Measurement of instrumental texture profile analysis (TPA) of foods

Texture is one of the sensory attributes that consumers use to evaluate food acceptability and purchasing decision. It is a very complex attribute where different senses (e.g., vision, hearing, and touch) are used simultaneously to assess different textural properties, such as hardness, cohesiveness, adhesiveness, gumminess, and springiness. These and others are evaluated using different sensory methods including the descriptive method. However, the subjective sensory measurements have limitations. Instrumental Texture Analysis Profile (TPA) is a very important breakthrough in the field of sensory analysis. It is now widely used by the food industry and scientific community. TPA is an objective method, and the parameters defined by this method can be correlated with the sensory textural attributes. Therefore, this method could be fast and needs easy sample preparation and could be used in quality control in the processing line. This chapter addresses the theoretical development of the TPA and its applications in different food products.