Comparisons of thickened beverages using line spread measurements

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Clinical Nutrition
• Swallowing Disorders

Background:

• Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) necessitates thickened liquids for safe oral intake.
• Current methods for assessing liquid thickness lack standardization and clinical applicability.
• Objective, reproducible measurements are crucial for preparing thickened beverages.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the reproducibility of the line spread test for thickened beverages.
• To determine if line spread measurements can differentiate between National Dysphagia Diet (NDD) nectar- and honey-like consistencies.
• To compare line spread test results with viscometry measurements.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving two common thickeners and three different beverages.
• Preparation of thickened beverages replicated to assess product/beverage consistency.
• Line spread test (measuring liquid flow distance) and viscometry (measuring viscosity in centipoise) were performed.
• Statistical analysis using ANOVA to compare measurements.

Main Results:

• Line spread measurements demonstrated high repeatability, confirmed by standard deviations and confidence intervals.
• Significant interaction effects indicated that line spread measurements could differentiate between products mixed with different beverages.
• A statistically significant correlation was found between line spread distance and viscosity measurements across various product/beverage combinations.

Conclusions:

• The line spread test is a reproducible method for assessing thickened beverage consistency.
• Line spread measurements can effectively distinguish between nectar- and honey-like thickness levels.
• The line spread test provides comparable information to viscometry, suggesting its utility in clinical settings for dysphagia management.