This project aims to develop an easy-to-use, high-nutrition, high-energy food for geriatric patients with swallowing disorders by using 3D printing technology.
By implementing the project it is expected to achieve a complex effect: (a) optimizing the nutritional composition and energy value of solid foods for geriatric patients to develop two different nutrient-enriched food ink compositions for use in geriatric nutrition; (b) to evaluate the physical and microbiological stability and in vitro digestibility of foods produced by this innovative technology by determining the efficacy of nutrient release at different sites in the gastrointestinal tract; and finally (c) to evaluate the acceptability and convenience of these products for geriatric patients.
During the project the rheological, viscoelastic and structural properties of the developed nutritional compositions will be investigated by optimizing the nutritional and energic value. The effect of 3D printing parameters (print speed, temperature, strip diameter and distance between the print tip and the printing base) as well as the geometric properties of the print object (height, diameter, degree of filling, complexity) on the attractiveness, ease of swallowing and convenience of the final product will also be investigated.
Project funding:
KTU Research and Innovation Fund
Project results:
According to the texture class of the solid foods, two different food ink formulations for the elderlies with swallowing disorders were formulated. Optimizing the energy and nutritional value of food ink, one of the compositions was designed to improve the immune system and the other to prevent sarcopenia. The created food ink was enriched with fibers, vitamins (C, B9, B12, E, A, D) and minerals (Fe, Zn, Se) as well as curcumin or amino acids.
Both formulations were suitable for printing, and the printed products kept their shape and were stable not only during printing but also during product storage. According to the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative, the printed products were classified as “soft, bite-sized products”. The acceptability of printed products in elderly geriatric clinic patients was evaluated. These innovative products were rated as comfortable to take, easy to swallow and very pleasant to taste.
Period of project implementation: 2022-04-01 - 2022-12-31
Project partners: Lithuanian University of Health Sciences
