Industry experts are exploring how texture-modified and transitional foods can make elderly nutrition not only safer, but also more appealing and dignified.
This requires the focus on elderly nutrition to evolve from “keeping people alive” to “helping them live well”.
Empathy a key ingredient for research and innovation
In the Design Thinking approach, product development considers not only functionality, but also consumers’ lifestyles, emotions and practical needs.
Researchers studying empathy-driven innovation noted that companies often skip the “empathy” stage of product development due to time, resource and cognitive biases, assuming they already understand consumer needs.
In the elderly nutrition sector, having empathy requires a mindset change where seniors with dysphagia deserve to age with dignity, said Dr Verena Tan, Associate Professor and Programme Leader for Dietetics and Nutrition at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT).
Dr Tan leads the DIGNIFIED programme, which aims to develop foods that dysphagic seniors can enjoy safely.
For seniors with dysphagia, frozen treats like ice cream – an easy-to-eat sweet treat even for young children – can pose a safety risk.
Normal ice creams and gelatos melt almost immediately into a pool of liquid in the mouth. Dysphagic individuals may struggle to handle the sudden influx of liquid because they have lost the ability to swallow normally, which can lead to choking or liquids entering the lungs and causing pneumonia.
“That’s why we made a sorbet that doesn’t melt so quickly into a thin liquid and is suitable for people with swallowing problems. People with stroke, Parkinson’s or dementia may lose the ability to cough out food or water that has gone down the wrong way. Liquid can remain in the lungs and lead to pneumonia, which is why many patients are admitted to hospitals,” said Dr Tan.
She added that the project was partly driven by a desire to allow seniors to continue enjoying familiar treats such as ice cream safely as they age. However, commercialisation remains challenging due to limited industry interest, as ice cream brands tend to focus on younger consumers while healthcare institutions face cost and storage constraints. Dr Tan noted that the product is currently intended more as a proof of concept, as the market may not yet be ready for wider adoption.
Global market readiness for dysphagia-friendly foods
In the US, dysphagia-friendly foods span moulded purées, ready meals and transitional foods supplied through both institutional and direct-to-consumer channels. Companies such as Blossom Foods, Hormel Health Labs and Savorease offer products aligned with IDDSI standards, including shaped purées and meltable snacks designed for safer swallowing.
Europe has similarly developed a stronger retail and home-delivery ecosystem. UK firms such as Wiltshire Farm Foods and Oakhouse Foods provide texture-modified ready meals and desserts structured around IDDSI Levels 4 to 6, while suppliers like Bidfood and apetito cater primarily to hospitals and care homes.
In Asia, Japan remains the region’s most mature dysphagia food market, where swallowing-friendly foods and Universal Design Foods are integrated into mainstream retail and foodservice culture. Outside Japan, however, commercial availability across much of Asia remains relatively limited and focused mainly on thickening powders rather than sophisticated ready-meal solutions.
What are texture-modified and transitional foods?
Texture-modified foods are foods altered to make them easier and safer to chew or swallow for people with dysphagia. They may be puréed, minced, softened or thickened according to frameworks such as IDDSI.
Transitional foods are foods that appear solid but dissolve quickly in the mouth with minimal moisture, tongue pressure or chewing. They are designed to provide more familiar textures while reducing choking risks.
These foods are increasingly positioned as safer and more appealing options for elderly individuals and patients with swallowing difficulties.
Lack of empathy stems from lack of research
In the elderly nutrition sector, limited research on how to tailor food for individuals with swallowing difficulties has also contributed to low awareness and understanding of their needs.
“Today, the literature on the impacts of texture-modified food, developed by food scientists, on food swallowing, remains scarce,” wrote researchers in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.
In Italy, researchers found that some dysphagia-oriented products contained high sodium levels. In the US, one study suggested transitional foods improved swallowing efficiency among dysphagic adults, while another identified wide variability in how different products dissolved during testing.
Meanwhile, a Singapore survey found significant uncertainty among speech-language therapists regarding which transitional foods were most appropriate and how best to use them in clinical settings. Researchers cited concerns over swallowing safety, inconsistent definitions, limited training and institutional constraints.
Beyond ensuring food safety, a dose of empathy is much needed to drive research, awareness, and eventually wider commercial adoption to support not only the elderly, but also their caregivers.
“The sad thing is the elderly who suffer from dysphagia eat to live, they no longer live to eat,” said Parry Zhang Quan, Senior Manager for Operations Development, Senior Day Care at NTUC Health Co-Operative Ltd.
“We need to push for normalisation of texture-modified foods so that the elderly can age at home and still enjoy these comforts of life.”
Zhang was speaking as a panellist at a discussion on supporting healthy ageing at FHA 2026, held at the Singapore Expol. He added that in markets like Singapore where the food scene is diverse, there is both a need and untapped business opportunities to create appropriate texture-modified foods.
“When we deal with older adults, we tend to forget that they had a life before they were old. They have preferences as well as likes and dislikes. We need to remove the stigmatisation and focus on the customer experience and friendliness of the products,” said Zhang.
