Abstract
Dysphagia is a dysfunction of the swallowing system and thickened beverages are widely prescribed as a treatment. The objective of this study was to determine the sensory characteristics of pre-thickened water products and determine sensory drivers of liking for those types of products. Pre-thickened water products (two starch-based and two gum-based) were tested in both nectar and honey thick versions. Based on product availability, one product was neutral water, and the others were water with lemon flavoring added. The sensory characteristics of the products were evaluated with a highly trained descriptive panel, and the viscosity of the products was evaluated with both the Bostwick consistometer and the line spread test. Previously published consumer data was used to determine preference maps with the descriptive data. All lemon-flavored products had similar flavor characteristics, except the Thick & Easy Clear that had a less lemon-related flavor than the others. After excluding the lemon-related flavor characteristics, all pre-thickened products had similar “base flavor” notes, no matter whether the products were starch-based or gum-based. This contrasts with literature, which reports differences in flavor of thickened beverages prepared using thickening agents. The thickness of the products varied between nectar and honey thickness, but also varied among products that were stated to be at the same level of thickness. External preference mapping showed that both lemon-related flavor and a thinner beverage texture are potential drivers of consumers acceptance of the product, which was expected based on other studies. In conclusion, pre-thickened beverages are good alternatives for self-mixed thickening agents but a standard for thickness should be agreed on and used by manufacturers.
Highlights
Dysphagia is a dysfunction of the swallowing process which is a prevalent symptom in degenerative diseases such as stroke, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease [1]
Dysphagia can result in less-threatening conditions such as discomfort and psychological effects or more severe conditions and illnesses such as choking, aspiration, aspiration pneumonia, dehydration, malnutrition, and even death [4]
All panelists had completed over 120 h of descriptive sensory analysis training and had more than 1000 h of sensory testing experience which included a variety of beverages
Summary
Dysphagia is a dysfunction of the swallowing process which is a prevalent symptom in degenerative diseases such as stroke, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease [1]. It is estimated that 8% of the world’s population (—100 million people) has difficulty drinking beverages such as water and eating regular foods due to dysphagia (impaired swallowing) [2]. Due to the difficulty of swallowing, it is challenging to ensure the patients have adequate nutritional intake and hydration from food and beverages [1]. Beverages generally are thickened to serve the purpose of reducing the flow speed to match the patients’ capability for swallowing [6]. They are widely prescribed for patients with dysphagia as the main source of hydration [7]
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