Textural Characterization of Pureed Cakes Prepared for the Therapeutic Treatment of Dysphagic Patients

Abstract

Dysphagia is a difficulty in eating and swallowing of solid and/or liquid foods in elderly patients. Texture characterization of therapeutic diets for dysphagia patients has not been studied extensively. In this study, five different pureed therapeutic cakes (apple, orange, vanilla, carrot, and chocolate), previously proved efficient in the treatment of dysphagic patients, were evaluated for firmness, cohesiveness, adhesiveness, and springiness using textural profile analysis. The therapeutic cakes were tested at two serving temperatures: 12°C and 23°C. Results of sensorial tests confirmed that clinical efficiency and texture firmness of the therapeutic cakes ranged from 0.741 to 2.52 N for cakes at 12°C and from 0.608 to 2.58 N for cakes at 23°C. Similarly, cohesiveness ranged from 0.391 to 0.561 at 12°C and 0.479 to 0.568 at 23°C, adhesiveness from –0.219 to –0.436 N at 12°C and – 0.201 to –0.424 N at 23°C and finally springiness ranged from 46 to 70% at 12°C and 24 to 61% at 23°C. Non-therapeutic cakes averaged 2.77 N for firmness, 0.553 for cohesiveness, –0.385 N for adhesiveness, and 55% for springiness.

Keywords:

• Dysphagia
• Texture profile analysis
• Firmness
• Adhesiveness
• Cohesiveness
• Springiness