Food Oral ProcessingMARELLENCT07631195
Evolution of Food Oral Processing Behaviours, Food Bolus Formation and Texture Preferences Between 6 to 12 Years Old and Adult Age
An observational study of Food Oral Processing and Texture Preference, run by Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement at 1 site in France.
Trial summary
This cross sectional study investigates how the oral physiological changes during the period of dental transition (6-12 years old) influence on texture preferences, food oral processing behaviour and food bolus properties, for different foods varying in texture and in comparison to the adult population. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 6 to 12 yearsHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Food Oral Processing, Texture Preference
- How many people
- 120 participants
- Where
- 1 siteFrance
- Study dates
- 24 Sep 2025to 1 Aug 2026
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- Not yet: the study is under way
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 6 to 12 years
- All sexes
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child
Study population: Healthy children aged 6-8 (n=30), 8-9 (n=30), 10-12 (n=30) years old and 30 adults aged 25-35 years old.
Who may be able to join
- Being aged between 6 and 12 years old included or between 25 and 35 years old Being consumers of carrot, comté cheese, rice and biscuit
Who cannot join
- No French social security coverage
- Ongoing orthodontic and/or dental treatment
- Oral motor difficulties
- Food allergies
- Diabetes
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country. Contact the study team or a site near you to ask about taking part.
France1 site, 1 recruiting
- Recruiting
UMR CSGA
Dijon, 21000
Carole Tournier, PhD HDR, carole.tournier@inrae.fr
Carole TOURNIER, PhD
About this study
Official title: Rôle de la Texture Des Aliments et du Comportement Masticatoire Dans Les propriétés du Bol Alimentaire et la Perception Sensorielle Chez Les Enfants d'âge Scolaire (6 à 12 Ans) en Comparaison à un Groupe Adulte
This cross sectional study investigates how the oral physiological changes during the period of dental transition (6-12 years old) influence on texture preferences, food oral processing behaviour and food bolus properties, for different foods varying in texture and in comparison to the adult population.
Read the detailed description
Rationale:
Eating behaviour develops during childhood, shaping dietary habits that, in the long term, contribute to growth and health. The development of masticatory function during this period plays an important role in food preferences for different textures and in consumption during meals. Furthermore, chewing transforms food into a bolus for swallowing, and the physical properties of this bolus play a role in digestion and nutrient release. To date, very little data exists on bolus formation in children. The period from 6 to 12 years of age is an important period of maturation of masticatory function, during which the 20 primary teeth are gradually replaced by 28 permanent teeth. The impact of this dental transition on children's eating behavior and nutrition is currently poorly understood.
Objective:
The purposes of this study will to determine (1) how food texture preference, oral processing behaviour and food bolus properties evolve in children during the dental transition period and in comparison to adults (2) how these variables are associated with each other (3) how they are predicted from individual oral physiology (dentition, tongue strength, masticatory performance), food familiarity and parent-reported appetitive traits parameters.
Study design :
Ninety children (n=30 per theoretical stage of mixed dentition (first transitional stage: 6-8 years, inter-transitional stage: 8-10 years, and second transitional stage: 10-12 years)) and 30 adults (25-35 years) will be recruited . Their dentition and oral abilities (tongue strength and masticatory performance) will be characterized. Their oral processing behaviour (duration, number of chews and Oro-sensory exposure time) while consuming different foods (standard pieces of carrot, rice, cheese and biscuit) will be studied using video recordings. Food boluses will then be collected at the time of corresponding to swallowing (swallowing threshold) and characterized for their particles size and number, saliva uptake, and hardness. Texture preferences of all participants, as well as familiarity with the studied foods and the children's appetitive traits will be characterized using questionnaires.
Study population: Healthy children aged 6-8 (n=30), 8-9 (n=30), 10-12 (n=30) years old and 30 adults aged 25-35 years old. Exclusion criteria : dental and orthodontic treatment ongoing
- Conditions
- Food Oral Processing, Texture Preference
- Keywords
- Food texture Food oral processing Food bolus Chewing Dentition Texture prfrence Eating behaviour
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| 6-7 years | Children aged between 6 and 7 years old included | |
| 8-9 years | Children aged between 8 and 9 years old included | |
| 10-12 years | Children ages between 10 and 12 years old included | |
| Adults | Adults (25-35 years old) |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Oral processing duration (seconds)
Oral processing duration (sec) measured with video recording and automated video analysis
Measured: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Number of chews (chews/gram)
Number of chews measured with video recording and automated video analysis
Measured: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Oro-sensory exposure time (second/gram)
Oro-sensory exposure time (s/g) measured with video recording and automated video analysis
Measured: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Saliva uptake (%) in food bolus
Saliva uptake (%) of bolus collected at swallowing, measured from food and bolus mass (g) and dry matter (g)
Measured: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Bolus hardness (Newton)
Hardness (N) of bolus collected at swallowing obtained from simple compression test with texturometer compression test
Measured: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Average size of bolus particles (mm)
Size of the particles (mm) measured from a scan of the bolus diluted in glycerol and automated image analysis
Measured: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Number of particles in the food bolus
Number of bolus particles measured from a scan of the bolus diluted in glycerol and automated image analysis
Measured: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Secondary outcomes (13)
Number of Posterior Functional Unit (PFU)
Number of teeth stained after biting down on blue paper (3 times) measured by visual assessment
Measured: Baseline (single timepoint only
Number of teeth
Total number of teeth in the mouth measured from visual assessment
Measured: Baseline (single timepoint only
Dental transition stage
Stage of primary dentition (first transitional stage, inter-transitional stage and second transitional stage) assessed from teeth photographs by dental professionals
Measured: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Tongue strength (kPa)
Maximum strength (kPa) measured with the Iowa Oral Pressure Instrument (IOPI)
Measured: Baseline (single timepoint only
Masticatory performance (index)
Ability to mix two colored chewing gum after 15 chewing cycles, measured with gum scan and automated image analysis
Measured: Baseline (single timepoint only)
BMIz
BMI z-scores (BMIz) obtained from body weight (kg; measured using a weighing scale) and height (cm; measured using a stadiometer) transformed into corrected for age and sex according to the WHO child growth reference for school-aged children and adolescents
Measured: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Food frequency consumption (child report)
Child oral self-report of consumption frequency of offered food consumption ('not at all'; 'from time to time'; 'often'; 'very often')
Measured: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Food frequency consumption (parental report)
Parent report on the consumption frequency by the child for the offered food. Report collected in questionnaire ('never'; 'less than once a month'; 'two to three times a month'; 'once a week'; 'two to four times a week'; 'once a day'; and 'two or more times a day')
Measured: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Food familiarity
Oral self-report of the familiarity with the offered food (0 : not familiar/1 : familiar)
Measured: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Food chewing difficulty
Oral self-report whether the offered foods is or not difficult to eat (0 : not difficult/1 : difficult)
Measured: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Food texture preferences
Self-report on a food texture preference questionnaire. The questionnaire is composed of 17 pairs of soft/smooth and hard/particulate foods. For each pair, the participant chose the preferred one (forced-choice). Soft/Smooth versions will have a value of 1 and hard/particulate version a value of 2. Cumulation of the values provides a Texture preference index. Higher score means higher preference for textured foods.
Measured: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Children chewing abilities
Parent-reports of their child chewing abilities using a questionnaire (Schwartz et al., 2021).
The questionnaire is composed of 5 questions. Parents answer by one of the 'yes', 'no' and 'I don't know'. Questions are grouped in two dimensions
: 'difficulty of coping with hard/difficult textures' (higher score means lower difficulty) 'extend to which children chew their food before swallowing' (the higher the score, the better the child chews the food before swallowing)
Measured: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Child Eating Behaviour and Appetitive traits
Parent-reports on the Child Eating Behaviour Questionnaire (CEBQ) will be used to characterize the appetitive traits of the participants (Wardle et al., 2001). The questionnaire is composed of 35 items. Parent answers to each item using 5- point Likert scale ranging from never (1) to always (5) (never, rarely, sometimes, often, always. The items are then grouped to define 8 dimensions: 'food responsiveness', 'enjoyment of food', 'emotional over-eating', 'desire to drink', 'satiety responsiveness', 'slowness in eating', 'emotional undereating' and 'food fussiness'. Higher scores mean higher behaviours.
Measured: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted5 Jun 2026
- Study start24 Sep 2025
- Primary completion1 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion1 Aug 2026 (estimated)
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Publications (3)Papers the sponsor has linked to this study.
- Other trials for Food Oral ProcessingStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Enrolment
- 120 participants (estimated)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07631195
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- ID RCB : 2025-A00395-44
- Other IDs
- MARELLE Project
- Acronym
- MARELLE
- Status last verified
- May 2026
- First submitted
- 1 Jun 2026
- Last updated
- 5 Jun 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
Publications
Linas N, Peyron MA, Cousson PY, Decerle N, Hennequin M, Eschevins C, Nicolas E, Collado V. Comprehensive Dental Treatment under General Anesthesia Improves Mastication Capability in Children with Early Childhood Caries-A One-Year Follow-Up Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Dec 30;20(1):677. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20010677.
PubMed 36612993Barrera LM, Buschang PH, Throckmorton GS, Roldan SI. Mixed longitudinal evaluation of masticatory performance in children 6 to 17 years of age. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2011 May;139(5):e427-34. doi: 10.1016/j.ajodo.2009.08.031.
PubMed 21536184Tournier C, Forde CG. Food oral processing and eating behavior from infancy to childhood: evidence on the role of food texture in the development of healthy eating behavior. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2024 Sep;64(26):9554-9567. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2023.2214227. Epub 2023 Jun 2.
PubMed 37267128
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 5 Jun 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Rôle de la Texture Des Aliments et du Comportement Masticatoire Dans Les propriétés du Bol Alimentaire et la Perception Sensorielle Chez Les Enfants d'âge Scolaire (6 à 12 Ans) en Comparaison à un Groupe Adulte
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT07631195
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- MARELLE / ID RCB : 2025-A00395-44
- Conditions
- Food Oral Processing, Texture Preference
- Keywords
- Food texture Food oral processing Food bolus Chewing Dentition Texture prfrence Eating behaviour
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Recruiting
- Enrolment
- 120 participants (estimated)
- Lead sponsor
- Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'EnvironnementUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 24 Sep 2025 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 1 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- Study completion
- 1 Aug 2026 (estimated)
- First posted
- 5 Jun 2026 (actual)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
This cross sectional study investigates how the oral physiological changes during the period of dental transition (6-12 years old) influence on texture preferences, food oral processing behaviour and food bolus properties, for different foods varying in texture and in comparison to the adult population.
Detailed description
Rationale:
Eating behaviour develops during childhood, shaping dietary habits that, in the long term, contribute to growth and health. The development of masticatory function during this period plays an important role in food preferences for different textures and in consumption during meals. Furthermore, chewing transforms food into a bolus for swallowing, and the physical properties of this bolus play a role in digestion and nutrient release. To date, very little data exists on bolus formation in children. The period from 6 to 12 years of age is an important period of maturation of masticatory function, during which the 20 primary teeth are gradually replaced by 28 permanent teeth. The impact of this dental transition on children's eating behavior and nutrition is currently poorly understood.
Objective:
The purposes of this study will to determine (1) how food texture preference, oral processing behaviour and food bolus properties evolve in children during the dental transition period and in comparison to adults (2) how these variables are associated with each other (3) how they are predicted from individual oral physiology (dentition, tongue strength, masticatory performance), food familiarity and parent-reported appetitive traits parameters.
Study design :
Ninety children (n=30 per theoretical stage of mixed dentition (first transitional stage: 6-8 years, inter-transitional stage: 8-10 years, and second transitional stage: 10-12 years)) and 30 adults (25-35 years) will be recruited . Their dentition and oral abilities (tongue strength and masticatory performance) will be characterized. Their oral processing behaviour (duration, number of chews and Oro-sensory exposure time) while consuming different foods (standard pieces of carrot, rice, cheese and biscuit) will be studied using video recordings. Food boluses will then be collected at the time of corresponding to swallowing (swallowing threshold) and characterized for their particles size and number, saliva uptake, and hardness. Texture preferences of all participants, as well as familiarity with the studied foods and the children's appetitive traits will be characterized using questionnaires.
Study population: Healthy children aged 6-8 (n=30), 8-9 (n=30), 10-12 (n=30) years old and 30 adults aged 25-35 years old. Exclusion criteria : dental and orthodontic treatment ongoing
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Cross-sectional
- Number of arms
- 4
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| 6-7 years | – | –Children aged between 6 and 7 years old included |
| 8-9 years | – | –Children aged between 8 and 9 years old included |
| 10-12 years | – | –Children ages between 10 and 12 years old included |
| Adults | – | –Adults (25-35 years old) |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 6 to 12 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child
- Study population
- Healthy children aged 6-8 (n=30), 8-9 (n=30), 10-12 (n=30) years old and 30 adults aged 25-35 years old.
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Being aged between 6 and 12 years old included or between 25 and 35 years old Being consumers of carrot, comté cheese, rice and biscuit
Key exclusion criteria (5 listed)
- No French social security coverage
- Ongoing orthodontic and/or dental treatment
- Oral motor difficulties
- Food allergies
- Diabetes
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
Oral processing duration (seconds)
Time frame: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Oral processing duration (sec) measured with video recording and automated video analysis
Number of chews (chews/gram)
Time frame: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Number of chews measured with video recording and automated video analysis
Oro-sensory exposure time (second/gram)
Time frame: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Oro-sensory exposure time (s/g) measured with video recording and automated video analysis
Saliva uptake (%) in food bolus
Time frame: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Saliva uptake (%) of bolus collected at swallowing, measured from food and bolus mass (g) and dry matter (g)
Bolus hardness (Newton)
Time frame: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Hardness (N) of bolus collected at swallowing obtained from simple compression test with texturometer compression test
Average size of bolus particles (mm)
Time frame: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Size of the particles (mm) measured from a scan of the bolus diluted in glycerol and automated image analysis
Number of particles in the food bolus
Time frame: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Number of bolus particles measured from a scan of the bolus diluted in glycerol and automated image analysis
13 secondary outcomes
Number of Posterior Functional Unit (PFU)
Time frame: Baseline (single timepoint only
Number of teeth
Time frame: Baseline (single timepoint only
Dental transition stage
Time frame: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Tongue strength (kPa)
Time frame: Baseline (single timepoint only
Masticatory performance (index)
Time frame: Baseline (single timepoint only)
BMIz
Time frame: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Food frequency consumption (child report)
Time frame: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Food frequency consumption (parental report)
Time frame: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Food familiarity
Time frame: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Food chewing difficulty
Time frame: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Food texture preferences
Time frame: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Children chewing abilities
Time frame: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Child Eating Behaviour and Appetitive traits
Time frame: Baseline (single timepoint only)
Results and safety
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 5 Jun 2026.
- Background: PubMed 36612993Linas N, Peyron MA, Cousson PY, Decerle N, Hennequin M, Eschevins C, Nicolas E, Collado V. Comprehensive Dental Treatment under General Anesthesia Improves Mastication Capability in Children with Early Childhood Caries-A One-Year Follow-Up Study. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2022 Dec 30;20(1):677. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20010677.
- Background: PubMed 21536184Barrera LM, Buschang PH, Throckmorton GS, Roldan SI. Mixed longitudinal evaluation of masticatory performance in children 6 to 17 years of age. Am J Orthod Dentofacial Orthop. 2011 May;139(5):e427-34. doi: 10.1016/j.ajodo.2009.08.031.
- Background: PubMed 37267128Tournier C, Forde CG. Food oral processing and eating behavior from infancy to childhood: evidence on the role of food texture in the development of healthy eating behavior. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2024 Sep;64(26):9554-9567. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2023.2214227. Epub 2023 Jun 2.
Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part.
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Food Oral Processing and Texture Preference, run by Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement at 1 site in France.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 1 inclusion and 5 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: looking for participants now, as of the sponsor's last update on 5 Jun 2026. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in France. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
This study is still under way. Results are not available in the source record yet.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
Contact Carole Tournier, PhD (0033380693077, carole.tournier@inrae.fr), or a site near the patient. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
Oral processing duration (seconds) (time frame: Baseline (single timepoint only)). The study lists 7 primary outcomes in all. It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
On the ClinicalTrials.gov record for NCT07631195, which also lists 3 linked publications.
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 5 Jun 2026.