Proposal of development of finger foods for older adults with motoric eating difficulties: a study based on creative design

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate finger food components as part of a complete meal for older adults with major motoric eating difficulties. Overall, the evaluation of sensory characteristics as well as texture analysis forms a valuable basis for further development of a meal that can be eaten without cutlery, comprising flatbread, beef rolls and brown sauce. The nutritionally enriched flatbreads were generally perceived as neutral in odour and flavour, while higher concentrations of protein and fat influenced the texture negatively. Although bread was not commonly eaten with a meal, the consumer evaluation stressed the importance of texture of flatbreads intended for wrapping. Differences between meat cuts were not pronounced; however, beef rolls made from inner thigh were perceived as more tender and crumblier than beef rolls made from outer thigh. Moreover, the odour and flavour intensity were thought to be higher in beef rolls braised in rolls due to the caramelised surface. However, tenderness was considered the most important parameter for beef rolls whereas crumbliness and dryness in tender meat can be compensated for by serving the meat with sauce. In fact, sauce was found to play an important role in a well-accepted meal. The addition of sweet, sour, or bitter tastes to brown sauces, to investigate the effect of basic tastes, reduced the perceived intensity of the original flavour profile of the brown sauces. Finally, combinations of the developed meal components could be investigated further to create attractive finger food meals for those unable to eat with knife and fork.