Description:
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>How people test foods for firmness without eating them, was studied using 131 respondents and 9 different pairs of foods representing a wide range of firmness. The results were related to correctness of judgment and objective characterization by the Instron machine. Evidence was obtained that the kind of sensory firmness test employed depends on the firmness of the food. Viscosity/ consistency, deformation, puncture, and flexure were used as the degree of ‘firmness’ increased from a low (whipped toppings) to a very high (carrots) level.</jats:p>