ABSTRACT
The Ottawa Texture Measuring System (OTMS), as a general-purpose texture testing instrument, has its origins in the development of the Ottawa Pea Tenderometer (OPT). Thus, this chapter describes the development of a device for a specific product leading to a general purpose instrument, which can be assembled using various options to test a wide range of specific products. The overall outcome is a system that is suitable for both research and quality control applications. The OTMS has been applied in a diversity of texture measuring situations and is used both in quality control and research. Development of the OTMS and OPT texture measuring systems has resulted in the commercial production and acceptance of these devices. The OTMS has found its way into research labs in several countries, where it continues to play an important role in the ongoing study of food texture.
