Oral comfort: A new concept to assess the acceptance of food by elderly people suffering from oral health problems

Mathilde Descamps (1, 2) , Claire Sulmont-Rossé (1, 2) , Chantal Septier (1, 2) , Gilles Feron (1, 2) , Hélène Labouré (1, 2, 3)

1 CSGA - Centre des Sciences du Goût et de l'Alimentation [Dijon]
2 UBFC - Université Bourgogne Franche-Comté [COMUE]
3 AgroSup Dijon - Institut National Supérieur des Sciences Agronomiques, de l'Alimentation et de l'Environnement

The cumulative effects of physiological aging, diseases and drugs often impair food oral processing (mastication, salivation and swallowing), which is the most important point where foods organoleptic properties can be perceived and elicit sensory pleasure. The aim of the present study was to explore the concept of “oral comfort” when eating a food in the elderly. Firstly, three focus groups were conducted with elderly people to develop concepts linked to oral comfort when eating. Results of the focus groups, which included brainstorming (What is oral comfort for you?) and food tasting, led to the following definition: “A comfortable food is easy to chew, to humidify with saliva and to swallow. Eating it does not cause face or mouth pain. The food is neither too fat nor dry but has a firm texture, is not too hard and is rather melty. Its taste is well dosed out, not too tasteless or too strong.” Secondly, a questionnaire was designed from verbatims collected during the focus groups, including items on oral comfort and pain, on easiness to chew, to moisten and to swallow as well as on texture and flavor properties. Then, around 40 participants over 65 years old, with or without chewing and/or salivary difficulties, completed this questionnaire for various food textures within three categories (dairy, meat and bread products). Results showed that the questionnaire allows discriminating food matrices. For instance, plain beef steak was perceived as less comfortable than ground steak, easier to chew. However, plain and ground steaks were perceived as less comfortable than beef cheek which was easier to moisten. The faith is to use the questionnaire for developing products which will meet the oral capacities of elderly people while preserving eating pleasure, a major challenge within the context of an aging population.

Domaines: Alimentation et Nutrition

Mathilde Descamps, Claire Sulmont-Rossé, Chantal Septier, Gilles Feron, Hélène Labouré. Oral comfort: A new concept to assess the acceptance of food by elderly people suffering from oral health problems. 7. european conference on sensory and consumer research (eurosense), Sep 2016, Dijon, France. 19 p. ⟨hal-01581534⟩