Food technologies are being researched to help solve health issues faced by many older adults, such as swallowing problems and dehydration, because currently available options are not always adequate.
Dehydration is one of the main problems facing many older people, as psychological, cognitive and swallowing disorders impair their ability to eat and drink independently. Scientists from Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) have developed a food product that reduces the risk of dehydration and deadly choking, and the product will soon be available to older people.
“The innovative product is a bite-sized food product coated with a membrane that dissolves easily in the mouth but is difficult to crush with fingers,” said Professor Daiva Leskauskaitė from KTU’s Faculty of Chemical Technology.
Image courtesy of KTU.
This product is composed of 95% water and is fortified with vitamins D, C, B9, B12, iron, selenium and zinc to meet the recommended intake of minerals and vitamins for seniors.
Moreover, the product has been technologically developed to ensure a complete supply of nutrients: “The product has a controlled release of trace elements during digestion, with the majority being released in the small intestine, leading to better absorption of nutrients,” Leskauskaitė said.
Although the process of developing and improving food products is still ongoing, the professor from KTU’s Faculty of Food Science and Technology said that many achievements have already been made.
“The composition of biopolymers that make up the food with a high water content was identified, as well as the possibility of adding vitamins and minerals to the product. The stability of these ingredients during the technological process was evaluated and a ball-shaped, bite-sized product was developed,” Leskauskaitė said.
A very important stage of the research is to test the acceptability of the new product among the elderly population in care homes. The results of the study will be used to determine the taste, scent and color of the product.
“At the same time, we will carry out tests to check the release of vitamins and minerals in the small intestine. The results will allow us to evaluate the efficiency of the bioavailability of the added trace elements in the elderly person’s body,” Leskauskaitė added.
For this study, the scientists will use the SHIME (Simulator of Human Gut Microbial Ecosystem) model, which is designed for complex modeling of the physiological, chemical and microbiological properties of the digestive tract. It is one of the university’s most representative in vitro techniques, allowing tests to be performed in a test tube rather than in a living organism.
The final stage of the project is the production of a pilot batch, during which the product packaging will be evaluated and final adjustments made to the technical parameters.
Finger Food for Seniors
Nutritionists and geriatrics experts argue that foods specially formulated to be easily picked up with the fingers and moved from plate to mouth could benefit older adults with cognitive impairment by reducing dehydration and improving nutritional intake.
Currently available products on the market include a variety of thick, texture-modified beverages that can be used to reduce dehydration and the risk of fatal choking and aspiration pneumonia in older adults.
Although this is an appropriate treatment strategy to reduce the risk of choking in patients with dysphagia, many studies have shown that the use of thickened liquids alone does not have a significant effect on increasing hydration, and their texture is not acceptable to all patients.
“There are no specific nutritional supplements for people with swallowing disorders in Lithuania, so there is a particular need for new products that are more advanced in terms of both usefulness and appeal,” Leskauskaitė said.
