Ease of swallowing potato paste in people with dysphagia: effect of potato variety

In this study, we compared the texture of four varieties of potato paste (potato, sweet potato, taro and yam) with 80% moisture content to clarify the most suitable potato varieties for use by the elderly and persons with dysphagia. Taro paste was found to have greater softness and less stickiness, approximating those of commercially available care foods, and better cohesiveness in the oral cavity compared to the other potato varieties. The results suggested that taro starch is gelatinized slowly when the whole potato was heated, without breakdown of starch granules, contains water-soluble proteins of higher thermal stability than other potato varieties, and had less mucilage loss as a result of heating. Thus, it is concluded that taro paste can be used as a meal ingredient, serving both as a source of nutrition and as a dietary supplement that assists swallowing.