High-Protein Foods for Dysphagia: Manipulation of Mechanical and Microstructural Properties of Whey Protein Gels Using De-Structured Starch and Salts

This study focuses on understanding the effect of ionic strength on the mechanical and microstructural properties of novel composite gels containing 13% whey protein isolate (WPI) and 4% de-structured waxy potato starch (DWPS). The DWPS is a physically modified waxy potato starch treated at 140 °C for 30 min under constant shear. Thermodynamic incompatibility between WPI and DWPS was observed upon the addition of NaCl (~75 mM) or CaCl₂ (10-75 mM). The combined effects of such thermodynamic incompatibility with the changes in protein connectivity induced by varied ionic strength led to the formation of distinctive gel structures (inhomogeneous self-supporting gels with a liquid centre and weak gels with paste-like consistency) that were different from thermodynamic compatible homogeneous self-supporting gels (pure WPI and WPI + maltodextrin gels). At ≥ 250 mM NaCl, instead of a paste-like texture, a recovered soft and creamy self-supporting gel structure was observed when using DWPS. The ability to generate a range of textures in WPI gelation-based foods by using DWPS under different ionic conditions, is a feasible strategy for formulating high-protein foods for dysphagia-aimed to be either thickened fluids or soft solids. Additionally, this acquired knowledge is also relevant when formulating food gels for 3-D printing.