Re-examination of the surface EMG activity of the masseter muscle in young adults during chewing of two test foods.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of the texture of food on the masseter EMG activity during chewing. Fresh raw carrots and non-adhesive chewing gums of similar size and weight were used as representing a hard and a soft food respectively. The mean values for the IEMG activity, the duration of the chewing cycle, the chewing rate and the relative contraction time during chewing were significantly higher for the carrots while no significant difference was found in the chewing burst duration between the two test foods. Finally a strong inverse correlation was found between chewing rate and cycle duration. It was concluded that the texture of food has an obvious effect on EMG activity during chewing and that adjustments to changes in food consistency are made mainly by altering the chewing rate, the duration of the chewing cycle and the IEMG activity.