Polysaccharide emulsion gels for dysphagia-friendly surimi-based diets: development and application

Currently, dysphagia-friendly foods enriched with hydrophilic polysaccharide colloids are gaining attention, which are valued by dysphagia or senile subpopulation for their appropriate texture, resemblance to regular food, and high nutritional density. In this study, multi-polysaccharides emulsion gels were prepared and evaluated for developing dysphagia-friendly food. The findings revealed that emulsion gels with 2 % polysaccharide and 1-8 % sunflower oil had a visual appeal with hardness of 1000-3000 N/m², adhesion of less than 50 g·s, cohesion of 60-90 % and water retention of more than 90 %, which met level 4 criteria in the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) framework, whether in the fresh or freeze-thaw group. Less oil led to the instability of the gel, while excessive oil increased the cross-linking degree of the gel, causing it to adhere to the mouth. In addition, the emulsified oil droplets were dispersed throughout the polysaccharide network by hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions, acting as a filler, which leads to the formation of a denser gel network and a reduction in water fluidity. These effects jointly led to the maintenance of freeze-thaw stability of the gel, with its thawing loss and cooking loss reduced by up to 65.91 % and 39.76 % respectively. Moreover, surimi-based diets prepared with emulsion gels (with 1-4 % sunflower oil) complied within the IDDSI levels 4-5, which would be supplied as dysphagia-friendly food. These findings would provide individuals with dysphagia a broader range of dietary options.