Abstract
Background: Barium sulfate jelly (Ba gel) is commonly used on test foods for videofluoroscopic swallowing studies (VFSS). Since Ba has pulmonary toxicity, non-ionic contrast agents (NICAs) are used in VFSS for patients with suspicion of dysphagia. However, the food scientific properties of NICA-based gels have not yet been examined. Methods: Ba gels and NICA gels were prepared using three kinds of commercial gelling agents at different densities: carrageenan, pectin, and xanthan gum (XG) -locust bean gum (LBG) mixtures. We estimated the dysphagia diet classification of each gel based on analyses of their texture properties. Results: The NICA gels and Ba gels prepared with the carrageenan gelling agent were classified under the dysphagia diet codes 0j, 1j, and 3, and 0j, 2, and 3, respectively, in accordance with the density of the gelling agents. The NICA gels prepared with pectin gelling agents were classified as 0j, 1j, 2, whereas the pectin-based Ba gels were coded 0j or 1j because of minimal changes to the hardness. With the XG-LBG agents, the cohesiveness of both the NICA and Ba gels was reduced along with an increase of the hardness in proportion to the increasing density of the gelling agents, resulting in dysphagia diet codes 1j, 2, and 3. Conclusion: NICA gels could be prepared for VFSS test foods. The texture properties of Ba gels are difficult to control using pectin gelling agents, whereas the textures of NICA gels are adjustable using all three gelling agents. In the preparation of test foods for VFSS in accordance with the dysphagic diet code, the gelling agents and contrast agents should be chosen with regards to the purpose of the study.
