The Role of Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) in the Generation and Integration of Food Sensations and Cognition

Abstract

In recent years, the oral processing of food has regained the attention of food technologists and researchers. The complex process of mastication, in which food is minced into smaller particles and mixed with saliva until a bolus that can be swallowed safely and comfortably is formed, can be situated in a space that involves structure, lubrication and time. As temporality is a key factor in all the changes described, a sensory method called Temporal Dominance of Sensations (TDS) appeared a few years ago. TDS has made it possible to evaluate a sequence of sensations generated by the oral trajectory during mastication and has been applied to a number of food items. Several examples of the possibilities that TDS offers for relating the perceived sequence of sensations with food composition and structures will be examined. As a result, it will be seen how TDS can contribute to understanding the drivers of liking, which decide the quality of the food items and consumer acceptance.