Shear strength

Shear strength is a material’s resistance to shear forces, the stress needed to make one layer slide over another. In foods it describes how firmly gels, meats, and baked goods hold together under cutting or chewing. Instrumental tests of shear strength give objective texture data that help manufacturers match the bite consumers expect. It is a key parameter in meat tenderness and gel quality assessment. It predicts how food feels in the mouth. Texture analysers measure it routinely. It is texture made measurable.