The texture factor: food product development for discrete populations including orally compromised elderly consumers and children with Down syndrome

Abstract

SummaryIn the development of food products with optimized nutritional and sensory properties, the emphasis is often placed more on the nutrient content of the food rather than the texture of the food. The objective of this short opinion piece is to argue that texture should be considered an integral property of a personalized food based, as illustrated using two case studies. The first case study profiles older adults, a broad group who often experience an unwanted decrease in food texture variety in their diets, with associated negative health outcomes. The second case study examines children with Down syndrome who confront the task of expanding their food texture repertoire to allow for a healthy eating future but face challenges in texture handling due to delays in oral processing development. Following an overview of the texture challenges facing each of these groups, the importance of extending research to partner with food industry to develop food products with desired texture properties and appropriate food structure is presented.

Food-Oral Processing: Current Progress, Future Directions, and Challenges

“…Food texture and mouthfeel directly impact oral health as teeth are used to chew and digest food. By studying food processing in the oral cavity, it is possible to understand the degree of tooth wear and decay caused by different foods and thus provide advice on food selection and oral hygiene protection . In addition, food–oral processing research can also help dentists and oral hygiene professionals design foods that are easier to chew and digest to meet the dietary needs of patients with limited dental function.…”

“…These early oral activities help form proper swallowing patterns, promote normal alveolar bone and jaw growth, and lay the foundation for subsequent dental and speech development. For example, Tournier and Forde studied the oral processing of food and eating behaviors from infancy through childhood and found evidence for the role of food texture in developing healthy eating behaviors …”

“…For example, Tournier and Forde studied the oral processing of food and eating behaviors from infancy through childhood and found evidence for the role of food texture in developing healthy eating behaviors. 40 Food−oral processing plays a pivotal role in health and nutrition. One common application involves adjusting formulations to cater to specific nutritional needs or health objectives.…”

Regenerative Food Innovation: The Role of Agro-Food Chain By-Products and Plant Origin Food to Obtain High-Value-Added Foods

“…This relates to consumer perceptions of novel or different foods, as previously discussed in the article from Crawford, Low and Newman [23], and whilst that may have had a focus on perceptions of children to different food products, consumer perceptions of foods tend to be formed relatively early in our development. Ross [26] cleverly illustrated the significance of food structure in consumption behaviour when examining the impact of variations in food texture on the perceived ability of individuals to masticate and, hence, enjoy foods. In this work, Ross [26] delved into the importance of adjusting food textures to suit the physiological requirements of consumers using swallowing-compromised cohorts and relating this to the ability to consume.…”

“…Ross [26] cleverly illustrated the significance of food structure in consumption behaviour when examining the impact of variations in food texture on the perceived ability of individuals to masticate and, hence, enjoy foods. In this work, Ross [26] delved into the importance of adjusting food textures to suit the physiological requirements of consumers using swallowing-compromised cohorts and relating this to the ability to consume. The work, although based on select cohorts, has ramifications across all consumer appreciation of foods (with regard to texture, mouthfeel and enjoyment) and should be considered when evaluating barriers to the consumption of valorised food by-products in the food industry.…”