When we say a supplement gummy or chew is “chewy,” we are describing a multi-phase tactile experience, not a single value. In texture analysis, chewiness is usually broken into three mechanical families: force, deformation, and recovery time.
The three sensory attributes being measured
- Force: This is the peak resistance at first bite and the ongoing force required during repeated chewing. It captures whether a product feels soft, firm, or tough at the front of the mouth.
- Deformation: This measures how far the material compresses, stretches, or yields before its structure changes. It includes strain at break and cohesiveness-the degree to which the product holds together under repeated compression instead of crumbling or dissolving.
- Recovery time: This measures how quickly and completely the product springs back after compression. It appears in texture analysis as springiness and resilience: a fast, high recovery creates bounce; a slow, incomplete recovery creates a dense or gummy collapse.
How the measurements combine
Instrumental chewiness is often calculated as hardness × cohesiveness × springiness, or described as the total energy required to masticate a solid product to a swallowing-ready state. That is why two products with the same initial bite force can feel completely different: one may snap back quickly and feel pleasantly chewy, while the other may deform and stay compressed, feeling pasty or tough.
Which one drives consumer preference?
If you isolate a single mechanical driver, recovery time-specifically the rate and completeness of elastic recovery-tends to drive liking most strongly. Consumers usually describe positive chewiness as a lively, bouncy resistance that returns between bites. That “spring-back” quality is what separates a satisfying chew from a hard, rubbery block or a soft, mushy paste.
Force still matters, but it mainly sets the intensity of the first impression. If peak force is too high and recovery is slow, the product is judged as tough. If deformation is high but recovery is low, the product is judged as doughy or sticky. The preferred texture is usually a balance: moderate initial force, enough deformation to feel substantial, and a fast, high recovery that extends the chew without exhausting the jaw.
At KorNutra, we treat chewiness as a multi-parameter target rather than a one-number specification. By profiling force, deformation, and recovery together, we can adjust a gummy or chew base to deliver the resilient, bouncy chew consumers prefer-without crossing into toughness or pastiness.