Successfully navigating food service in a healthcare facility can sometimes be accompanied by myriad challenges. Accommodating food preferences while also adhering to the diet prescription can add another ring to the circus and in the context of the dysphagia diet, one could say we enter the “big top.” Between diet orders, meal requests, delivery times and modified consistency, it can be a huge hurdle for dietitians, speech pathologists and food service to all align. The new International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) classification is changing this conversation. IDDSI is providing a more detailed description of the dysphagia diet and creating more context within the dysphagia diet system.
These changes are in no way a change in “prescription” for diet intervention in this population, but rather an additional “description” for the modified foods. With the additional detail of critical testing methods and audit tools for each category, we should also be mindful of the factors that may impact the consistency of the foods. Preparation method, holding time, food temperatures and tray delivery are all variables that can affect the consistency of these foods. Understanding how these control points impact your modified foods will be a pivotal point in your successful implementation of IDDSI.
Café Puree® is an ideal addition to your dysphagia menu. The broad menu selection makes it easy for even the pickiest of appetite to find foods to enjoy. High in protein, “clean ingredient” profiles with no fillers or MSG, and visually appealing, all items are commercial prepared, which eliminates many of the possible inconsistencies when preparing foods in house. All Café Puree items align with IDDSI level 4 pureed, and can be easily implemented into your level 5 and 6 menus as well.
Café Puree has taken the guess work out of the IDDSI process. Although there are still factors that we need to be mindful of to maintain appropriate consistency, Café Puree takes you another step closer to easy implementation and a smooth transition by serving eye appealing, easy to prepare purees that meet the IDDSI Level 4 standard.
For more information, please visit
http://www.IDDSI.org
