Abstract
We assessed textural properties and performed sensory evaluation of four kinds of meal forms of meat (layered meat, minced meat, minced meat enveloped with thickening agent, and meat jelly), which were generally served in elderly care facilities, to study the ease of eating and favorability for the elderly. The minced meat was shown to be “easy to scatter” in comparison with layered meat, but significant differences were not found in “hardness,” “ease of swallowing,” and “feelings of residual food.” These results suggest that minced meat, which is frequently served, is not always the easiest form to eat as compared with the other forms. Meat jelly was evaluated as “difficult to scatter,” “easy to swallow,” and “little feeling of remaining” compared with the other samples, but was evaluated as most undesirable in preference appraisal. In addition, minced meat enveloped with thickening agent, which is harder than meat jelly, was preferred in the elderly. Thus, these results show that favorability and ease of eating do not always coincide. For the elderly, it is desirable to offer a meal of a hardness suitable for the person, depending on one's eating preferences and deglutition function.
