Vitafoods Europe 2019: DuPont overcomes swallowing difficulties with hydrocolloids portfolio

09 May 2019 --- DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences is putting forward its hydrocolloid portfolio as a key solution to providing appropriate nutrition to those suffering from dysphagia – the medical term for swallowing difficulties. Leonardo Rubio Anselmi, Strategic Marketing Manager at DuPont, tells NutritionInsight at Vitafoods Europe that the company sees particularly strong potential for xanthan gum and gellan gum, in the creation of products that are easier to swallow.

The company has been been working on this program for the last 2-3 years. Research-wise, however, work in the role for hydrocolloids in tackling dysphagia has been ongoing for a much longer period. One global DuPont customer is already using this solution in products for dysphagia sufferers. The use of the hydrocolloids is optimized to the needs of the individual. “For example, if you have a really swollen throat, you will need a more gellified solution, but the ingredients themselves are the same as standard gellan gum or xanthan gum,” he notes.

“Dysphagia or swallowing difficulties can have a huge impact on nutritional aspects, leading to malnutrition, but also creating social problems because people can start isolating themselves, leading to depression,” Rubio Anselmi explains.

DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences highlighted innovative solutions to help the food, beverage and dietary supplement industries add health benefits to their products and satisfy evolving consumer demand.“We have an aging population, and thus a higher incidence of such illnesses. In the US, about 40 percent of those in senior homes have issues with dysphagia. Since this issue is very prevalent in Japan, there have been a lot of studies conducted in this area, looking into what causes it and what the best ways are to tackle it,” he notes. 

Research shows that the senior population faces a multitude of unaddressed nutritional issues that impact health and quality of life and is slighted by the industry, from an NPD point of view. Innova Market Insights data has shown a CAGR decrease in new product launches (food and beverages and supplements) targeting the aging consumer between 2013 and 2017 of approximately  10 percent.

However, the industry is progressively responding to this unexplored marketing demographic, especially through the use of protein, collagen and bone health solutions. 

Age-related conditions, such as a reduction of taste, smell and overall appetite, as well as limited mobility, can prevent seniors from achieving an adequate nutrient intake. Adding to this are swallowing disorders, which can lead to food consumption challenges among seniors. 

Some older adults often do not consume enough proteins, with their nutritional intake lacking in vitamins B and C, minerals, such as zinc and selenium as well as unsaturated fatty acids. Malnutrition and unintentional weight loss contribute to a progressive decline in health, reduced physical and cognitive functions, such as weakened sight and sense of taste and increased mortality.

“There is a lot of knowledge of dysphagia available, but this issue still has not been tackled. There are many specialized, medical nutrition products, but there are also those suffering from dysphagia at home with no access to such solutions,” Rubio Anselmi says.

This is where DuPont’s line of hydrocolloids could prove particularly beneficial. 

Leonardo Rubio Anselmi, Strategic Marketing Manager at DuPont“What occurs in those who experience dysphagia is that the throat blocks the path of food that they eat, which leads to people choking. The solution to dysphagia comprises different stages – one is jellifying the product so it is edible, the next is that once it is in the mouth it breaks easily. Then, you must apply this to food that people would normally eat – juice, ice cream or soup – without modifying their taste or appearance much,” he says.

Speaking about the ingredients that may work in this context, Rubio Anselmi notes that together with gellan gum, xanthan gum holds promise because it provides rapid mixing and jellifying capabilities and also is easy to swallow. 

“Apart from that, it helps to have a uniformed product throughout shelf-life and consumption. If we use, for instance, a traditional ingredient like starch – it is a product that will start to lose the jellification at a later stage. This is not what you want when you are having pain while eating. Also, it is an ingredient that takes much longer to dissolve because it starts to clump,” he says, adding that targeted formats include juices, soups, ice creams, flans and other desserts.

“We have worked with universities, particularly in Denmark, to see how people may work with this and to see whether they will be more open to it. We have even done some experiments with the 3D printing of food that is quite interesting, as it may solve a lot of retirement homes,” says Rubio Anselmi.

“Dysphagia is not an illness, it is a symptom of something else; it could be throat cancer, a heart attack or simply be a symptom of aging. Rather than having an active ingredient for dysphagia is that you need something for people to swallow so they can get the active ingredient as the bottom line,” he concludes.

A video interview with Leonardo Rubio Anselmi can be found here.

Vitafoods Europe focus
Also at the show, DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences, a business unit of DowDuPont Specialty Products Division, highlighted innovative solutions to help the food, beverage and dietary supplement industries add health benefits to their products and satisfy evolving consumer demand.

A key focus is the company’s HOWARU probiotics, which are scientifically proven to help keep the digestive system running smoothly and to support the body’s immune responses. 

HOWARU Protect, a range of patented probiotics, add documented health benefits to food and dietary supplement products to maintain natural immune defenses for targeted populations and lifestyle situations. 

By Lucy Gunn & Robin Wyers