Last month it was announced at the 2018 Food and Nutrition Expo and Conference that IDDSI would begin implementation in the USA starting in May of 2019.
The international dysphagia diet standardization initiative is a global effort to standardized the way we label and categorize the consistencies of the dysphagia diet.  The objectives are as follows:

• To develop a standardized way of naming and describing texture modified foods and thickened liquids for people with dysphagia across the lifespan.
• IDDSI is intended to be person-focused, rather than profession focused. We seek to develop a global terminology that will ‘work’ for all cultures and that will be accompanied by practical and valid measurement techniques that will facilitate use by persons with dysphagia, caregivers, clinicians, food service professionals and industry partners.
• To seek a common language that can be used for technical, cultural, professional and non-professional uses. We believe this should be a living document, changing as needs change.

While the exact implementation plan has yet to be announced in the United States, we know that the push will start in May, 2019.   It is important for us to become educated on how these changes will impact industry, clinicians and most importantly our patient populations.  While we await the exact timeline, familiarizing ourselves with the information will help assist in a smooth transition.  The IDDSI website has created and organized a vast library of resources for us to start this process.
For more information and resources visit https://iddsi.org/