Pectin gel composition

Abstract

To provide a jelly beverage for hydration for people with chewing and swallowing difficulties that has superior properties to conventional products in terms of cohesiveness, adhesion in the oral cavity, and adhesion in the pharynx. [Solution] By adding 1.0 to 1.5% by mass of low-methoxyl pectin relative to the total amount of the jelly drink and 3.2 to 4.1% by mass of free calcium ions relative to the low-methoxyl pectin, it is possible to provide a jelly drink that has excellent properties in terms of adhesion in the oral cavity and adhesion in the pharynx.

Description

[[TECHNICAL FIELD]]

[0001] The present invention relates to a jelly beverage for hydration for people with dysphagia such as the elderly and people requiring nursing care. [[BACKGROUND ART]]

[0002] People with dysphagia such as the elderly and people requiring nursing care have declined functions of chewing and swallowing food, and when they eat, they have a high risk of developing pneumonia and other diseases caused by the so-called "aspiration", where food enters the lungs and other parts.

[0003] Examples of foods that are difficult to swallow include foods that easily fall apart such as water and rice crackers, and sticky foods such as freshly pounded rice cake (Kumagai et al., 2011). The former can cause choking by accidentally entering the airway, while the latter can cause obstruction in the throat. Conversely, examples of foods that are easy to swallow (suitable as nursing care food) include foods that "easily clump together (easily form a bolus)" and "are not sticky" in the oral cavity. "Ease of clumping together" is also referred to as "cohesiveness", and "ease of sticking" is also referred to as "adhesiveness". In the present specification, "ease of clumping together", "clumpability", and "cohesiveness" are used synonymously.

[0004] Oral swallowing refers to a series of actions from recognizing food to delivering it into the stomach via the mouth. Since this series of actions can be considered divided into five stages, it is called the "five stages of eating and swallowing". Specifically, they are: (1) the preparatory stage, in which food is recognized visually; (2) the preparatory stage, in which food is taken into the mouth and chewed; (3) the oral stage, in which the tongue and cheeks are used to send food from the back of the mouth to the throat; (4) the pharyngeal stage, in which food is sent to the esophagus according to a command from the swallowing center in the brain; and (5) the esophageal stage, in which food is sent into the stomach (Yamamura et al., 2013).

[0005] Accordingly, "adhesiveness" is further broadly classified into "adhesiveness in the oral cavity" and "adhesiveness in the pharynx". In the present specification, "adhesiveness in the oral cavity" may be simply referred to as "residual feeling". In addition, "adhesiveness in the pharynx" may be simply referred to as "coating feeling".

[0006] From the above perspective, there is a lot of effort being made to develop care foods that are less likely to cause aspiration in the elderly and others. Kewpie Corporation sells the "Janef Gentle on the Stomach Hydration Jelly Drink" series as a jelly drink for hydration for the elderly and those requiring care who have difficulty swallowing. This product contains 79.4 to 84.1g of water per 100g, with 2.0 to 2.1g of oligosaccharides and 4.2 to 4.8g of dietary fiber added. It is designed to be safe for people with weak swallowing ability and is less prone to water separation. This product has little syneresis and excellent cohesiveness (cohesiveness) in the oral cavity and when swallowed. In addition, this product contains apple fruit in the apple flavor, peach fruit in the peach flavor, and grape fruit in the grape flavor, so it can be used not only for hydration but also for taking in various nutrients and enjoying the taste. On the other hand, this product had a problem in terms of "adhesion in the oral cavity" (residual feeling; the feeling of remaining in the oral cavity and sticking after swallowing).

[0007] Similarly, Foodcare Co., Ltd.'s "Neo High Tromil (registered trademark) III (Three)" is a thickening agent that can thicken various beverages and foods, such as protein-rich foods (milk and liquid foods), acidic foods (100% fruit juice, etc.), and sports drinks, with only a small amount. It is said to have low stickiness, excellent cohesiveness (cohesion), and does not impair the smell or taste of the food being thickened. The main ingredients of this product are dextrin and thickening polysaccharides. The guideline for thickness is approximately 0.5 to 2 g per 100 mL of beverage, and the amount should be adjusted as needed. When using 1 g of "Neo High Tromil III (Three)" per 100 mL of water to achieve "intermediate thickness," there was a problem with its high "adhesion in the mouth."

[0008] Furthermore, Nutri Co., Ltd.'s "Rakuraku Gokkun Jelly" series contains 142-143g of water per 150g, with 1.0g-6.4g of oligosaccharides and 0.9g-4.2g of dietary fiber added, making it suitable for hydration at the bedside or for people who have difficulty drinking fluids. This product is particularly known for its low "adhesion in the mouth" and provides a refreshing drinking experience. On the other hand, in terms of cohesiveness (cohesiveness), this product is inferior to the "Janef Gentle on the Stomach Hydration Jelly Drink" series and "Neo Hightromil III (Three)".

[0009] On the other hand, Japanese Patent Publication No. 6453547 describes "a hydration jelly beverage for people with chewing and swallowing difficulties, characterized by containing low-methoxyl pectin with an esterification degree of 25-38, having a content of 0.9-1.2% by mass, and a free calcium ion content of 2.8-3.1% by mass relative to the low-methoxyl pectin, wherein the entire mixture re-aggregates uniformly even after crushing and does not undergo syneresis." While beverages produced using this technology are excellent in that they have little syneresis, no beverage was obtained that met all the criteria for cohesiveness, residue, and film-forming properties.

[0010] In the process of investigating the viscoelasticity of compositions using various gelling agents such as agar, gelatin, carrageenan, and pectin, the inventors accidentally discovered that a composition (corresponding to Formulation Example 19 of this application) having a high concentration of pectin (1.5% by mass) and free calcium (4.0% by mass), which is not possible in conventional hydration jelly drinks for people with chewing and swallowing difficulties, exhibits properties intermediate between sol and gel, with a curvature b of -0.21 and a loss tangent tanδ of 0.16, and is suitable for hydration jelly drinks for people with chewing and swallowing difficulties. Therefore, the inventors systematically tested the viscoelasticity and functional properties of compositions containing high concentrations of pectin and free calcium, and completed the present invention. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0011] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6453547 [Non-patent literature]

[0012] [Non-Patent Document 1] Hitoshi Kumagai, Atsuko Tanigome (Hasegawa), Akiko Tashiro, Hitomi Kumagai, Physical properties of care food that is less likely to cause aspiration in the elderly, Chemistry and Biology, 2011, Vol. 49, No. 9, pp. 610-619. [Non-Patent Document 2] Yamamura, Kensuke, Fundamentals of Eating and Swallowing, Chemistry and Biology, 2013, Vol. 51, No. 5, pp. 302-309. [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0013] The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a jelly beverage for hydration for people with chewing and swallowing difficulties that has superior properties to conventional products in terms of cohesiveness, adhesion in the oral cavity, and adhesion in the pharynx. [Means for solving the problem]

[0014] The present invention is a jelly beverage for hydration in individuals with difficulty chewing and swallowing, and its most important feature is that it possesses excellent properties in terms of cohesiveness, adhesion in the oral cavity, and adhesion in the pharynx.

[0015] The present invention has the following configuration. [Aspect 1] A hydration jelly drink for people with chewing and swallowing difficulties, containing low methoxyl pectin with an esterification degree of 25-38 and free calcium ions, with a low methoxyl pectin content of 1.0-1.5% by mass and a free calcium ion content of 3.2-4.1% by mass relative to the low methoxyl pectin. [Aspect 2] A hydration jelly beverage for persons with chewing and swallowing difficulties according to Embodiment 1, wherein the low-methoxyl pectin content is 1.0 to 1.2% by mass, and the free calcium ion content is 3.6 to 3.8% by mass relative to the low-methoxyl pectin. [Aspect 3] The hydrating jelly beverage for persons having difficulty chewing and swallowing according to Aspect 1 or 2, wherein the content of low-methoxyl pectin is less than 1.2% by mass. [Aspect 4] The hydrating jelly beverage for persons having difficulty chewing and swallowing according to any one of Aspects 1 to 4, wherein a curvature b in viscoelasticity measurement is -0.26 to -0.18, and a loss tangent tanδ is 0.1 to 0.25. Effects of the Invention

[0016] The hydrating jelly beverage for persons having difficulty chewing and swallowing according to the present invention contains 1.0 to 1.5% by mass of low-methoxyl pectin relative to the total amount of the jelly beverage, and 3.2 to 4.1% by mass of free calcium ions relative to the low-methoxyl pectin. Accordingly, the jelly beverage has excellent properties in all of cohesiveness, adhesiveness in the oral cavity, and adhesiveness in the pharynx, which cannot be achieved by conventional jellies for persons having difficulty chewing and swallowing or thickening agents. Therefore, the jelly beverage is very easy to swallow for persons having difficulty chewing and swallowing. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0017] [Figure 1] Figure 1 shows the relationship between curvature b and loss tangent tanδ for the pectin gel compositions of Formulation Examples 1 to 20 obtained in Test Example 1. The numbers in the figure mean the numbers of the formulation examples. Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0018] [Definition]

[0019] "Pectin": As used herein, the term "pectin" refers to a group of polysaccharides consisting of polygalacturonic acid in which D-galacturonic acid residues are linked via α-1,4 bonds, wherein a portion of the carboxyl groups are methyl-esterified at various ratios. The degree of methyl esterification varies depending on the origin of pectin, and in many cases, there are pectins in which 50% of the carboxyl groups are esterified. Some pectins also have a small amount of acetyl groups other than at C6 in the sugar residues. Pectin is more or less universally present between cells of higher plants. Gels derived from pectin are used in confectionery, jams, as a substitute for agar and gelatin in culture media, in pharmaceuticals, paper sizing, clarifying agents for beverages, and the like.

[0020] "Low-methoxyl pectin": Pectin is mainly composed of galacturonic acid and methylated galacturonic acid, and the proportion occupied by methylated galacturonic acid is expressed as the degree of esterification. Those having a proportion of methylated galacturonic acid of 50% or more are called high-methoxyl pectin, and those having a proportion of less than 50% are called low-methoxyl pectin. Low-methoxyl pectin does not gel when used alone, but gels through reaction with calcium. Generally, as the degree of esterification of low-methoxyl pectin decreases, reactivity with calcium tends to increase. In the pectin gel composition constituting the jelly beverage of the present invention (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as "pectin gel composition"), the degree of esterification of the low-methoxyl pectin is 1 or more and less than 50%, preferably 25 to 38%, more preferably 31 to 38%. When the degree of esterification of the low-methoxyl pectin is lower than the above range, the resulting jelly becomes close to an agar-like jelly, which cannot re-aggregate into a uniform state after disintegration. The low-methoxyl pectin is not limited by origin, for example, it may be apple-derived or citrus-derived, and is also not limited by the degree of amidation.

[0021] In a pectin gel composition, the content of low-methoxyl pectin is 1.0 to 1.5% by mass relative to the total amount of the pectin gel composition. If the content of low-methoxyl pectin exceeds 1.5% by mass relative to the total amount of the pectin gel composition, the viscosity of the gel becomes too high, making it difficult to handle. Therefore, preferably, in a pectin gel composition, the content of low-methoxyl pectin is 1.0 to 1.4% by mass, and more preferably 1.0 to 1.3% by mass, relative to the total amount of the pectin gel composition. Furthermore, if the content of low-methoxyl pectin exceeds 1.2% by mass relative to the total amount of the pectin gel composition, the viscosity of the gel becomes too high, making it time-consuming to fill into storage containers such as retort pouches, and thus unsuitable for commercial-scale production. Therefore, more preferably, in a pectin gel composition, the content of low-methoxyl pectin is 1.0 to 1.2% by mass, and even more preferably 1.0% by mass or more and less than 1.2% by mass, for example, 1.01 to 1.19% by mass, relative to the total amount of the pectin gel composition.

[0022] "pH": In order to maintain the shelf life of pectin, the pH of the pectin gel composition is preferably in the range of 2.5 to 6.5, more preferably pH 3.0 to 6.0, and even more preferably pH 3.5 to 5.5, for example, pH 3.7 to 4.8, or pH 3.7 to 4.1.

[0023] "Calcium salt": In pectin gel compositions, any calcium salt that can be used in food and beverages can be used. Examples include calcium lactate, calcium chloride, and calcium citrate. Substances that release divalent metal ions can also be used instead of calcium salts. An example is magnesium sulfate.

[0024] In the pectin gel composition, the content of free calcium ions relative to low-methoxyl pectin is 3.2 to 4.1% by mass, more preferably 3.3 to 4.0% by mass, 3.4 to 4.0% by mass, even more preferably 3.5 to 4.0% by mass, 3.5 to 3.9% by mass, and even more preferably 3.6 to 3.8% by mass.

[0025] <Other ingredients> The pectin gel composition may also contain other ingredients besides those mentioned above, such as thickening polysaccharides, phosphates, citrates, chelating agents, acidulants, flavorings, colorings, fruit juices, plant extracts, functional ingredients, etc. Examples of thickening polysaccharides used in pectin gel compositions include xanthan gum, guar gum, tamarind gum, tara gum, and locust bean gum. For pectin to dissolve in the presence of calcium salts and form a uniform jelly, it is preferable to include buffering phosphates and / or citrates. The amount of phosphates and / or citrates added is 0.01 to 5.0% by mass, preferably 0.1 to 4.0% by mass, relative to the total amount of the pectin gel composition.

[0026] "Sol": In this specification, "sol" refers to a fluid colloidal dispersion system with a liquid as the dispersion medium (continuous phase). When the dispersion phase is solid, it is called a suspension, and when it is liquid, it is called an emulsion. In a narrow sense, a sol refers to a fluid dispersion system with a solid as the dispersion phase and a liquid as the dispersion medium, but emulsions and suspensions are also sometimes called sols.

[0027] "Gel": Like sols, gels are colloidal dispersions where the dispersed phase is solid and the dispersion medium is liquid. However, unlike sols, they do not flow under their own weight and maintain their shape. However, both sols and gels are intermediate states between simple fluids (Newtonian fluids) like water and oil and perfectly elastic bodies (solids that follow Hooke's law), and the boundary between them is not always clear. Gels range from those that are very close to sols to those that are very close to solids.

[0028] "Loss Tangent": In dynamic viscoelasticity measurements, if the real part of the complex modulus is G' and the imaginary part is G'', then tanδ = G'' / G' is called the loss tangent. A small tanδ indicates solid-like viscoelasticity, while a large tanδ indicates liquid-like viscoelasticity.

[0029] In dynamic viscoelasticity measurements, the pectin gel composition has a curvature b of -0.26 to -0.18 and a loss tangent tanδ of 0.1 to 0.25, preferably a curvature b of -0.26 to -0.22 and a loss tangent tanδ of 0.15 to 0.25. [Examples]

[0030] The present invention will be described in more detail below with reference to examples of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto.

[0031] (Test Example 1: Dynamic Viscoelasticity Measurement of Pectin Gel Composition) [Sample preparation] 1. Formulation of pectin gel compositions for Formulation Examples 1 to 20 The proportions for each formulation example were as follows, relative to 100% of the total volume: free calcium ions and low methoxyl pectin (Unitech Foods Co., Ltd., degree of esterification 31-38) in the proportions listed in Table 1, 0.27% by mass of citric acid (Iwata Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., product name: Citric Acid (Anhydrous) Preparation Citric Acid CI), 0.12% by mass of sodium citrate (Shizuoka Salt Industry Co., Ltd., product name: Purified Sodium Citrate), 0.04% by mass of potassium chloride (Ako Chemical Co., Ltd., product name: Super Cali), 9.4% by mass of liquid sugar (Nippon Shokuhin Kako Co., Ltd., product name: Fuji Fract), 0.06% by mass of salt (Naruto Salt Industry Co., Ltd., product name: Salt), and the remainder being water. The proportion of free calcium ions is the proportion relative to low methoxyl pectin and was calculated from the amount of calcium lactate (Fuso Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., product name: Calcium Lactate) added.

[0032] 2. Method for producing a pectin gel composition The pectin gel compositions of Formulation Examples 1 to 20 were prepared according to the following procedure and used as samples.

[0033] <Method for producing pectin gel composition> (1) Put 250g of hot water (approximately 90°C) into a 500mL beaker. (2) The 500 mL beaker from (1) was placed in a Three One Motor (Tokyo Rikakikai Co., Ltd., model number: ZZ-1000), and while stirring at approximately 1000 rpm, low-methoxyl pectin, potassium chloride, and sodium chloride were added, and then stirred for 5 minutes. (3) Add citric acid and sodium citrate dissolved in 10g of hot water to (2) and stir for 1 minute. (4) Add calcium lactate dissolved in 20g of hot water and stir for 1 minute. (5) Add liquid sugar to (4) and stir for 1 minute. (6) Adjust the weight to 300g using hot water (approximately 90°C) and stir. (7)(6) was filled into containers, and the containers were sterilized by heating them in a water bath at 90°C for 30 minutes, and then cooled to 10°C with cooling water.

[0034] [Evaluation Method] 1. Measurement of physical properties using a dynamic viscoelasticity measuring device Using a viscoelasticity measuring device (Anton Paar, product name: MCR302), the storage modulus G' and loss modulus G'' of the pectin gel compositions of formulations 1 to 20 were measured under the following test conditions, and the loss tangent tanδ, which is the ratio (G'' / G') of the storage modulus (G') to the loss modulus (G''), was calculated. <Test Conditions> • Jig: PP50 • Temperature control cell: P-PTD200 / 62 ·Temperature: 20℃ • Measurement position: 1mm gap Interval 1: Shear rate 1000 [1 / s], 1 minute • Interval 2: Distortion 1%, Frequency 1Hz, 5 minutes

[0035] 2. Regression equation For the pectin gel compositions of formulation examples 1 to 20, graphs were created with time [s] on the X-axis and the loss tangent tanδ on the Y-axis, and the following regression equations were obtained. b represents the curvature (magnitude of the curve) of the graph, and b < 0.

number

[0036] 3. Relationship between curvature b and loss tangent tanδ For the pectin gel compositions of formulation examples 1 to 20, the values ​​of X were plotted as curvature b and the value of Y as the loss tangent tanδ after 300 seconds, and graphs were created (see Figure 1).

[0037] Table 1 also shows the curvature b and the loss tangent tanδ values ​​at 300 seconds for the pectin gel compositions of formulation examples 1 to 20. Note that "Free calcium [mass%]" in the table refers to the content of free calcium ions relative to low-methoxyl pectin.

[0038] [Table 1]

[0039] [result] As shown in Figure 1 and Table 1, the pectin gel compositions of Formulation Example 2, Formulation Example 3, Formulation Examples 5 to 16, and Formulation Examples 18 to 20 had curvature b in the range of -0.3 to -0.18 and loss tangent tanδ in the range of 0.1 to 0.3, resulting in pectin gel compositions that appear to have properties intermediate between sols and gels.

[0040] (Test Example 2: Evaluation test of cohesiveness and adhesion of pectin gel composition) [sample] 1. Pectin gel compositions of Formulation Examples 1 to 20 Pectin gel compositions of formulation examples 1 to 20, prepared using the same method as in test example 1, were used as samples. 2. Commercially available standard products In evaluating the cohesiveness and adhesion of the pectin gel composition, commercially available products were used as the standard. For the evaluation criteria of "cohesion (solidity)," we used Kewpie Corporation's "Janef Gentle on the Stomach Hydration Jelly Drink," which has excellent cohesion properties. For the evaluation criteria of "adhesion in the oral cavity (residual feeling)," Nutri Co., Ltd.'s "Rakuraku Gokkun Jelly," which has excellent oral cavity adhesion, was used. For the evaluation criteria of "adhesion (film-like feeling) in the pharynx," Foodcare Co., Ltd.'s "Neo-Hytromil III (Three)," which has excellent adhesion in the pharynx, was used. To achieve a "medium viscosity," 1 g of "Neo-Hytromil III (Three)" was added to 100 mL of water, stirred, and prepared as a sample.

[0041] [Evaluation Method] 1. Sensory evaluation Ten trained panelists with sensory discrimination abilities consumed each prescription example or commercially available standard product and performed the actions in the order of A to B below. They then evaluated "cohesion (aggregate)," "adhesion in the oral cavity (residual feeling)," and "adhesion in the pharynx (coating feeling)" using the evaluation criteria shown below. Action A: Gently and slowly crush the tongue between the tongue and the palate three times (for 3 seconds). Action B: A bolus of food was formed in the oral cavity and swallowed (with the intention of swallowing the entire amount in one go). For each property, a score of 1 was assigned to the weakest instance of the property, and a score of 7 was assigned to the strongest instance. Details of the evaluation criteria are shown in Table 2. The average of the evaluation scores obtained from the 10 participants was used as the final score.

[0042] [Table 2]

[0043] 2. Comparison with commercially available standard products The scores obtained from the sensory evaluation were compared with the scores of commercially available standard products for each type of evaluation item. For "cohesion (aggregatability)," the value for "Janef Gentle on the Stomach Hydration Jelly Drink" (cohesion evaluation value 4.0) was used as the baseline. For "adhesion in the oral cavity (residual feeling)," the value for "Rakuraku Gokkun Jelly" (residual feeling evaluation value 3.0) was used as the baseline. For "adhesion in the pharynx (film-forming feeling)," the value for "Neo Hightromil III (Three)" (film-forming feeling evaluation value 3.7) was used as the baseline. For each prescription example, those with a "cohesion" score of 4.0 or higher, "adhesion in the oral cavity (residual feeling)" of 3.0 or lower, and "adhesion in the pharynx (film-like feeling)" of 3.7 or lower were judged to have a good overall evaluation (marked with "○" in the table). On the other hand, prescription examples that did not meet the criteria for one or more of the three properties—"cohesion," "adhesion in the oral cavity (residual feeling)," and "adhesion in the pharynx (film-like feeling)"—were judged to have an unfavorable overall evaluation (marked with "×" in the table).

[0044] [result] The results obtained from the sensory evaluation are shown in Table 3. Note that "Free Calcium [mass%]" in the table refers to the content of free calcium ions relative to low-methoxyl pectin.

[0045] [Table 3]

[0046] From the results in Table 3, the pectin gel compositions of formulations 5 to 10 (low-methoxyl pectin content: 1.0 or 1.1% by mass, free calcium ion content relative to low-methoxyl pectin: 3.2 to 4.1% by mass), formulations 13 to 16 (low-methoxyl pectin content: 1.2% by mass, free calcium ion content relative to low-methoxyl pectin: 3.2 to 4.0% by mass), and formulations 18 to 20 (low-methoxyl pectin content: 1.5% by mass, free calcium ion content relative to low-methoxyl pectin: 3.2 to 4.1% by mass) all met the criteria for all evaluation items: "cohesion (aggregatability)", "adhesion (residual feeling) in the oral cavity", and "adhesion (film feeling) in the pharynx". They surpassed existing products for people with dysphagia (jelly, thickening agents), indicating that they possess desirable properties as hydration jelly beverages for people with chewing and swallowing difficulties.

[0047] On the other hand, formulations 1 to 4 (low-methoxyl pectin content: 0.9 or 1.0% by mass, free calcium ion content relative to low-methoxyl pectin: 3.1 to 4.0% by mass), formulations 11 and 12 (low-methoxyl pectin content: 1.2% by mass, free calcium ion content relative to low-methoxyl pectin: 3.0 or 3.1% by mass), and formulation 17 (low-methoxyl pectin content: 1.5% by mass, free calcium ion content relative to low-methoxyl pectin: 3.1% by mass) failed to meet all of the criteria for "cohesiveness (aggregatability)", "adhesion in the oral cavity (residual feeling)", and "adhesion in the pharynx (film-forming feeling)".

[0048] The pectin gel compositions of formulations 5-10, 13-16, and 18-20, which met the criteria for all aspects of "cohesion," "adhesion in the oral cavity (residual feeling)," and "adhesion in the pharynx (film-forming feeling)," had a low-methoxyl pectin content of 1.0-1.5% by mass and a free calcium ion content of 3.2-4.1% by mass relative to the low-methoxyl pectin. These low-methoxyl pectin and free calcium content levels are higher than conventional levels, and it was surprising that pectin gel compositions with good properties in all aspects of "cohesion," "adhesion in the oral cavity (residual feeling)," and "adhesion in the pharynx (film-forming feeling)" could be obtained even with such high low-methoxyl pectin and free calcium content levels.

[0049] Furthermore, the pectin gel compositions of formulations 5-10, 13-16, and 18-20 (low-methoxyl pectin content: 1.0-1.5% by mass, free calcium ion content relative to low-methoxyl pectin: 3.2-4.1% by mass), which met the criteria for all aspects of "cohesion (aggregatility)," "adhesion in the oral cavity (residual feeling)," and "adhesion in the pharynx (film-forming feeling)," had a curvature b of -0.26 to -0.18 and a loss tangent tanδ of 0.1 to 0.25. From these results, it was found that pectin gel compositions that meet the above criteria have "properties intermediate between sol and gel."

[0050] Therefore, a pectin gel composition having a low-methoxyl pectin content of 1.0-1.5% by mass and a free calcium ion content of 3.2-4.1% by mass relative to the low-methoxyl pectin was found to have superior properties to conventional products (jelly, thickening agents) for people with dysphagia in all aspects of "cohesiveness," "adhesion in the oral cavity (residual feeling)," and "adhesion in the pharynx (film feeling)," making it a desirable hydration jelly beverage for people with chewing and swallowing difficulties. [Industrial applicability]

[0051] The present invention provides a hydration jelly beverage for individuals with difficulty chewing and swallowing that possesses excellent properties in terms of cohesiveness, adhesion in the oral cavity, and adhesion in the pharynx, making it extremely easy for individuals with difficulty chewing and swallowing to swallow. According to the present invention, a jelly beverage that is less likely to cause aspiration can be provided.

Claims

1. A hydration jelly beverage for people with chewing and swallowing difficulties, containing low methoxyl pectin with an esterification degree of 25 to 38 and free calcium ions, with a low methoxyl pectin content of 1.0 to 1.5% by mass and a free calcium ion content of 3.2 to 4.1% by mass relative to the low methoxyl pectin.

2. A hydration jelly beverage for persons with chewing and swallowing difficulties according to claim 1, wherein the content of low-methoxyl pectin is 1.0 to 1.2% by mass, and the content of free calcium ions is 3.6 to 3.8% by mass relative to the low-methoxyl pectin.

3. The hydration jelly beverage for persons with chewing and swallowing difficulties according to claim 2, wherein the content of low-methoxyl pectin is less than 1.2% by mass.

4. A hydration jelly beverage for persons with chewing and swallowing difficulties according to claim 1, wherein the curvature b in viscoelastic measurement is -0.26 to -0.18 and the loss tangent tanδ is 0.1 to 0.25.

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