Food makers are racing to engineer how snacks feel in the mouth

How a food feels now sells it as much as how it tastes. The proof is on shelves: an iced espresso whipped with air at Starbucks, a protein bar with the snap of a wafer, a gummy made to stay chewy straight from the freezer.

Ask people how something tastes and they answer with feel: fizzy, creamy, crisp. Searches for chewy, gooey and melt-in-the-mouth foods are rising fast, and layered textures make a snack seem more indulgent and hold attention while people scroll.

Keeping the feel is now an engineering job. One ingredient maker has a potato-starch coating that keeps fries crisp for 30 minutes and is working on 45, plus additives that keep reduced-sugar yogurt creamy.

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