Perspectives in the textural evaluation of plant foods

Abstract Texture is a major quality attribute that determines the acceptance of plant foods. However, the term is still often poorly defined and applied. As texture is dictated by the underlying composition and organization of plant tissues, it is crucial for food scientists to be aware of the structure of plant foods. The texture of plant foods can be attributed mainly to the structural integrity of the cell wall and middle lamella, as well as to the turgor pressure generated within cells by osmosis. Recent models of the cell wall envision a cellulose-hemicellulose structural domain embedded in a second domain consisting of pectic substances, while a third domain contains covalently crosslinked protein units. Textural problems in plant foods, arising from diffusion, ripening and processing factors, for example, are directly related to the architecture of the plant cell. Thus, an increased understanding of the structural basis of texture and also of the fundamentals of texture measurement should assist in overcoming quality problems in plant foods.