Applying Soft Matter Principles in Food Oral Processing: The Case of Stickiness

Foods are complex materials with structures ranging from the nano- to the macroscale, including structural elements such as lipid droplets, air bubbles, and particles, entrapped in a hydrocolloid-based matrix. These structures influence food properties and textures, which are crucial during consumption, particularly in food oral processing (FOP), where food undergoes significant structural changes. While texture attributes like hardness are easily measurable and can be linked to FOP, others like stickiness are less understood, yet critically impact consumer preferences and safety. Stickiness can be desirable or problematic, depending on the population, such as dysphagia patients. This chapter explores the stickiness as a texture attribute using a soft matter lens on food, highlighting the challenges and strategies for controlling this texture attribute.