METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING FOOD PROPERTY

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method which accurately quantifies textures such as crunchy or crisp textures. SOLUTION: In the method, a prescribed holder is inserted into food to be measured, and vibrations generated at the time are subjected to the Fourier transformation, thereby obtaining vibrational spectra. Next, perception corrected bandwidth values are determined with respect to the vibrational spectra, and a plurality of perception corrected frequency bands are determined in the vibrational spectra on the basis of the perception corrected bandwidth values. Then, the vibrational spectra are divided in accordance with the plurality of perception corrected frequency bands in order to obtain a plurality of vibrational spectrum segments, and spectral intensity values of the plurality of vibrational spectrum segments are multiplied by correction coefficients relating to the perception corrected frequency bands corresponding to the plurality of vibrational spectrum segments respectively, thereby computing a plurality of corrected spectral intensity values. Then, the plurality of corrected spectral intensity values are integrated, thereby obtaining sharpness values corresponding to texture values. COPYRIGHT: (C)2005,JPO&NCIPI