Thickener Makes Beverages Easier to Swallow

Beverages are easy enough to swallow-that is, unless you are a dysphagia patient. Dysphagia is a condition in which swallowing is made difficult due to various medical conditions. A new thickener ingredient from Ingredion Inc. (Westchester, IL) makes swallowing beverages-as well as other foods-easier for these patients.

The Uni-Pure Dys-sperse thickener can be used in a range of foods and especially in hot, cold, and low- and neutral-pH drinks. It costs less per dose than most gum-based thickeners and enables a smaller serving size compared to starch-based thickeners, the company says. This can cut packaging, storage, and shipping costs.

Uni-Pure Dys-sperse maintains the flavor, smell, and appearance of the original food or beverage. It is said to provide a smooth texture and a neutral taste and aroma to thickened beverages. In taste panels, the ingredient “minimize[d] the textural drawbacks of traditional thickeners,” the company says. It quotes Therese Dufresne, a registered dietitian and “key dysphagia thought leader: “[Uni-Pure Dys-sperse] has a more desirable mouthfeel than pulpy starch-based thickeners and slimy gum-based thickeners.”

From a formulation standpoint, the thickener disperses easily and rapidly thickens, reaching targeted viscosity in approximately two minutes. Moreover, the viscosity levels stays consistent over time. The company says its texture and flavor is closest to unthickened apple juice.