People who have seen Erotic Salad often ask why the actors are usually eating something. Especially during the dialogue shots. The answer is simple, if unusual.
The fact is that very little dialogue had been finalized during the early part of the shooting. By having the actors eating something while delivering their lines, the dialogue could be written and dubbed in post production. The fruits and vegetables disguised the movement of their lips, making the dubbing much easier.
Also, there was not always a sound camera available for rental on the day we were shooting (a "sound" camera is just a normal camera that is enclosed in a heavy casing to silence the noise of the camera motor - sound can then be recorded simultaneously on a separate tape recorder).
If a scene requires no dialogue, it is shot MOS (a term coined by an early German film director, which means literally "Mit Out Sound" - it is still often used in Hollywood today).
People who have seen Erotic Salad often ask why the actors are usually eating something. Especially during the dialogue shots. The answer is simple, if unusual.