One‐bite‐sized 3D printed finger foods, oriented to malnutrition, sarcopenia and frailty prevention in the older people

• Published in: Journal of the science of food and agriculture 2024-08, Vol.104 (10), p.6289-6297
• Main Authors: Kurapkienė, Aušrinė, Vinauskienė, Rimantė, Jasutienė, Ina, Damulevičienė, Gytė, Knašienė, Jurgita, Lesauskaitė, Vita, Sulmont‐Rossé, Claire, Eisinaitė, Viktorija, Leskauskaitė, Daiva
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 3D printing; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Amino acids; Chain branching; Chemical composition; Chocolate; Chocolate - analysis; Citrus - chemistry; Deglutition Disorders - diet therapy; Deglutition Disorders - prevention & control; Dental materials; Dentures; Dysphagia; Female; finger food; Fingers; Flavors; Food; Food and Nutrition; Foods, Specialized; Frailty; Frailty - prevention & control; Humans; Isoleucine; Leucine; Life Sciences; Male; Malnutrition; Malnutrition - prevention & control; Middle Aged; Mixtures; Older people; Physical properties; Prevention; Printing, Three-Dimensional; Prostheses; Sarcopenia; Sarcopenia - prevention & control; Selenium; Sensory evaluation; Three dimensional printing; Tofu; Valine
• ISSN: 0022-5142; 1097-0010
• DOI: 10.1002/jsfa.13463

BACKGROUND In this study, innovative chocolate, citrus and mixture flavoured tofu‐based nutritionally customised, dysphagia‐oriented, comfortably consumed, appetising, one‐bite‐sized finger foods, oriented to malnutrition, sarcopenia and frailty prevention in older people were created by using 3D printing technology. Developed products were characterised by evaluating chemical composition and physical properties and performing sensory evaluation among geriatric clinic residents (≥60 years). RESULTS The dietary composition of the developed foods was: 19–21 g (100 g)−1 protein, 6–8 g (100 g)−1 fibre, 8–9 g (100 g)−1 fat, 11 mg (100 g)−1 iron, 14 mg (100 g)−1 zinc, 70 μg (100 g)−1 selenium. Foods were also enriched with branched‐chain amino acids, such as leucine, isoleucine and valine. All formulated foods were classified as level 6 by International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative classification. Chocolate‐flavoured food was much harder (4914 g) with lower adhesiveness value (−33.6 g s), compared to the citrus‐ or mixture‐flavoured foods. Older people evaluated all finger foods as very easy handled by hand, soft, easy to swallow, having a moderate flavour intensity and a weak afterfeel. Despite the fact that the chocolate food was evaluated as having the highest hardness and gumminess values by the instrumental method, this difference was not noticeable to the evaluators. However 7% of the participants said that 3D printed foods were sticky to dentures. CONCLUSION The results suggest that it is possible to create nutrient‐dense comfortably consumed 3D printed foods, oriented to malnutrition, sarcopenia and frailty prevention in older people. © 2024 Society of Chemical Industry.