Tribology, the study of friction, lubrication, and wear, has piqued the interest of many food scientists over the last two decades. The increase in the popularity of tribology is partially due to its potential to reveal information about the presence and causes of textural attributes that traditional rheometry cannot provide. For example, tribological measurements may be able to indicate differences in friction-related texture attributes, such as astringency, fatty mouthcoating, and grittiness. It can also offer another method to differentiate food products that have different textures but similar rheological behaviors. While tribology does not provide the “magic bullet” test that explains all sensory attributes and eliminates the need for descriptive analysis, it is still a valuable tool that, when used in conjunction with other rheological tests, can provide a fuller picture of food structure–function–texture relationships.
In this webinar, you will learn
1) the basics of tribology as applied to food products,
2) how tribological measurements of foods are commonly performed,
3) current uses and limitations of tribology in food texture approximation, and
4) potential applications of tribological measurements.