Micronutrient supplemented dysphagia food: Rheology and β-carotene delivery of 3D printing egg yolk-carboxymethyl cellulose emulsion gels.

The development of dysphagia foods has focused on macronutrient supplementation, with a lack of micronutrient-supplemented dysphagia foods reported. This study developed a low-fat emulsion gel for micronutrient supplementation in dysphagia patients. The results showed that carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) improved the pseudoplasticity and viscosity (from 906.1 to 1253 Pa·s at 0.1 s-1) of egg yolk and CMC emulsion gels (ECEG), allowing easy tongue push and low-speed flow. The excellent shear recovery ability (66.91 %) of the ECEG ensures that its structure is effectively restored after chewing, allowing for efficient delivery of micronutrients. CMC can affect the viscoelastic properties (K7 = 2263.88, K8 = 384.28) and yield stress (189.4 Pa) of ECEGs. ECEG has a favorable 3D printed appearance, flavor, swallowing safety (IDDSI: level 5), β-carotene bioaccessibility (22.01 %) and suitable water distribution (T22 > 95 %). These properties ensure safe and enjoyable consumption for dysphagia patients. At CMC contents of 0.5-0.75 wt%, the ECEG formed emulsion-filled emulsion gels mainly by depletion attraction. Then, the gel network formed by egg yolk and CMC (EYCMC) dominated, and the ECEG transformed into a granular gel. The soft-solid nature of emulsion-filled gels provides better structural recovery and is suitable for encapsulated nutrients and efficient transportation. Our study proposes new solutions for micronutrient supplementation in special populations.