Mucoadhesive, mechanical and rheological properties of prototype soft-solid foods designed for dysphagia management, and an insight into the rheology of thickened beverages

The first three activities of the PhD thesis project are described. I) the market analysis of dysphagia-oriented foods currently sold on the Italian market is introduced. II) the techno-functional properties of selected ingredients and the first design of plant-based purees obtained through viscosity modulators are presented. The purees were characterized for their rheological behavior, texture analysis and mucoadhesion on porcine oral tissues. III) research conducted during the mandatory semester abroad on liquid formulations for dysphagia management is also reported.