Swallowing research group joins $1.9m national project

Flinders University dysphagia experts in the College of Medicine and Public Health will play a key role in a new $1.9 million CRC Project.

The ‘Palatable and functional nutrition and safety for dysphagia patients’ project, led by Trisco Foods Pty Ltd, Flinders University, The University of Queensland and Japara Aged Care Services Pty Ltd, will address current inadequacies in the nutrition, palatability and safety of thickened food for dysphagia patients, through the development and upscaling of a ‘new-to-the-world’ liquid-based viscosity inhibited food and beverage thickening formulation.

Members of the FHMRI Swallowing Research Group Professor Robert Fraser, Mistyka Schar, Associate Professor Phil Dinning, Carly Burgstad, Lara Ferris, Alison Thompson; Dr Charles Cock, Dr Dick Heddle, Professor Taher Omari, Lisa McCall and Associate Professor Sebastian Doeltgen.

Professor Taher Omari, from the Flinders Health and Medical Research Institute (FHMRI) Swallowing Research Group, says the project will utilise the team’s novel diagnostic tool ‘Swallow Gateway‘ to examine the effects of Trisco’s new thicker formulation on swallowing biomechanics.

“The new diagnostic tool has been developed by the FHMRI Swallowing Research Group, a world-leading multidisciplinary focused on diagnosis and treatment of swallowing disorders,” Professor Omari says.

“Modifying viscosity of dietary fluids is a therapeutic intervention used for clinical management of swallowing problems (dysphagia).

“As viscosity increases swallowing safety improves because there is less chance of swallowed fluids entering the airway (aspiration). Reducing aspiration improves hydration, nutrition and chest health. However, the thicker the viscosity, the less palatable it can be for the patient.”

Trisco Foods has developed new thickener formulations which allow the prescribed viscosity of thickened fluids to be lowered without compromising safety.

The project will overcome significant co-morbidities such as dehydration and malnutrition in dysphagia patients, by combining biologically derived ingredients in a patented formulation, which aims to lower the prescribed consistency of thickened foods, while not compromising safety, Professor Omari says.

A production process will be scaled-up allowing first commercial sales to national industry players, who will also participate in the project’s research.

The Australian Government Cooperative Research Centres Projects Round 11 grants are part of a $376 million federal government initiative supporting 176 projects leveraging $853 million in partner contributions since the first round in 2016. CRC-Ps can run for up to three years and must have at least two Australian industry partners, including one small or medium sized business, and one Australian research organisation partner.

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