Nutrients
Food Preferences and Acceptability of Molded Pureed Foods in Community-Dwelling Older Adults in Singapore
By Tan VMH, Chiah GTL, Lim IY and 3 others.
Abstract
Background/objectives
Texture-modified diets (TMDs) are prescribed for older adults with chewing or swallowing difficulty, but conventional pureeing dilutes nutrient density and yields visually indistinguishable meals that discourage intake. This study aimed to compare food preferences and sensory priorities by self-reported chewing/swallowing difficulty status and to conduct a preliminary evaluation of the sensory acceptability of molded pureed meal prototypes.
Methods
An interviewer-administered survey of 100 community-dwelling older adults in Singapore characterized chewing and swallowing symptoms, TMD status, sensory-attribute importance, meal satisfaction, and food and snack preferences. In a separate exploratory pilot, 16 older adults without self-reported swallowing difficulty evaluated four enzymatically modified, molded pureed prototypes on a 7-point hedonic scale.