The role of chewing efficiency in aroma release and perception during oral processing of solid model foods

This study investigates the oral processing mechanisms underlying aroma release and perception during the chewing of solid model food particles (made from dental impression materials) in individuals with different chewing efficiency. By comparing the dynamic processes of model food particle breakdown, salivary secretion, protein concentration, and aroma release, it was found that individuals with higher chewing efficiency (‘high CE’ group) exhibited higher aroma release, with increased and longer perceived intensity. Increased chewing cycles were found to promote aroma release. However, this relationship varied between participants different chewing efficiency (‘high CE’ group vs. ‘low CE’ group), reflecting the underlying differences in their oral physiology (including model food mechanical breakdown, saliva secretion upon stimulation, and total salivary protein content during chewing). The hydrophobicity of aroma compounds (ethyl acetate vs. ethyl octanoate) undoubtedly affected both aroma release and perception during mastication. Unlike existing static headspace analysis studies, associations found from this study resulted from the multiple interplay of hydrogen bonds/hydrophobic interactions between aroma compounds and saliva proteins, mastication-induced saliva dilution effects, and the available release surface area due to chewing efficiency. Findings from this study provide novel insights into how individual differences in oral physiology and chewing efficiency—independent of the complex interactions between saliva and food matrices—impact aroma perception, and offer important implications for personalized food formulation and sensory perception optimization, particularly for populations with impaired oral processing abilities.