The slip extrusion test: A novel method to characterise bolus properties

Area of Science:

• Food science and rheology
• Swallowing biomechanics
• Biomaterials analysis

Background:

• Mastication prepares food into a bolus for safe swallowing.
• The Swallow Safe model identifies deformability, slippiness, and cohesiveness as key bolus properties.
• Quantifying these properties is challenging due to limitations in current bolus analysis instruments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce and evaluate the slip extrusion test (SET) for objective bolus swallowability measurement.
• To assess the SET's ability to quantify bolus resistance to deformation and slip.
• To demonstrate the SET's utility in characterizing food models and in vivo boluses.

Main Methods:

• The slip extrusion test (SET) measures the force required to extrude a bolus through a bag under simulated swallowing conditions.
• The SET was validated using three food model systems: viscous solutions, gels, and particulate systems.
• The test was also applied to in vivo peanut boluses to assess its practical application.

Main Results:

• SET measurements of deformation and slip resistance showed strong correlations with viscosity and hardness of tested food models (r values up to 0.98).
• The test successfully characterized different food systems and in vivo peanut boluses.
• Deformation and slip resistance provided objective, quantitative measures of bolus properties.

Conclusions:

• The SET offers a versatile method to evaluate swallowability across a wide range of food types and processing stages.
• Quantitative measurements from the SET can enhance the Swallow Safe model by establishing numerical criteria for safe swallowability.
• The SET has significant potential for developing foods tailored for individuals with dysphagia.