YAMAGATA - Japanese researchers are developing a new generation of nursing care meals using 3D printing and other advanced food technologies, creating realistic-looking sushi, vegetables and other dishes that can be safely enjoyed by elderly patients and people who have difficulty chewing or swallowing.
At Yamagata University, researchers have developed a method of producing sushi toppings using a 3D printer, including shrimp that looks almost identical to the real thing but is soft enough for people with weakened chewing and swallowing abilities.
Unlike plastic food replicas commonly displayed outside Japanese restaurants, the printed shrimp is entirely edible.
Hideaki Furukawa, a professor at Yamagata University's Faculty of Engineering, explained that the technology allows familiar foods to retain their original appearance while becoming significantly easier to eat.
"Although it looks exactly the same, it is extremely soft. This is a new technology that makes it possible to eat foods in hospitals and other places where eating has been difficult," Furukawa said.
The research team has also successfully reproduced broccoli using a 3D printer. The process involves boiling real broccoli, freezing it with liquid nitrogen and crushing it into a powder that can be used as a printing material.
The university is developing the technology as part of a national research project aimed at making meals more accessible to people who have lost some of their ability to eat normally.
The initiative reflects a broader movement in Japan's food technology industry to improve not only the nutritional value and texture of nursing care meals but also their appearance, with researchers emphasizing the importance of preserving the enjoyment of eating.
One example is a specially prepared dish of mackerel simmered in miso, a familiar Japanese meal. The new version closely resembles ordinary cooked fish while featuring a much softer texture suitable for elderly patients.
Traditional nursing care meals have often been prepared by blending ordinary ingredients into a paste, adding thickening agents and allowing the mixture to set. Although easier to swallow, such meals can lose much of their original appearance and make it difficult for patients to identify what they are eating.
A comparison of conventional and newly developed versions of the mackerel dish showed how significantly the appearance and eating experience can differ. The conventional version was difficult to recognize as fish, while its flavor was also less distinct.
Food developers are now placing greater emphasis on presentation to help patients recognize familiar dishes and maintain their appetite.
At Fujita Health University's Nanakuri Memorial Hospital in Mie Prefecture, medical staff are taking a similar approach by preparing vegetables and other ingredients in pressure cookers until they become soft enough to crush with the tongue.
The hospital adjusts the softness of each meal according to individual patients' conditions while preserving recognizable shapes and colors.
Patients say the improvements have made mealtimes more enjoyable.
"Mealtimes are when I feel relaxed. The food is delicious," one patient said.
Another explained that being able to recognize vegetables made meals more appealing. "It tastes better when you can look at something and know that it's cucumber or carrot."
Family members have also welcomed the changes, particularly the effort to make meals visually attractive while ensuring patients can eat everything served.
"The softness and the colors are important because we eat with our eyes, too. They have made adjustments so that everything can be eaten," one family member said.
The hospital has found that improving the appearance and texture of meals can stimulate patients' appetites, encouraging them to eat more and reducing the amount of food discarded.
Kaoru Horiuchi, a registered dietitian at Fujita Health University's Nanakuri Memorial Hospital, said visual presentation plays an important role in the eating experience.
"Color is one of the first things people notice. If meals are delicious, less food will be thrown away," Horiuchi said.
With Japan's aging population increasing demand for specialized nursing care meals, developments in food technology could offer new ways to support elderly people and patients with swallowing difficulties.
Researchers and medical professionals hope that combining advanced manufacturing techniques with carefully designed meals will not only improve nutrition and reduce food waste but also restore the pleasure of eating, helping patients maintain their quality of life and enjoyment of everyday meals.
Source: TBS
