Changes in Physical Properties of Enzyme-Treated Beef Before and After Mastication

This study was conducted to determine whether enzymatically softened beef is more easily ingested by individuals with decreased masticatory function while retaining the original appearance and palatability using a homogeneous enzyme permeation (HEP) method. The number of mastication cycles required to induce the first swallow of normally cooked beef (NB) and HEP-treated beef (HEPB) was investigated. Pre- and post-mastication samples were also tested for firmness, viscoelastic properties, compression stress and disintegrability. Compared with NB, HEPB was shown to require less than one-third the number of mastication cycles while retaining approximately 1/15 the firmness. HEP treatment reduced the coefficient of viscosity to less than 1/20 of NB. Stress increased abruptly with compression of post-mastication NB samples, while a lower increase was observed for HEPB. Disintegration tests revealed fewer residues for HEPB. HEPB demonstrated sufficient softness, good deformability and quick water dispersibility while retaining the same shape as NB. Practical Application With these features, beef made using the homogeneous enzyme permeation method is expected to expand the applicability of oral nutrition and help establish a new approach to nutritional management for people with difficulty masticating. This technology has already been used for food products named “iEat” (EN Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd., Japan), which are produced for patients with masticatory difficulties.