How to do TPA properly

Texture Profile Analysis (TPA) is a popular double compression test for determining the textural properties of foods. It is occasionally used in other industries, such as pharmaceuticals, gels, and personal care.
To give you an idea of the number of recently published papers that use the Stable Micro Systems Texture Analysers for TPA testing click here

During a TPA test, samples are compressed twice using a Texture Analyser to provide insight into how samples behave when chewed. The TPA test was often called the "two bite test" because the Texture Analyser mimics the mouth's biting action.

The textural identity of any food is rarely a simple matter of understanding a singular attribute such as hardness or cohesiveness. The texture of any food is multi-faceted and tied to consumers' sensory expectations. It is not sufficient to deliver a food with a target hardness and springiness value if consumers do not like it and it does not meet their expectations for that food type.

The beauty of TPA as an analytical method is that it can quantify multiple textural parameters in just one experiment. That is also the method's curse, since many researchers rely on TPA's labelled characteristics without considering whether the test method provides metrics that are relevant to the experimental objective.

The best review of this topic can be found on the Texture Technologies website

This year, the Journal of Texture Studies has revisited this popular texture measurement topic. Micha Peleg opened the discussion with his invited review. This was followed by the responses to Professor Peleg’s comments from Stable Micro Systems view response and from Texture Technologies view response.

The gist of our message was: “From an industrial/instrument manufacturer perspective, Stable Micro Systems has experienced much frustration over the last two decades with the use or misuse of texture profile analysis (TPA). Quite frankly, while respecting the contribution to the field of texture measurement in food science which the work in the 1960s gave, I share many of the same opinions as Professor Peleg (2019). Due to its popularity over decades of measurement with Instron instruments, academics have all too often taken the “popular approach” to texture measurement and chosen to use TPA. We cannot tell you how frustrating it is to read published papers that include the misuse of the TPA method and let alone choose this method in the first place over other better test choices.”

We reminded readers of the letter from Alina Szczesniak (one of the founders of this measurement principle) in 1998 who attempted to address her concerns over the abuse of TPA. Read more

Texture Technologies also set the stage with their comment “…the window is wide open to revisit TPA and to develop a set of standards and guidelines that will help the food industry use the tool in a more useful and consistent way." and followed with an interesting set of TPA method elements which could/should be revisited for those wishing to continue with this method of texture measurement.

There is a Texture Analysis test for virtually any physical property. Contact Stable Micro Systems today to learn more about our full range of solutions.

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For more information on how to measure texture, please visit the Texture Analysis Properties section on our website.

The TA.XTplus texture analyser is part of a family of texture analysis instruments and equipment from Stable Micro Systems. An extensive portfolio of specialist attachments is available to measure and analyse the textural properties of a huge range of food products. Our technical experts can also custom design instrument fixtures according to individual specifications.

No-one understands texture analysis like we do!

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