Hydrocolloid and processing effects on the textural and rheological properties of dysphagia friendly carrot purées

This study developed enriched hydrocolloid carrot purées intended to meet IDDSI Level 4 requirements and examined their texture, rheology and post heating stability. The work progressed from the previously developed C50/2.5 formulation, which was included with a commercial carrot purée for comparison. Twenty formulations were screened using the fork drip and spoon tilt tests, and five that passed both were taken forward for instrumental assessment. GX (2.5% xanthan gum + 2.0% guar gum) had the lowest hardness (2,000 N/m2) and adhesiveness (850 J/m3) among the selected formulations. Although GX and the commercial sample met the spoon tilt criterion immediately after microwave heating and at 10 min, both failed from 20 min as spoon residue increased, while apparent viscosity continued to rise during the holding period. The findings show that initial IDDSI Level 4 compliance may not be maintained during post heating holding, supporting the combined use of IDDSI and instrumental tests to assess changes in the texture of texture modified foods over time.