Food oral processing—A review

Food oral processing is an essential procedure not only for the consumption and digestion of foods but also for the appreciation and pleasure of food texture and food flavour. The consumption of a food inside mouth involves various oral operations, including first bite, chewing and mastication, transportation, bolus formation, swallowing, etc. Exact mechanisms and governing principles of these oral operations are still not fully understood, despite of continuous efforts made by scientists from food, psychology, physiology, dental and clinical studies, and other disciplines. This article reviews recent progresses and literature findings about food processing and transformation in mouth, with particular attention on the physiology and rheology aspects of oral operations. The physiological behaviour of human's oral device is discussed in terms of biting capability, tongue movement, saliva production and incorporation, and swallowing. The complexity of oral processing is analysed in relation to the rheology and mechanical properties of foods. The swallowing and oral clearing process is also examined for its criteria, triggering mechanism, bolus deformation, and the rheology of swallowing.