Dysphagia (swallowing impairment) is a common consequence of stroke and degenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Limited research is available on pureed foods, specifically the qualities of commercial products. Because research has linked pureed foods, specifically in-house pureed products, to malnutrition due to inferior sensory and nutritional qualities, commercial purees also need to be investigated. Proprietary research on sensory attributes of commercial foods is available; however direct comparisons of commercial pureed foods have never been reported. Descriptive sensory analysis as well as nutritional and texture analysis of commercially pureed prepared products was performed using a trained descriptive analysis panel. The pureed foods tested included four brands of carrots, of turkey, and two of bread. Each commercial puree was analyzed for fat (Soxhlet), protein (Dumas), carbohydrate (proximate analysis), fiber (total fiber), and sodium content (Quantab titrator strips). The purees were also texturally compared with a line spread test and a back extrusion test. Differences were found in the purees for sensory attributes as well as nutritional and textural properties. Findings suggest that implementation of standards is required to reduce variability between products, specifically regarding the textural components of the products. This would ensure all commercial products available in Canada meet standards established as being considered safe for swallowing.

Body fat measures were as effective as BMI measures in determining sweetness preference. Future research should be conducted to determine whether body fat and measures, such as waist circumference, can be predictive tools for sweetness preference.

Cognitive difficulties make consumer testing with older adults who have dysphagia extremely difficult. Using a healthier older adult population to predict liking scores of this subgroup of older adults could provide a reliable method of determining liking in this population. Forty-five adults older than 65 years who had not been diagnosed with dysphagia participated in a taste test at a local seniors' center. Twelve puree consumers were recruited from five long-term care homes in Ontario. All participants rated three commercial carrot purees and turkey purees for their liking of the appearance and flavor using a 5-point modified Cued Facial Scale. Significant differences between the groups indicate that a healthy group of older adults cannot replicate liking of puree consumers.

Ice cream formulations with varying amounts of added whey protein were created for those living with dysphagia in long‐term care facilities (LTCs) to improve protein and fluid intake. The samples of thickened ice cream included a control (0% whey protein [WP]) and formulations with 6% (6WP), 8% (8WP), 10% (10WP), 12% (12WP) and 14% (14WP) added whey protein by volume. The consistency of the samples was assessed using the International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) Spoon Tilt Test, a sensory trial (n = 102) using hedonic scales and check‐all‐that‐apply (CATA) and another sensory trial (n = 96) using temporal check‐all‐that‐apply (TCATA). The whey protein increased the acceptability of the thickened ice cream except for the 12WP and 14WP formulations. The formulations with higher amounts of whey protein were associated with bitterness, custard/eggy flavor, and mouthcoating. The TCATA identified that the addition of whey protein led to slippery, gritty, and grainy attributes being perceived in the thickened ice cream. The study identified that 10% whey protein by volume can be added to thickened ice cream without impacting its' acceptability and the 6WP, 8WP, and 10WP formulations were liked significantly more than the control (without whey protein).

Chemical irritants, like piperine, have the potential to increase human perception of tastes and odours, including saltiness. This cross-modal interaction could help the food industry develop new salt-reduced food products that maintain their salty taste. The objective of this study was: firstly, to determine the detection threshold of piperine (n = 72), secondly to evaluate piperine’s influence on saltiness perception in model solutions (n = 78), and lastly to identify piperine’s effect on sensory perception of low sodium soup using temporal check-all-that-apply (TCATA; n = 75). The group mean of the individual threshold was 0.55 ± 0.15 ppm. Piperine increased the saltiness perception of the model solutions, but it also increased the bitterness and decreased the sweetness of the solutions. The piperine significantly increased the saltiness intensity of the soups (evaluated using a generalized labelled magnitude), but during the TCATA task, the salty attribute was selected less for the soup with piperine than the control (based on the average proportion of selection). The TCATA indicated that the peppery attribute dominated the participants’ perception of the soup with piperine. More studies are needed to assess piperine’s cross-modal interactions.