Abstract
Effect of typical commercial thickening agents used in the pureed food on swallowing characteristics were evaluated. Two groups of commercial thickening agents for swallowing disorders were used ; one was modified food starch group and the other was guar gum group. Popular liquid foods added with the commercial thickening agents were used for samples, which were adjusted to similar hardness to the plane yoghurt. The swallowing characteristics were evaluated using by the Ranking by means of the Friedman test and the Scheffé's paired comparisons. The following results were obtained.
1) The liquid foods added with thickening agents of modified food starch were flavorous, thin, easy to swallow, remaining little and desirable overall judgement, compared with those added with thickening agents of guar gum. It was suggested that swallowing characteristics of thickening agents of modified food starch were superior to those of thickening agents of guar gum.
2) The swallowing characteristics largely depended on flavor by the ranking method. And the swallowing characteristics were related to the thickness and the remaining in the mouth by the Scheffé's paired comparisons.
3) It was suggested that the obtained results by the Ranking were similar to the results by the Scheffé's paired comparisons.
