During the latest Coffee Club with the UK, organised by the E3S Next Generation working group and the UK country representatives, participants had the opportunity to meet Dr. Ben Kew, Postdoctoral Research Innovation Fellow in “The Oral Processing of Alternative Proteins” at the National Alternative Protein Innovation Centre (NAPIC). His presentation highlighted the growing importance of oral processing research in understanding and improving the sensory quality of next-generation protein products.
Understanding the mouthfeel of alternative proteins
Ben’s research focuses on how alternative non-animal proteins, particularly plant proteins, behave during oral processing. His work aims to understand how protein-protein interactions, as well as interactions with saliva and oral surfaces, influence mouthfeel and texture perception. One of the key challenges is astringency. Many plant proteins generate drying, rough or puckering sensations that remain difficult to control in food products. To better understand these mechanisms, Ben combines human sensory evaluation with instrumental techniques such as tribology, rheology and adsorption measurements.
Why oral processing matters
Texture and mouthfeel are major drivers of consumer acceptance, yet they remain among the most complex aspects of food perception. Ben explains that these sensations continuously evolve throughout consumption, from the first bite to swallowing and even afterwards, making oral processing far more dynamic than a simple texture measurement.
Interest in this field has also grown because of its links with eating behaviour, satiety and health. Recent advances in tribology and the development of orally relevant model systems are helping researchers better connect instrumental measurements with sensory perception, opening new possibilities for designing healthier and more enjoyable foods. Despite this progress, many mechanisms remain poorly understood, particularly the interactions between food, saliva and oral surfaces, which may vary considerably between individuals and even between populations.
Improving plant-based foods
Reproducing the texture of animal-based foods remains one of the biggest challenges for plant-based product development. According to Ben, oral processing should be considered as a sequence of events rather than a single phenomenon. Properties perceived during the first bite differ from those experienced during mastication or from the sensations that remain after swallowing. Unfortunately, many of these later sensations, such as dryness, roughness and astringency, are still insufficiently characterised. Although ingredients such as fat, sugar, salt or flavourings can partially mask these sensations, this approach raises nutritional concerns and often becomes less effective under realistic consumption conditions. Ben therefore advocates for sensory methodologies that better capture the complete oral-processing experience.
Bringing instrumental and sensory science together
Rather than replacing sensory evaluation, instrumental techniques provide complementary information about the mechanisms underlying texture perception. While rheology describes bulk properties such as viscosity, tribology helps quantify sensations emerging later during oral processing, including roughness, dryness and astringency. Combining these techniques with human sensory data allows researchers to better understand ingredient functionality and develop predictive in vitro models for formulation screening. Nevertheless, Ben emphasises that instrumental measurements must always be validated against human sensory data. Texture represents only one dimension of food perception and should always be interpreted alongside taste, aroma and appearance.
A common sensory language for alternative proteins
Ben recently published a review entitled “Mouthfeel assessment of alternative proteins: what we know so far?” (Kew et al., 2026), which identifies several important knowledge gaps in the field. One particularly striking observation is the limited attention paid to astringency, despite its recognised impact on consumer acceptance. Ben suggests that the field would greatly benefit from developing a dedicated sensory lexicon for alternative proteins, similar to those already established in wine research. Such a framework would facilitate communication between academia and industry while ensuring that key mouthfeel attributes are evaluated consistently.
Looking ahead
Ben recently secured funding through the NAPIC Collaborative Programme Fund for his first project as Principal Investigator. The project will evaluate a novel liquid-sensing device developed by APOHA (apoha.com), combining biophysics, advanced sensing technologies, machine learning and AI to rapidly characterise the mouthfeel properties of next-generation alternative proteins.
When asked what research question he would pursue with unlimited resources, Ben’s answer reflected both his scientific curiosity and sense of adventure: establishing a food sensory laboratory in space to investigate how microgravity and extraterrestrial environments influence sensory perception.
Ben’s work demonstrates how combining sensory science with tribology, rheology and emerging technologies can deepen our understanding of oral processing and help design the next generation of more enjoyable and acceptable plant-based foods.
Useful links :
If you would like to contact Ben via Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-kew/
Kew, B., Sridharan, S., & Sarkar, A. (2026). Mouthfeel assessment of alternative proteins: What we know so far? Current Opinion in Food Science, 70, 101435. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cofs.2026.101435