What directs chewed food down the food tube located in the throat?

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There are three steps to swallowing food effienctly .

1) During the first stage of swallowing, your tongue moves the food around your mouth so that it can be chewed. Chewing helps to break food down into smaller chunks, while mixing it with saliva. Saliva makes the food moist and easier to swallow.

2)Your tongue pushes food or liquid to the back of your mouth. The nervous system triggers the swallowing reflex, activating the muscles that push the food down your throat towards your oesophagus (tube running from the throat to the stomach). During this phase, the larynx (voice box) closes in order to prevent any food or liquid from entering your lungs.3)Food or liquid enters your oesophagus. In a healthy person, muscles quickly move the food or liquid through the oesophagus and into the stomach.