PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a masticatory ability measurement apparatus capable of highly precisely and simply measuring the masticatory ability.SOLUTION: This masticatory ability measurement apparatus has a washing device 2 for washing a bit piece of foods for measuring the masticatory ability in water after the mastication, a stirring device 5 for stirring the bit piece washed with water, in water within a given temperature range for a given time, an optical sensor 4 for optically measuring the concentration of pigment eluted into water from the bit piece after the stirring, and a control device 9 for deriving a masticatory ability evaluation value from the measured pigment concentration according to a previously prepared relationship between the pigment concentrations and the masticatory ability evaluation values.COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT【課題】高い精度で且つ簡便に咀嚼能力を測定することが出来る咀嚼能力測定装置を提供する。【解決手段】本発明に係る咀嚼能力測定装置は、咀嚼後の咀嚼能力測定用食品の咬断片を一定時間だけ水洗する洗浄装置2と、水洗後の咬断片を一定温度範囲の水中で一定時間だけ攪拌する攪拌装置5と、攪拌後の咬断片から水中へ溶出した色素の濃度を光学的に測定する光学センサ4と、予め用意された色素濃度と咀嚼能力評価値との関係に従って、前記測定された色素濃度から咀嚼能力評価値を導出する制御装置9とを有している。【選択図】図1
