increasing the distance between the pair of members. Decompression may be achieved by completely decompressing the chewing object (the distance between the pair of members is larger than the size of the chewing object) or by partially decompressing the chewing object (the distance between the pair of members is smaller than the size of the chewing object). As the repeated compression process progresses, the state of the chewing object gradually changes. For example, the chewing object is gradually crushed and mixed with artificial saliva. The chewing object crushed by the repeated compression process is also called a "bolus." The bolus may be, for example, a chewing object crushed by the repeated compression process and mixed with artificial saliva.

[0040] Next, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the iterative compression process is terminated. The condition for terminating the iterative compression process is not particularly limited, and for example, the iterative compression process can end when the number of compressions, the duration of the iterative compression process, the index of crushing of the object to be chewed, etc. reach a predetermined value. As an index of the crushing of the object to be chewed, for example, a value based on the measured value of the force at each compression can be applied. Specifically, for example, the maximum value of the measured value of the force at each compression can be the average value of the maximum values ​​in two consecutive compressions. When this average value falls below a predetermined value, it can be determined that the repeated compression process has ended. After the repeated compression process is complete, the bolus can be removed from the processing device.

[0041] In the above-mentioned iterative compression process, the number of compressions is, for example, preferably 3 or more, more preferably 5 or more, and further preferably 10 or more. From another point of view, it is preferable to perform the iterative compression process (repeated compression) until the change in the chewing object becomes equal to or less than a certain level. From yet another point of view, it is preferable to perform the iterative compression process according to the number of times a specific person chews the chewing object (set the number of compressions according to the number of times a specific person chews the chewing object). By performing the above-mentioned iterative compression process, it is possible to appropriately obtain information on the chewing object as the iterative compression process progresses, for example, at the early, middle, and late stages of chewing.

[0042] Moreover, in the above-mentioned iterative compression process, the number of compressions is, for example, preferably 240 times or less, more preferably 210 times or less, and even more preferably 180 times or less. From another point of view, it is preferable to set the upper limit of the number of compressions in the iterative compression process to the number of times at which the change in the chewing object becomes equal to or less than a certain level. From yet another point of view, it is preferable to set the upper limit of the number of compressions in the iterative compression process to the number of times obtained by multiplying the number of times a specific person chews the chewing object by a coefficient. By performing the above-mentioned iterative compression process, it is possible to appropriately obtain information on the chewing object as the iterative compression process progresses, for example, at the early, middle, and late stages of chewing.

[0043] The above-described repeated compression process may be carried out multiple times on the same object to be chewed. It is preferable that the measured values ​​obtained by the multiple repeated compression processes are used as an average value in the subsequent analysis step.

[0044] The above-described repeated compression process can also be performed on a plurality of different chewing objects. Here, it is preferable that the processing conditions of the repeated compression process are constant for the plurality of different chewing objects. The repeated compression process for a plurality of different chewing objects can be carried out by sequentially supplying the chewing objects to a processing device, and by using a plurality of processing devices, the repeated compression process for a plurality of different chewing objects can also be carried out simultaneously.

[0045] In the repeated compression process, one or more measurement values ​​selected from the group consisting of measurement values ​​measured from the chewed object during the repeated compression process and measurement values ​​measured from the chewed object after the repeated compression process are recorded.

[0046] (Measurement value) The measured values ​​measured from the object to be masticated during the repeated compression process include the load, impulse, energy, adhesive force, torque, displacement, strain, measured values ​​by an acoustic sensor, measured values ​​by an ultrasonic sensor, measured values ​​by an olfactory sensor, measured values ​​by an optical sensor, measured values ​​by an electrochemical sensor, measured values ​​by a temperature sensor, and changes over time thereof, all of which are applied to the object to be masticated during the repeated compression process. Of these, the details of the load, impulse, torque, measured values ​​by an acoustic sensor, measured values ​​by an ultrasonic sensor, measured values ​​by an olfactory sensor, measured values ​​by an optical sensor, measured values ​​by an electrochemical sensor, and measured values ​​by a temperature sensor are as described above for the processing device. Energy is a physical quantity that indicates the amount of work performed, expressed in units of N·m, and is the product of the force measured by the force sensor and the distance traveled by compressing the object being chewed. The adhesive force is a negative energy from the point at which the upper and lower jigs are closest to each other during the repeated compression process to the point at which the distance between the two jigs is greatest, and is the product of the force measured by the force sensor and the adhesion distance between the upper and lower jigs and the object to be chewed from the point at which the upper and lower jigs are closest to each other during the repeated compression process to the point at which the distance between the two jigs is greatest. The displacement is the distance traveled by the upper and lower jigs or the distance deformed by the object to be chewed, and can be measured by a displacement sensor or by a displacement sensor and a force sensor. Strain is the ratio of the length after deformation to the length before deformation, and can be measured using a displacement sensor and a force sensor. Measurement values ​​measured from the chewing object after repeated compression processing include particle size distribution of the chewing object after repeated compression processing, the state of formation of the bolus, hardness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, friction coefficient, viscosity, moisture content, measurement values ​​using an ultrasonic sensor, measurement values ​​using an olfactory sensor, measurement values ​​using an optical sensor, measurement values ​​using an electrochemical sensor and measurement values ​​using a temperature sensor, etc. Of these, the details of the measurement values ​​by the ultrasonic sensor, the olfactory sensor, the optical sensor, the electrochemical sensor, and the temperature sensor are as described above for the processing device. The state of bolus formation is determined by taking the object to be chewed (bolus) after repeated compression processing, spreading it on a mesh, taking a photograph, and determining the area of ​​the part of the mesh that the bolus occupies (hereinafter also referred to as "exclusive area"). The ratio of the exclusive area after repeated compression processing to the exclusive area before repeated compression processing, which is set to 1, can be used as a numerical representation of the state of bolus formation. Particle size distribution can be determined by measuring the length, area, volume, etc. of particles, and the median, average, etc. can be used as representative values. For example, particle volume can be measured using a three-dimensional shape measuring device, and the average value (average particle volume) can also be determined from the measurement results. Hardness, adhesiveness and cohesion can be measured by a compression-tension type rheometer. The friction coefficient can be measured using a biaxial stress-controlled rheometer or the like. The viscosity can be measured by a rotational rheometer or the like. The moisture content can be measured using a heat-drying moisture meter, etc. When measuring the moisture content, artificial saliva present in the bolus can be removed as appropriate by filtration, etc.

[0047] Furthermore, the measured values ​​measured from the object to be masticated during the repeated compression process can be classified not only according to the measurement principle but also, apart from the measurement principle, according to what aspect of the properties of the object to be masticated itself is being captured. As classifications according to the properties of the object to be masticated, for example, load, impulse, torque, hardness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, etc. are mechanical properties, the size, shape, particle size distribution, etc. of the sample are geometric properties, the measured values ​​of volatile components by an olfactory sensor, etc. are aroma component properties, the measured values ​​of nonvolatile components by an electrochemical sensor, etc. are taste component properties, the measured values ​​of color tone, etc. by an optical sensor are optical properties, and the measured values ​​by a temperature sensor, etc. are thermodynamic properties.

[0048] During repeated compression of the chewed object, one or more measurements are obtained. In this embodiment, two or more measurement parameters are used as explanatory variables in the multivariate analysis, where each measurement parameter is based on one or more measurements. Furthermore, in the repeated compression process of the object to be masticated, it is also possible to obtain measurement values ​​to be used as sensory characteristic values ​​(measurement values ​​corresponding to the sensory characteristics to be evaluated). Usually, the measurement values ​​to be used as sensory characteristic values ​​are prepared separately from the measurement values ​​to be used as measurement parameters. In this case, in the repeated compression process of the object to be masticated, two or more measurement values ​​are obtained, including the measurement values ​​to be used as sensory characteristic values. A data set including one or more (or two or more) measurements as described above may be obtained for each of a plurality of chewing objects, and these data sets are used in the analysis step described below.

[0049] (Analysis process) In the analysis step, multivariate analysis is performed using two or more measurement parameters based on one or more measurement values ​​selected from the group consisting of measurement values ​​measured from the chewing object during the repeated compression process and measurement values ​​measured from the chewing object after the repeated compression process as explanatory variables, and sensory characteristic parameters based on one or more sensory characteristic values ​​of the chewing object as objective variables. By using two or more measurement parameters for one chewing object, the importance of multiple measurement values ​​(or multiple measurement parameters) can be taken into account in multivariate analysis, allowing the chewing object to be evaluated from a comprehensive perspective and differences between chewing objects to be evaluated.

[0050] The two or more measurement parameters may each be based on one or more measurement values. For example, one measurement parameter may be, for example, one measurement value itself or a function of one or more measurement values.

[0051] From another point of view, the two or more measurement parameters corresponding to one chewing object may include one or more, preferably two or more, characteristic values ​​of the chewing object (mechanical properties, aroma component properties, taste component properties, thermodynamic properties, geometric properties, etc.). For example, by including characteristic values ​​of two or more different chewing objects selected from the group consisting of mechanical properties, geometric properties, taste component properties, aroma component properties, optical properties, and thermodynamic properties as the two or more measurement parameters, it is possible to appropriately evaluate the complex properties of the chewing object.

[0052] When the measurement parameter is a function of one measurement value, the function may be, for example, a logarithm. The logarithm may be a common logarithm (base 10), a natural logarithm (base Napier's constant), or any other logarithm. The measurement parameter as a function may also be a value obtained by arithmetic operations, a differential and integral value over time, a Fourier transform value, or the like. Examples include an impulse obtained by integrating a force value obtained from a mechanical detector over time, and a frequency obtained by Fourier transforming a wave value obtained from an acoustic detector. When the measurement parameter is a function of two or more measurement values, the function may be the sum, difference, product, quotient, etc. of two or more measurement values ​​(or their logarithms). When the measurement parameter is a function of two or more measurement values, it may be a function of multiple measurement values ​​measured from multiple sensors. For example, the displacement and strain applied to the object to be masticated may be measured by a force sensor and a displacement sensor, and the change over time in the displacement and strain of the object to be masticated may be used as the measurement parameter.

[0053] In one embodiment, the two or more measured parameters include one or more measured parameters based on time-course information. "Temporal information" is a quantification of the change in measurement value over time. As mentioned above, humans perceive the texture and flavor felt during food bolus formation, as well as the differences between foods, by comprehensively capturing the changes over time in various stimuli. Therefore, by using measurement parameters based on temporal information, it is possible to evaluate the texture and flavor of a chewed object from a perspective that is closer to the texture and flavor felt by humans when forming a food bolus through mastication. In one embodiment, the above-mentioned temporal information is based on measurements at two or more different points in time in an iterative compression process. Here, the "point in time" can be defined, for example, by the elapsed time in the iterative compression process, the number of iterative compressions, or the number of measurements (sampling times) of various sensors in the iterative compression process. When defined by the number of measurements, the sensors can be configured to perform measurements at regular intervals (sampling periods). Furthermore, the "two or more different time points" can be any time point in the iterative compression process. For example, the two or more different time points may be selected from any one of the early, middle, and late periods of the iterative compression process, or may be selected to span two or more of the early, middle, and late periods of the iterative compression process. Two or more different time points that are consecutive at a regular interval may be treated as two or more different time points. The number of time points is not particularly limited as long as it is two or more, and may be, for example, two or more, three or more, four or more, or five or more, and may be 40,000 or less, 25,000 or less, or 20,000 or less. A measurement parameter based on time-course information may be a function of measurements at two or more different points in time, such as the sum, difference, product, quotient, or average of two or more measurements (or their logarithms), or a constant or coefficient of an equation that approximates the measurements. The measured value at each time point may be a single measured value itself, or may be a function combining two or more measured values, where the function may be the sum, difference, product, quotient, average value, etc. of two or more measured values ​​(or their logarithms). As the measurement parameters based on the time-series information, for example, the average value of the impulses of the first to third repeated compressions, the average value of the impulses of the last three repeated compressions, etc. can be used, but the parameters are not limited to these examples and can be set appropriately depending on the purpose.

[0054] In one embodiment, the measurement parameters based on time-series information may be measurement parameters based on a plurality of measurement values ​​acquired by one sensor over the entire (entire period) of the repetitive compression process, for example, at regular intervals. Specifically, for example, multiple measurement values ​​acquired at a constant interval over the entire (entire period) of the iterative compression process are plotted on a plane (coordinate system). Here, the plane may be a plane whose coordinate axes are the elapsed time (or the number of iterative compressions) and the magnitude of the measurement value. In this case, a function that approximates the multiple plots on the plane is determined, and coefficients of the function can be used as measurement parameters. For example, if the function is a linear function (approximation line) approximated by a method such as the least squares method, a coefficient corresponding to the slope of the line can be used as a measurement parameter. The function is not limited to a linear function, and may be any function from which coefficients can be extracted.

[0055] In this embodiment, one measurement value measured by one sensor may be used as two or more measurement parameters. That is, by performing various arithmetic operations on one measurement value (one group of measurement values ​​measured by one sensor), various measurement parameters can be generated from the one measurement value. Therefore, two or more measurement parameters that have been subjected to different arithmetic operations can be generated from one measurement value and used in multivariate analysis. For example, if the measurement value is an impulse, various measurement parameters can be generated by performing various calculation processes, such as the sum of the impulses over the entire (entire period) of the iterative compression process (total impulse); the average value of the last three impulses / the average value of the first to third impulses (impulse reduction rate); and the slope of the approximate line.

[0056] The sensory characteristic parameter may be based on one or more sensory characteristic values ​​of the object to be chewed. In one embodiment, the sensory characteristic parameters are based on one or more sensory characteristic values ​​selected from the group consisting of sensory characteristic values ​​obtained from a sensory evaluation of the chewed object, sensory characteristic values ​​measured from the chewed object during repeated compression processes, and sensory characteristic values ​​measured from the chewed object after repeated compression processes. The sensory characteristic value obtained from the sensory evaluation of the chewing object is a numerical value of the sensory evaluation result for any sensory characteristic, and can also be called a score. The sensory evaluation is preferably carried out by a plurality of people who are trained to the extent that they can give the same score to the same sample, but is not limited to this. In addition, when the sensory evaluation is carried out by a plurality of people, the average score of the scores given by the plurality of people can be used as the score. In addition, the sensory evaluation may be carried out by one person. The sensory characteristic values ​​measured from the object to be masticated during the repeated compression process and the sensory characteristic values ​​measured from the object to be masticated after the repeated compression process can be the measurement values ​​described for the measurement parameters. Of these measurement values, a measurement value corresponding to the sensory characteristic to be evaluated can be selected and used. A sensory characteristic parameter may be, for example, a sensory characteristic value itself, or may be a function of one or more sensory characteristic values.

[0057] When the sensory characteristic parameter is a function of one sensory characteristic value, the function may be, for example, a logarithm. The logarithm may be a common logarithm (base 10), a natural logarithm (base Napier's constant), or any other logarithm. The measurement parameter as a function may also be a value obtained by arithmetic operations, a differential and integral value over time, a Fourier transform value, or the like. Examples include an impulse obtained by integrating a force value obtained from a mechanical detector over time, and a frequency obtained by Fourier transforming a wave value obtained from an acoustic detector. When the sensory characteristic parameter is a function of two or more sensory characteristic values, the function may be the sum, difference, product, quotient, etc. of two or more sensory characteristic values ​​(or their logarithms). When the sensory characteristic parameter is a function of two or more sensory characteristic values, it may be a function of a plurality of sensory characteristic values ​​measured from a plurality of sensors. For example, the displacement and strain applied to the object to be masticated may be measured by a force sensor and a displacement sensor, and the change in the displacement and strain of the object to be masticated over time may be used as the sensory characteristic parameter.

[0058] When predicting or explaining the results of a specific sensory evaluation depending on the type of object to be chewed, it is possible to select appropriate measurement values ​​or measurement parameters, and also to select sensory characteristic values ​​or sensory characteristic parameters.

[0059] For example, when the type of object to be masticated is a meat product, it is possible to predict and explain the "remaining in the mouth" (the length of time required for processing, the magnitude of the load applied during processing, and the resistance to change) as a sensory evaluation. In this case, the measurement principle is a mechanical detector, etc., and the measured values ​​(sensory characteristic values) can be the total impulse, the first impulse, the initial impulse, the late impulse, the late impulse / initial impulse, the average early compression time, the average late compression time, the late compression time / initial compression time, the state of bolus formation, etc. For example, two or more parameters selected from the group consisting of total impulse, first impulse, initial impulse, later impulse, later impulse / initial impulse, average initial compression time, average later compression time, and later compression time / initial compression time can be used as the measurement parameters, and the state of bolus formation can be used as the sensory characteristic parameter. The state of bolus formation can correspond to "remains in the mouth" in sensory evaluation.

[0060] (Multivariate analysis) Multivariate analysis is performed using two or more measurement parameters obtained for the object to be masticated as explanatory variables and a sensory characteristic parameter based on one or more sensory characteristic values ​​of the object to be masticated as a response variable. Examples of multivariate analysis include multiple regression analysis, principal component regression analysis, and partial least squares regression (PLS regression) analysis. For example, in principal component regression analysis, two or more measurement parameters may be subjected to principal component analysis as preprocessing, reduced to one or more principal components, and then subjected to regression analysis (simple regression analysis, multiple regression analysis) using the one or more principal components as explanatory variables and the sensory characteristic parameters as response variables.

[0061] (principal component analysis) In principal component analysis, two or more measurement parameters can be reduced to one or more principal components. For example, two or more principal components, which are synthetic variables summarized (condensed) from two or more measurement parameters, can be obtained by principal component analysis. Of the two or more principal components, one or more (e.g., one, two, or three) principal components with high eigenvalues ​​or loadings can be extracted, and each chewing object can be plotted on a coordinate system (or on a plane if there are two principal components). Such plots allow for evaluation of differences based on multiple information. Furthermore, when one chewing object is set as the target, the measurement parameters that make up the difference between the target chewing object and the chewing object being evaluated and their weights can be identified from the coordinates of the target chewing object and the chewing object being evaluated, as well as the loadings of the principal components. This makes it possible to determine which measurement parameter has the greatest effect on texture, and to compare the susceptibility to that effect between multiple chewing objects.

[0062] (Regression analysis (simple regression analysis, multiple regression analysis)) By means of regression analysis, the influence of each measurement parameter or principal component on the sensory characteristic parameter, which is the response variable, can be evaluated based on the regression coefficient (partial regression coefficient in the case of multiple regression analysis). For example, a measurement parameter with a large absolute value of the regression coefficient can be evaluated as having a particularly large influence on the results of the sensory evaluation corresponding to the sensory characteristic parameter. Alternatively, a measurement parameter with a large loading on the principal component can be evaluated as having a particularly large influence on the results of the sensory evaluation corresponding to the sensory characteristic parameter. In this way, it is possible to predict and explain the texture and flavor evaluations obtained from sensory evaluations and the differences between chewing objects.

[0063] According to this aspect, the results obtained by the multivariate analysis for a plurality of objects to be masticated can be compared or made comparable. For example, the results of the multivariate analysis obtained for each of the plurality of objects to be masticated can be presented in a parallel state.

[0064] 2. Chewing object evaluation system, program, and recording medium A chewing object evaluation system according to one aspect of the present invention includes: a means for iteratively compressing the chewing object; and a means for performing multivariate analysis using, as explanatory variables, two or more measurement parameters based on one or more measurement values ​​selected from the group consisting of measurement values ​​measured from the chewing object during the iterative compression process and measurement values ​​measured from the chewing object after the iterative compression process, and using, as objective variables, sensory characteristic parameters based on one or more sensory characteristic values ​​of the chewing object. For the chewing object evaluation system according to this embodiment, the description of the chewing object evaluation method according to one embodiment of the present invention is cited.

[0065] A program according to one aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to operate each means of the mastication object evaluation system according to one aspect of the present invention.

[0066] A recording medium according to one aspect of the present invention is a computer-readable recording medium on which a program according to one aspect of the present invention is recorded.

[0067] According to these mastication object evaluation systems, programs, and recording media, the mastication object evaluation method according to one aspect of the present invention can be suitably carried out.

[0068] In the above description, the processing step and the analysis step in the method for evaluating a chewing object do not necessarily have to be performed as a series of steps. For example, the analysis step may be performed at a spatially different location by transmitting information obtained in the processing step (which may be composed of a data set including unique information of the chewing object, one or more measurement values, and one or more sensory characteristic values, etc.) via a network such as the Internet. The same applies to the means in the chewing object evaluation system; they do not necessarily have to be configured as an integrated unit. Furthermore, the programs do not necessarily have to be configured as an integrated unit, but may be configured as multiple independent programs that operate the means. Furthermore, the recording medium does not necessarily have to be configured as an integrated unit, but may be configured as multiple recording media corresponding to multiple programs.

[0069] In one embodiment, the recording medium described above includes a server on a network. For example, a program for operating the iterative compression processing means can be recorded on a server (recording medium) on a network, in which case the user can operate the iterative compression processing means based on information received from the server via a network such as the Internet. Furthermore, for example, a program for operating the means for performing multivariate analysis can be recorded on a server (recording medium) on a network. In other words, a calculation processing unit for performing calculation processing of the multivariate analysis can be provided on the server. In this case, a user transmits information obtained in the processing step from the user's terminal to the server via a network such as the Internet. The server then performs multivariate analysis based on the information received from the user. The server then transmits information based on the results of the multivariate analysis to the user's terminal.

[0070] It is also preferable that the unique information of the chewing object and the result information of the multivariate analysis corresponding to the chewing object are recorded in a recording medium as a database. In this case, the recording medium may be a server on a network. The unique information may be, for example, information for identifying the chewing object, and may include, for example, the name of the manufacturer, the name of the place of production, the product name, etc. It is preferable that the recording medium has a plurality of information sets corresponding to a plurality of chewing objects recorded therein. The user's terminal can acquire the plurality of information sets recorded in the recording medium. This allows the user to use the acquired information for the development of chewing objects, etc. [Example]

[0071] Examples of the present invention will be described below, but the present invention is not limited to these examples.

[0072] Example 1 (1) Method A. Sample Five types of meat - beef round (domestic), beef round (Australian), chicken breast, pork loin, and pork tongue - were vacuum-packed and then placed in a constant temperature bath at 80°C. After the core temperature reached 80°C, they were heat-treated by holding the temperature for 5 minutes. After cooling to room temperature, they were cut into 3.5±0.5g pieces to be used as test meat foods.

[0073] B. Evaluation of remaining mouthwatering "Remaining in the mouth" is a sensory evaluation characteristic that refers to the sensation experienced when a human chews a meat product and parts of the meat product remain in the mouth without further processing during the formation of a bolus. To evaluate remaining in the mouth, we performed simulated mastication (repeated compression processing) using a processing device similar to that shown in Figure 1, and obtained the changes in the shape of the meat product using image analysis, which was used as a substitute index for remaining in the mouth. The method for obtaining this is as follows.

[0074] <How to calculate an alternative indicator of mouthfeel> Using a processing device, compress the meat food 30 times with a compression force of 400 N, a compression speed of 1 time / s, and an artificial saliva addition flow rate of 1 mL / min, then remove the meat food and spread it on a mesh to take a photograph. - Determine the area of ​​the mesh occupied by meat products (hereinafter referred to as "exclusive area"). The ratio of the occupied area after simulated chewing to the occupied area before simulated chewing is taken as 1 and is used as an index of the amount of food remaining in the mouth.

[0075] Soft, easily chewable objects undergo compressive deformation during the simulated chewing process, and the proportion of the occupied area after the simulated chewing process increases. In other words, the closer the value of the mouthful index here is to 1, the more the object remains in the mouth, and the higher the value is, the less the object remains in the mouth.

[0076] C. Acquisition of physical property values ​​from the chewing simulator Using the aforementioned mastication simulator, simulated mastication was performed with a compression force of 400 N, a compression speed of 1 / s, and an artificial saliva flow rate of 1 mL / min. The number of compressions was set at 1.5 times the average number of mastications required for two test subjects to freely masticate and swallow. The force during simulated mastication of meat food was measured using a force sensor equipped in the mastication simulator, and the following eight measurement parameters were obtained by calculating the time at which force was detected and the impulse for each compression.

[0077] <Measurement parameters> Sum of impulses during simulated chewing (total impulse) (corresponding to I in Table 2) First impulse (corresponding to II in Table 2) Average value of the first to third impulses (average of the first three impulses) (corresponding to III in Table 2) Average value of the last three impulses (average of the last three impulses) (corresponding to IV in Table 2) Average value of the last three impulses / Average value of the first to third impulses (impulse reduction rate) (corresponding to V in Table 2) - Average value of the first compression time (compression time of the first bite) (corresponding to VI in Table 2) Average value of the last three compression times (compression time of the last three bites) (corresponding to VII in Table 2) Average value of the last three compression times / average value of the first compression time (ratio of the last three compression times to the first bite) (corresponding to VIII in Table 2)

[0078] Of these eight measurement parameters, "impulse" is a measurement parameter classified as a mechanical property value among the food properties described above. Furthermore, "compression time" is a value proportional to the height of the sample, and in this embodiment, is a measurement parameter intended to obtain a geometric property value. These are all property values ​​(mechanical property values ​​and geometric property values) that represent the time and load required to process meat foods, and were selected as suitable indices for evaluating mouthfeel.

[0079] D. Multivariate analysis (principal component regression analysis) In order to predict or explain the sensory evaluation characteristic of remaining in the mouth, which is an important characteristic for meat foods, a multivariate regression analysis was conducted using the ratio of the occupied area, which is an indicator of remaining in the mouth, as the dependent variable and eight measurement parameters obtained from the processing equipment as the explanatory variables. Because it is possible that the eight measurement parameters that are explanatory variables are linearly combined with each other, we performed principal component analysis as a preprocessing step to avoid multicollinearity, and reduced the eight measurement parameters. Next, we performed multiple regression analysis using the reduced composite variables as explanatory variables, and obtained a regression equation that explains the ratio of exclusive floor area, which is an indicator of remaining sales.

[0080] (2) Results A. Evaluation of mouth-watering taste Table 1 shows the ratio of the occupied area, which is an indicator of mouth-wateringness, for each meat product.

[0081] [Table 1]

[0082] B. Acquisition of measurement parameters from the processing device Table 2 shows the eight measurement parameters (I to VIII) obtained from the processing equipment for each meat food product.

[0083] [Table 2]

[0084] C. Multivariate analysis (principal component regression analysis) Figure 4 shows the eigenvalues ​​and loading matrix for principal components 1 to 4 obtained from the principal component analysis (numbers 1 to 4 in Figure 4 correspond to principal components 1 to 4, respectively). Figure 5 is a loading matrix showing the loadings of the eight explanatory variables in principal components 1 to 4. In Figure 5, the shading of the numbers corresponds to the magnitude of the absolute value. Principal component 1 and principal component 2 each had an eigenvalue exceeding 1, and the cumulative contribution rate (the sum of the contribution rates of principal component 1 and principal component 2) was 91.863%. From this, it can be said that principal component 1 and principal component 2 are able to adequately explain the information in the data subjected to principal component analysis. Therefore, we have created a scatter plot of each meat food product on the plane of principal component 1 and principal component 2, which are composite variables (principal components) obtained by principal component analysis (Figure 6). Figure 6 is a scatter plot of each meat food product plotted on a plane with principal component 1 on the horizontal axis and principal component 2 on the vertical axis.

[0085] Of these principal components, we conducted a multiple regression analysis using principal components 1 and 2, which have eigenvalues ​​of 1 or more and have high contribution rates, as explanatory variables, and the ratio of exclusive floor area, which is an indicator of remaining occupancy, as the objective variable. As a result of multiple regression analysis, the adjusted R 2 The partial regression coefficient β and p-value for each explanatory variable are shown in Table 3.

[0086] [Table 3] P * : P value of partial regression coefficient, β: partial regression coefficient

[0087] Of the explanatory variables, only principal component 1 had a p<0.05, indicating that it may be a statistically significant explanatory variable for the dependent variable. Therefore, a new regression analysis was performed using only principal component 1 as the explanatory variable. As a result, the coefficient of determination of the regression equation, R 2 With a value of 0.92 and p<0.05, we were able to obtain a highly explanatory and statistically significant regression equation. The resulting regression equation is shown in (Equation 1). Here, y is the ratio of exclusive use area, which is the dependent variable, and x is the score of Principal Component 1, which is the explanatory variable used in the regression analysis. y=-1.39x+5.49 (Formula 1)

[0088] The regression equation shown in Equation 1 indicates that the index of mouthfeel, which is an important sensory evaluation characteristic value for meat foods, can be predicted by Principal Component 1. Furthermore, the higher the value of the indices used here, the less the sensory evaluation characteristic of "remaining in the mouth." Therefore, the sensory evaluation characteristic of "remaining in the mouth" can be said to be positively correlated with Principal Component 1. Furthermore, the loadings on Principal Component 1 were all positive for the eight measurement parameters obtained from the processing equipment, which explains why each measurement parameter is positively correlated with the sensory evaluation characteristic of "remaining in the mouth." For example, the three measurement parameters with the highest absolute values ​​among the loadings on Principal Component 1 were "total impulse," "average of the final three impulses," and "average of the final three compression times." In other words, of the eight measurement parameters, these measurement parameters had a particularly large impact on the sensory evaluation characteristic of "remaining in the mouth." Thus, it was demonstrated that the sensory evaluation characteristics can be predicted and explained using the measurement parameters obtained from the processing equipment. [Explanation of symbols]

[0089] 1: Processing equipment 10: Upper jig 11: Upper occlusal region 12: Sensor 20: Lower jig 21: Lower occlusal region 22:Protection Department 30: Drive unit 40: Measurement control unit 50: Simulated saliva supply section 51: Inlet tube AX: Rotation axis LR: Reciprocating linear motion RR: Reciprocating rotation

Claims

1. A method for evaluating a chewing object, comprising: Repeatedly compressing the chewing object; and performing a multivariate analysis using two or more measurement parameters based on one or more measurement values ​​selected from the group consisting of a measurement value measured from the object to be masticated during the repeated compression process and a measurement value measured from the object to be masticated after the repeated compression process as explanatory variables, and a sensory characteristic parameter based on one or more sensory characteristic values ​​of the object to be masticated as a response variable; A method comprising:

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the number of compressions in the iterative compression process is three or more.

3. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the two or more measurement parameters include characteristic values ​​of two or more different chewing objects selected from the group consisting of mechanical properties, geometric properties, taste component properties, aroma component properties, optical properties, and thermodynamic properties.

4. The two or more measurement parameters are: The load, impulse, energy, adhesive force, torque, displacement, strain, measurement values ​​by an acoustic sensor, measurement values ​​by an ultrasonic sensor, measurement values ​​by an olfactory sensor, measurement values ​​by an optical sensor, measurement values ​​by an electrochemical sensor, measurement values ​​by a temperature sensor, and changes therein over time, applied to the object to be masticated during the repeated compression process; and the particle size distribution, bolus formation state, hardness, adhesiveness, cohesiveness, friction coefficient, viscosity, moisture content, measurement values ​​by an ultrasonic sensor, measurement values ​​by an olfactory sensor, measurement values ​​by an optical sensor, measurement values ​​by an electrochemical sensor, and measurement values ​​by a temperature sensor of the object to be masticated after the repeated compression treatment; The method of claim 1 or 2, comprising measuring parameters based on one or more selected from the group consisting of:

5. 3. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the sensory characteristic parameters are based on one or more sensory characteristic values ​​selected from the group consisting of sensory characteristic values ​​obtained from a sensory evaluation of the chewing object, sensory characteristic values ​​measured from the chewing object during the repeated compression process, and sensory characteristic values ​​measured from the chewing object after the repeated compression process.

6. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the multivariate analysis is multiple regression analysis, principal component regression analysis, or partial least squares regression.

7. The method according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising, as a pre-processing step for the multivariate analysis, performing principal component analysis to reduce two or more measurement parameters into one or more principal components.

8. The method of claim 1 or 2, wherein the two or more measurement parameters include one or more measurement parameters based on time-lapse information.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the temporal information is based on measurements at two or more different points in time during the iterative compression process.

10. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the repeated compression treatment is performed using a processing device configured to be able to repeatedly compress the object to be chewed.

11. A chewing object evaluation system, a means for repeatedly compressing the chewable object; and a means for performing multivariate analysis using, as explanatory variables, two or more measurement parameters based on one or more measurement values ​​selected from the group consisting of a measurement value measured from the object to be masticated during the repeated compression process and a measurement value measured from the object to be masticated after the repeated compression process, and using, as objective variables, a sensory characteristic parameter based on one or more sensory characteristic values ​​of the object to be masticated; Including, the system.

12. A program for causing a computer to operate each of the means according to claim 11.

13. A computer-readable recording medium on which the program according to claim 12 is recorded.

14. 14. The storage medium of claim 13, comprising a server on a network.

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