Disclosed herein is a hydration composition comprising water; a gelling agent; and

fruit or vegetable puree having a particle size of 50 nanometers to 0.5 millimeters and/or fruit or vegetable particles having a particle size of 4 millimeters to 15 millimeters. Disclosed herein too is a method comprising mixing together a hydration composition comprising water; a gelling agent; and fruit or vegetable puree having a particle size of 50 nanometers to 0.5 millimeters and/or fruit or vegetable particles having a particle size of 4 millimeters to 15 millimeters; and gelling the hydration composition to form a gelled composition.

The invention relates to thickening compositions for thickening nutritional products to make the nutritional product suitable for consumption by dysphagia patients, said thickening composition comprising starch, xanthum gum and/or methylcellulose and galactomannan and/or glucomannan.

This disclosure provides novel compositions comprising a pectin, a first xanthan gum, and optionally a second xanthan gum. These compositions are useful for improving mouthfeel properties of non-nutritive sweeteners, such as steviol glycosides and blends thereof, in food and beverages containing the same.

There is provided a method of manufacturing a nutritional composition comprising carbohydrate in an amount of at least 250 g l.sup.1 of composition. The method comprises the steps of: (i) combining a first gelling agent and water; (ii) heating the mixture produced in step (i) to a temperature of between 60 C. and 100 C.; (iii) combining a second gelling agent with the heated mixture of step (ii) with mixing; and (iv) maintaining the mixture produced in step (iii) at a temperature of between 70 C. and 100 C. for between 10 and 120 minutes; with a carbohydrate component being combined with the mixture during one or more of said steps. Also provided is a nutritional composition.

A plant-based culinary crme that includes water, fat, sweetener, plant-based protein, and a dairy-free milk and/or dairy-free milk powder. The plant-based culinary crme does not contain any dairy products. The plant-based culinary crme may be used in hot and/or cold applications. The culinary crme can be used in sauces, soups, pudding (both instant and cooked), smoothies, dressings, and frozen desserts. It provides a crme option for people who cannot or choose not to eat dairy-based products.

An object of the present invention is to provide a particulate composition for an easy-to-take solid preparation, which has excellent moldability (hardness) and slipperiness.

The present invention relates to a particulate composition for an easy-to-take solid preparation, comprising sugar alcohol and a gelling agent that will show slipperiness when it is brought into contact with water, wherein a part or whole of the surface of the particulate composition is coated with the gelling agent, to an easy-to-take solid preparation comprising the particulate composition, and to a method for the production of the easy-to-take solid preparation.

Provided is frozen noodles in which freezer burn is unlikely to occur. A method for producing frozen noodles comprises: a step of attaching a composition to cooked noodles, the composition comprising at least water, oil or fat and a polysaccharide thickener, and having a viscosity of from 30 to 2000 mPa.Math.s at 60 C.; and a step of freezing the noodles to which the composition has attached.

A method for selecting a food product for a subject having dysphagia comprising: (a) administering one or more food products comprising a volatile compound to the subject; (b) detecting release of the volatile compound in exhaled breath of the subject during and/or after swallowing of the one or more food products; (c) selecting the food product based on the release of the volatile compound in exhaled breath of the subject.

Provided is a method for producing frozen noodles comprising: a step of attaching a composition comprising xanthan gum and having a viscosity of from 30 to 2000 mPa.Math.s at 60 C. to cooked noodles obtained by cooking fresh noodles produced by a rolling noodle-manufacturing method; and a step of freezing the noodles to which the composition has attached.

Methods for preparing alginate-based compositions, as well as related compositions, food products, and articles, are disclosed.