Using electromyography as a research tool in food science

•Electromyography of the feeding muscles is increasing in use in food science research.•EMG demonstrates timing of muscle activity and relative amounts of muscle recruitment.•Food scientists use EMG to study texture and its relationships to oral processing.•EMG cannot reliably demonstrate absolute force or work performed by a muscle.

The jaw muscles play key functional roles during feeding. During contraction, a bioelectrical signal propagates along the muscle cell helping to coordinate muscle contraction. This signal can be measured via electromyography (EMG). Food scientists have increasingly adopted EMG as a tool for studying the relationships among food textures and oral processing. Specifically, food scientists have used EMG from the feeding muscles as (1) a general measure of food texture, (2) a measure of oral physiology, (3) an estimate of absolute force and (4) a measure of muscle work. Unfortunately, physiological research indicates that estimates of absolute force and mechanical work are not reliably indicated from EMG as it is best considered an indicator of muscle activity and relative recruitment levels.