3D-printing of tailormade foods for elderly

Introduction

Approximately 50% of older persons are in the risk zone for malnutrition which may lead to weight loss, frailty, disabilities or even death. For those suffering from chewing and swallowing disorders (dysphagia) the risk is higher. 3D-printing of foods may be a solution and tailormade food may be produced, eg with individualised variations in texture, nutrients and sensory properties. For this purpose 3D-print batter has been developed. A further demand is that the batter should be storable at ambient temperature. The texture could be modified by the addition of thickeners.

Aim

The aim of this study was to compare addition of agar and xanthan in different amounts to print batter for chicken, broccoli and bread patés. 

Methods

Samples: Four chicken, three broccoli and two bread patés were produced with 0,5% xanthan and varied amount agar, 0.5-2.0%. In addition one chicken paté with 1,0% added gelatine and 0,6% cmc was produced. The batter underwent a retort process before sensory descriptive analysis.

Results

Results showed a large impact of the thickeners mainly on the broccoli paté, lesser impact on chicken and none on the bread. Significant differences were found mainly in the texture attributes, eg firmness, but also appearance differed due to the content of agar. The addition of gelatine and cmc resulted in more grainy but less sticky texture. The retort process had a significant impact on appearance and flavour attributes.

Discussion

Varied impact of thickeners due to the different products was expected in line with earlier studies. However, no impact on the bread paté was non-expected. The results may be explained by the use of milled breadcrumbs in the batter. It is clear that batter based on different ingredients will need different thickeners to optimise the texture.