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Aliments Texturés project is divided in two parts: i) the first part was developed at Universitat Politècnica de València (UPV, Spain), and ii) the second part will be developed at the INRAE and UCA (CROC) centres. The work developed at UPV has been mainly focused on modifying the texture of liquid food matrices. To this end, the texture of three products (Spanish sauce, chicken and vegetables soups and purees) was modified by using several hydrocolloids as modified starch, guar gum, tara gum, sodium carboxymethylcellulose, and chia seed mucilage, at different consistency levels: honey-like and/or pudding-like consistencies. Afterwards, colour, texture, flow, viscoelastic, sensory, and simulated oral processing conditions (combining squeezing flow and shear force tests), as well as digestibility of the texture-modified samples were evaluated. The assays were conducted at 25 °C, 37 °C and/or 55 °C.

The results achieved in these works could provide valuable information for preparing and serving texture-modified samples with appropriate features for people with swallowing difficulties by using common gums or alternative texturing agents such as chia seed mucilage. Nonetheless, further studies on the impact of food matrices disruption produced during mastication on their nutrient bioaccessibility and digestion should be conducted to fully understand the consequences of a good or a deficient mastication on human nutrition. Thus, this part of the study will be developed at INRAE at UCA (CROC) centres.