Eating difficulty was evaluated by sensory analyses of hydrocolloid gels as a food model. Twenty sample
gels were created with a wide range of textures. Twelve panelists rated the eating difficulty for each gel
on an unstructured line scale. Subsequently, they also evaluated six texture attributes including firmness,
cutting effort, elasticity, extensibility, adhesiveness, and melting rate in the mouth. A principal component
analysis characterized the texture attributes of the sample gels on axes of resistance to fracture
(principal component 1) and stickiness and flexibility (principal component 2). The contour of the
resulting eating difficulty scatter diagram revealed that resistance to fracture and stickiness and flexibility
were critical determinants of eating difficulty.