Characterization of "katasa" using texture descriptors and analysis of food preferences

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K02310
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 08030:Family and consumer sciences, and culture and living-related
• Research Institution: National Agriculture and Food Research Organization
• Principal Investigator: Hayakawa Fumiyo 国立研究開発法人農業・食品産業技術総合研究機構, 食品研究部門, グループ長補佐 (00282905)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: テクスチャー / 官能評価 / 食物 / かたさ / やわらかさ / 感覚表現

Outline of Final Research Achievements

“katasa” is one of the most important texture in Japanese diet. However, due to its multidimensionality and complexity, it is often dealt ambiguously without definition, even in research and product development. In this study, “katasa” is characterized by analyzing the many texture terms used to describe “katasa".
Among 445 Japanese texture terms, 191 terms were selected as descriptive terms for "katasa". In order to understand the characteristics of this " katasa" vocabulary, multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis were applied to similarity data among the 191 terms. As a result, the 191 "katasa" descriptive terms were classified into four superordinate clusters and 24 subordinate clusters, and the interpretation of each cluster indicated the components of "katasa texture".

Free Research Field

調理科学、生活科学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究により得られたデータは、食べ物を表現したり、表現したりする際に頻繁に使われる「かたさ」の理解につながる有用な情報を提供すると考えられる。また、種々の食品の官能評価の用語選定の際の参照資料となる。さらに、本研究の成果は、テクスチャー評価の高度化、食育、食文化継承などに資することが期待できる。