The sensory properties relating to the feel of a surface or product, or the impression created by a surface structure or the general physical appearance of a surface. Texture is a major factor affecting the mouthfeel and quality of a food — the crunch of an apple, the creaminess of yoghurt, the chew of bread — and often decides consumer acceptance as decisively as flavour. It arises from food structure at every scale: molecular interactions, cell architecture, and macroscopic form. Food scientists measure texture instrumentally (hardness, crispness, viscosity) and by sensory panels, then engineer it through formulation, processing, and storage control.