Food and liquid textures play very important roles in the care of people with dysphagia. However, a major source of frustration for those involved with the patient is how to determine, describe, and deliver the proper textures of foods and liquids. The science of food rheology offers the potential to establish standardized food textures using objective measurement techniques. This article covers the basic physical forces of chewing and swallowing, standard food-texture terminology, textures of interest in dysphagia, selection of physical measurement methods and instruments, and techniques to determine the boundaries between the levels of the dysphagia diet.
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