Written by Mahshid Farahani (HWA), Lauren Robinson (HWA) and Brenda Mossel (Trisco Foods).

Our team have partnered with the bright minds at Trisco Foods and Flinders University to research different ways to improve outcomes for dysphagia patients.

Dysphagia refers to a difficulty in swallowing, which can be caused by various medical problems. It can occur at any age but is more common in older adults. Around 15-30% of people over 65 living in the community suffer from dysphagia, with that figure rising to over 50% of older Aussies living in nursing homes.[1] As well as this, stroke survivors are also susceptible to developing dysphagia.[2] There are over 1 million people in Australia today who are living with dysphagia – a huge number that highlights the importance of further research into this condition.[3]

Recently, scientists at Trisco Foods, Flinders University and Hawkins Watts Australia co-authored several peer-reviewed papers and presentations.[4] In this short blog article, we’ll summarise some of our key findings so far, including the significant evidence that a ‘one size fits all’ approach to modifying dietary fluid texture may not be the optimal approach for dysphagia management.

We are partners in a Cooperative Research Centres Project (CRCP) alongside Trisco Foods and Flinders University. Together, we are working to further our understanding of how best to improve the quality of life of people suffering from dysphagia through textural adjustments to food and drink.

Trisco Foods and Flinders University have access to medical professionals, rheological experts, medical research facilities and have the experience of working in the medical field.

Trisco Foods asked us to come on board as grant partners due to our extensive knowledge of hydrocolloids and texture, which are critical to the work they are conducting into optimising texture modification for dysphagia management. We provide the texture expertise and the world-class ingredients to turn the brilliant medical research from our grant partners into a reality.

Dysphagia results in the inability to eat or drink normally, or even to take medication. As such, it can result in weight loss, dehydration and malnutrition since people can struggle with eating and drinking. It can also result in social isolation, depression and dangerous situations such as choking. Currently, there are some medical devices and some pharmaceutical treatments for dysphagia. Rehabilitation is possible, but unfortunately not for everyone – people with MS or dementia, for example, will not have the ability to improve. As such, finding ways to improve experiences for people living with dysphagia is of great importance. Currently, a key management avenue is thickened fluids – since this allows for safer swallowing.

Trisco Foods and Flinders University are working with a diagnostic tool called ‘Swallow Gateway’ – which measures how ‘normal’ an individual’s swallow is, or where, and how, the swallow is dysfunctional. This helps to identify which modified textures work best for dysphagia patients. Historically, there has been a ‘one size fits all’ approach to dysphagia management using fluid thickness modification, however, this grant is helping to highlight that to optimise outcomes for dysphagia patients, a ‘test and treat’ model has significant advantages over this standard approach. The research conducted within this grant highlights that there are different phenotypes (ie types of swallowing dysfunction) in dysphagia, and that different phenotypes require a different management approach. These findings demonstrate that a ‘one size fits all’ approach is not going to provide the best possible outcome to dysphagia patients, and a more nuanced approach is necessary.

With this new information in mind, Trisco Foods and Flinders University have partnered with the Australian Robotics for Manufacturing Hub to work with a bespoke artificial throat and have also worked closely with 57 patients suffering from dysphagia. Importantly, they found that the rheological properties of thickened fluids significantly impacted swallowing function. The exact effects varied depending on the phenotype of dysphagia the patient was suffering from. So far, they have identified 3 separate treatment models for dysphagia based on these subtypes.

To quote lead scientist from Trisco Foods, Brenda Mossel:

“We are moving from a ‘one size fits all’ model to a test and treat model...We are on an education journey with physicians and clinicians. This is a paradigm shift in how we manage dysphagia using texture modified foods and fluids.”

At Hawkins Watts, our Technical Team have been working on synergistic hydrocolloid systems that take the findings from Trisco and Flinders University and bring them into real food products. By leveraging the interactions between carefully selected hydrocolloid profiles we have been able to engineer rheological profiles that not only optimise measurable textural parameters such as viscosity, yield stress and cohesiveness, but also enhance perceived freshness and palatability.

Trisco Foods are currently preparing a presentation for the upcoming European Society for Swallowing Disorders conference which will be held in Greece in October. This will allow them to broaden the reach of their research, and it would be an excellent conference to attend if you are able. Meanwhile, our Technical Team are working with the experts from the Flinders University Rheology team to better understand the behaviour of complex hydrocolloid matrices. We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work on such an important project, and it is a pleasure to work alongside the brilliant scientists at Trisco Foods and Flinders University.

Trisco Foods and Flinders University are very happy to share the details of their research with the Australian scientific community and have generously offered to provide full research papers to anyone who is interested. Please reach out directly to Trisco Foods to request this information: salessupport@triscofoods.com

At Hawkins Watts we have a wide range of texture ingredients available and a team with decades of hydrocolloid expertise ready to assist. Our team of highly qualified food technologists can work together with you to find the best solutions for your product – whether that’s working with you in our laboratory to find the perfect fit, or even creating a bespoke hydrocolloid blend to suit your needs.

Please reach out to our expert, Mahshid Farahani, if you have any queries.

[1] Government of Western Australia, ‘Dysphagia: A difficult diagnosis to swallow’, 2021: Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital - Dysphagia. A difficult diagnosis to swallow!

[2] Ibid.

[3] Speech Pathology Australia, ‘Swallowing Awareness Day’, 2025: Swallowing Awareness Day

[4] Effect of Thickened Fluids on Swallowing Function in Oropharyngeal Dysphagia: Impact of Shear Rheology and Disorder Subtype, in the Neurogastroenterology & Motility Journal and The Impact of Bolus Rheology on Physiological Swallowing Parameters Derived by Pharyngeal High-Resolution Manometry Impedance in the Neurogastroenterology & Motility Journal.

• RACGP - Adult onset dysphagia
• Precise
• Dysphagia (difficulty swallowing) - symptoms, causes and treatment | healthdirect
• Sir Charles Gairdner Hospital - Dysphagia. A difficult diagnosis to swallow!
• Swallowing Awareness Day
• Dysphagia - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic