Thickener composition for dysphagia patients

Abstract

The invention relates to thickening compositions for thickening nutritional products to make the nutritional product suitable for consumption by dysphagia patients, said thickening composition comprising starch, xanthan gum and/or methylcellulose and galactomannan and/or glucomannan.

1 - 11 . (canceled) 
   
   
       12 . A nutritional composition suitable for dysphagia patients comprising: (a) starch, (b) xanthan gum, methylcellulose, or both, and (c) galactomannan, glucomannan, or both. 
   
   
       13 . The nutritional composition according to  claim 12  further comprising maltodextrin. 
   
   
       14 . The nutritional composition according to  claim 12  wherein the composition is in the form of a powder. 
   
   
       15 . The nutritional composition according to  claim 12  wherein the galactomannan and/or glucomannan is guar gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, fenugreek gum, cassia gum or konjac mannan. 
   
   
       16 . The nutritional composition according to  claim 12 , wherein the composition is not compressed by more than 20% when treated saliva compared to the untreated composition as measured using a using a TA.XT.Plus Texture Analyser. 
   
   
       17 . A composition for thickening a nutritional product comprising, based on the total dry weight of the product, the following ingredients: (a) 20-90 wt. % starch; (b) 0.1-10 wt. % xanthan gum, methylcellulose, or both; (c) 0.4-30 wt. % galactomannan, glucomannan, or both; and (d) 0-50 wt. % maltodextrin. 
   
   
       18 . The composition according to  claim 17  wherein the weight ratio of ingredients (b):(c) is in the range of 1:4 to 1:10. 
   
   
       19 . The composition according to  claim 17  wherein ingredients (a)-(d) comprise more than 80 wt. % of the dry weight of the composition. 
   
   
       20 . The composition according to  claims 17  wherein the composition is in the form of a powder. 
   
   
       21 . The composition according to  claim 17  wherein the galactomannan and/or glucomannan is guar gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, fenugreek gum, cassia gum or konjac mannan. 
   
   
       22 . A nutritional product comprising protein, fat and a thickening composition comprising, based on the total dry weight of the product, the following ingredients: (a) 20-90 wt. % starch; (b) 0.1-10 wt. % xanthan gum, methylcellulose, or both; (c) 0.4-30 wt. % galactomannan, glucomannan, or both; and (d) 0-50 wt. % maltodextrin, wherein the nutritional product has an energy density between 1.3-2 kcal/ml. 
   
   
       23 . The nutritional product according to  claim 22  wherein the weight ratio of ingredients (b):(c) is in the range of 1:4 to 1:10. 
   
   
       24 . The nutritional product according to  claim 22  wherein the galactomannan and/or glucomannan is guar gum, locust bean gum, tara gum, fenugreek gum, cassia gum or konjac mannan. 
   
   
       25 . A method for preparing a thickened nutritional product comprising: (a) preparing a thickener composition comprising, based on the total dry weight of the product, the following ingredients: (i) 20-90 wt. % starch; (ii) 0.1-10 wt. % xanthan gum, methylcellulose, or both; (iii) 0.4-30 wt. % galactomannan, glucomannan, or both; and (iv) 0-50 wt. % maltodextrin;
 (b) mixing the thickener composition with a food product.   
   
   
       26 . The method according to  claim 25  further comprising (c) freezing the product of (b).