CONSIDERATIONS OF A GENERAL RHEOLOGICAL MODEL FOR THE MECHANICAL BEHAVIOR OF VISCOELASTIC SOLID FOOD MATERIALS*

A model describing the rheological behavior patterns of solid foods is suggested and discussed. It consists of a parallel array of a generalized Maxwell body in which the Maxwell elements have been modified by incorporation of two fracture elements. The model enables the anticipation of response patterns of real food materials under various force—deformation histories without becoming inconsistent. It also predicts the viscoelastic phenomena of materials after their failure and does not exclude the elastic deformation stage. The effects of experimental conditions, differences between various types of foods, as well as variations and changes in the same food can be expressed or explained in terms of model components and their relative distribution. The application of the model is demonstrated with a small number of representative elements.