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

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: 12C and 23C. 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 12C and from 0.608 to 2.58 N for cakes at 23C. Similarly, cohesiveness ranged from 0.391 to 0.561 at 12C and 0.479 to 0.568 at 23C, adhesiveness from -0.219 to -0.436 N at 12C and - 0.201 to -0.424 N at 23C and finally springiness ranged from 46 to 70% at 12C and 24 to 61% at 23C. Non-therapeutic cakes averaged 2.77 N for firmness, 0.553 for cohesiveness, -0.385 N for adhesiveness, and 55% for springiness.