"They never get proper food": Dhaval's dream of making dysphagia diet delicious

That’s why Dhaval Patel is working in the lab to modify the food many of us take for granted. The modified meals he is creating for his Master of Science in Food Innovation may soon help people with swallowing issues by replacing liquid food with a nutritious and enjoyable alternative.

Dhaval is in the initial sensory testing phase of creating a texture-modified chickpea mix, designed for people with dysphagia, a disorder preventing them from swallowing food comfortably or safely. The disorder mostly affects elderly people.

There’re a few causes of dysphagia, including a lack of saliva in the mouth and poor muscle coordination in the throat.