A thickener is disclosed, as well as a nutritional product including the thickener, uses thereof, methods for the manufacture thereof, methods for improving the cohesiveness of a nutritional product, and related systems. The nutritional products have improved cohesiveness for promoting safer and more efficient swallowing of food boluses for individuals having swallowing difficulties such as dysphagia. In a preferred embodiment, the nutritional product includes a thickener comprising a beta-glucan and an additive. Preferably, the nutritional product has a relaxation time, determined by a Capillary Breakup Extensional Rheometry (CaBER) experiment, of from 10 ms to 2000 ms at a temperature of 20° C.

Provided is a storage and delivery system that includes a container containing a stable liquid composition therein for increasing the viscosity of an aqueous liquid or aqueous liquid solid mixture foodstuff and having a viscosity of less than 2000 cP and a water activity of greater than 95%, wherein the composition comprises one or more thickening agents and one or more polysaccharides, and a pump dispenser sealingly attached to the container and having a valve for inhibiting or preventing drying of the composition in the container. Further provided is a method of delivering a stable liquid composition to an aqueous liquid or aqueous liquid solid mixture foodstuff by use of the storage and delivery system. A method for increasing the viscosity of an aqueous liquid or aqueous liquid solid mixture foodstuff by adding the stable liquid composition thereto is also provided.

Provided are a β-1,3-1,6-glucan powder having high solubility in water, a glucan-containing composition using the powder or the like, a method for producing the β-1,3-1,6-glucan powder, an inclusion complex, a method for producing the inclusion complex, and a method for recovering a guest molecule. The β-1,3-1,6-glucan powder has a saturation solubility in water at 25° C. of from 1.0 to 20.0 % by mass. The β-1,3-1,6-glucan powder is such that in a particle size distribution of β-1,3-1,6-glucans, determined by subjecting the β-1,3-1,6-glucan powder to dynamic light scattering measurements, a particle size of a peak representing a largest volume fraction is in a range from 5 nm to 15 nm, and a volume fraction of a peak outside of the particle size range from 5 nm to 15 nm is 30 % or less of the volume fraction of the peak having the largest volume fraction.

A non-therapeutic method of improving growth performance of a weaning mammal comprises a step of administering to the weaning mammal or a maternal mammal an effective amount of beta-glucan and casein hydrolysate, wherein the weight ratio of beta-glucan to casein hydrolysate is 1:2 to 2:1. A dietary supplement suitable for oral administration to a mammal comprising beta-glucan and casein hydrolysate is also provided, wherein the weight ratio of beta-glucan to casein hydrolysate is 1:2 to 2:1.

The present invention provides a liquid oral composition containing collagen peptides in which the acidity is moderated to facilitate oral intake in the pH range of 3.0 to 4.0. The present invention relates to a liquid oral composition containing collagen peptides, welan gum, and an acidulant, the liquid oral composition having a pH of 3.0 to 4.0.

A nutraceutical food product includes a solid matrix and a liquid combined into a gel. The nutraceutical food product may include an immune modulator, such as transfer factor and/or a nanofraction immune modulator. A fruit component may be included in the nutraceutical food product. The fruit component may include at least one oligoproanthocyanidin-containing fruit, such as aai.

The present invention relates to a meat processed food, into which a gel-like material is locally and quantitatively filled. Provided is a method for producing a meat processed food, having a step of cooling a gelling agent solution prepared by adding a gelling agent into water and then heating and dissolving the gelling agent, so as to prepare a gel-like material having fluidity; and a step of filling the gel-like material into a plurality of predetermined positions inside a meat-containing raw material.

The present invention relates to a seaweed-based powder having a storage modulus (G) of at least 30 Pa as determined on a 0.3 wt % aqueous dispersion of said powder and wherein said powder has a critical gelling concentration (C.sub.0) of at most 0.1 wt %. Further described herein is composition comprising the seaweed-based powder and a method of producing the seaweed-based powder.

Provided are a -1,3-1,6-glucan powder having high solubility in water, a glucan-containing composition using the powder or the like, a method for producing the 3-1,6-glucan powder, an inclusion complex, a method for producing the inclusion complex, and a method for recovering a guest molecule. The -1,3-1,6-glucan powder has a saturation solubility in water at 25 C. of from 1.0 to 20.0 % by mass. The -1,3-1,6-glucan powder is such that in a particle size distribution of 3-1,6-glucans, determined by subjecting the -1,3-1,6-glucan powder to dynamic light scattering measurements, a particle size of a peak representing a largest volume fraction is in a range from 5 nm to 15 nm, and a volume fraction of a peak outside of the particle size range from 5 nm to 15 nm is 30 % or less of the volume fraction of the peak having the largest volume fraction.

Nutritional products having improved cohesiveness for promoting safer swallowing of food boluses for patients having swallowing conditions are provided as well as methods of making and using such products. The nutritional products may include nutritional compositions and high molecular weight, water-soluble polymers such that the nutritional products have extensional viscosities that provide improved cohesiveness to the nutritional products. Methods of administering such nutritional products to patients having impaired swallowing ability and/or dysphagia are also provided.