Three-dimensional printing of dysphagia-friendly foods using Pleurotus ostreatus mycelium, xanthan gum, and egg white protein: influence of mycelium concentration.

BACKGROUD: Dysphagia represents a significant public health concern, and there is an increasing demand for the development of food products tailored to the needs of dysphagia patients. Therefore, this study employed Pleurotus ostreatus mycelium (POM), xanthan gum (XG), and egg white protein (EWP) as raw materials to fabricate dietary products suitable for dysphagia patients using three-dimensional (3D) printing technology. The study systematically investigated the impact of varying POM concentrations (130, 150, 170, 190, and 210 g kg-1) on the physicochemical properties, structural characteristics, and textural attributes of 3D-printed food matrices.

RESULTS: The rheological results demonstrated that as the concentration of POM increased, the viscosity and mechanical strength of the samples exhibited a corresponding enhancement. Texture analysis revealed that the sample containing 210 g kg-1 POM exhibited the highest hardness and gumminess. Such textural properties might pose a potential risk to the safe consumption by patients with dysphagia. Microstructural analysis revealed that the 170 g kg-1 POM sample exhibited the most compact internal structure, while morphological observations further demonstrated a continuous printing process with excellent structural integrity. The International Dysphagia Dietary Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) test results indicated that POM samples with concentrations ranging from 150 to 210 g kg-1 comply with the classification criteria for Level 5 dysphagia-friendly foods.

CONCLUSION: When the POM concentration was 170 g kg-1, the sample had good 3D printing performance, suggesting it may be suitable for safe consumption by dysphagia patients, pending clinical validation. © 2025 Society of Chemical Industry.