Texture-modified meat and carrot products for elderly people with dysphagia: preference in relation to health and oral status

Background: Reduced taste and smell, chewing problems and swallowing dysfunction are common amongelderly people and affect perception, food choice and the ability to eat.Objective: To study the preference for texture-modified carrot and meat products in elderly people aiming tomeet the needs of people with impaired chewing and/or swallowing.Design: Data were collected using questionnaires focusing on health, oral status and preference for theproducts. Altogether, 108 elderly people in ordinary housing (OH) and 50 living in special housing (SH) inMalmo¨ (SH-M) and Go¨teborg (SH-G) participated.Results: 19% had a body mass index ≤22, predominantly in SH (24%). Stroke was reported by 20% of thesubjects in SH. Among those with subjectively experienced difficulties in swallowing (12%), 58% reportedcoughing, 21% a gurgly voice in association with food intake and 50% obstruction during swallowing. Only20% with subjective swallowing difficulties had been specifically examined regarding this problem. All thetested products were easy to masticate and swallow. Compared with OH, people in SH-M found the meatproducts easier to masticate and swallow. Compared with OH, subjects in SH found the carrot products easierto masticateConclusions: There is a need to develop tasty texture-modified nutritious food products for people withmastication and/or swallowing problems. Possible factors for differences in preference between groups, in thisstudy OH and SH, may be related to health status in general and specifically mastication and swallowingfunctions.