Which of the following is NOT a tactile attribute evaluated in texture profile analysis?

The correct answer is indeed spiciness, as it is not considered a tactile attribute in texture profile analysis. Texture profile analysis focuses on the physical properties of food as experienced through touch and manipulation. Attributes like hardness, crispness, and chewiness describe how a food item feels in the mouth or when handled.

Hardness assesses how resistant a product is to deformation, crispness relates to the sound and texture of breaking or crunching, and chewiness involves the effort required to chew the food effectively. In contrast, spiciness is a flavor attribute related to taste and the pungent sensation experienced in the mouth, which does not pertain to the physical texture or tactile properties of the food. Therefore, spiciness distinctly falls outside the scope of tactile evaluations in texture profile analysis.