Congress 2009: Under-nutrition in the elderly

Prophagia proposes an effective technological solution

March 24, 2009 “Under-nutrition in the elderly is a subject that we are talking about more and more throughout the world. It’s a reality that has recently been uncovered. The statistics are worrying since we are talking about 40, 50 or even 60 % of this population segment who have difficulty eating. However, there are not very many people working on solutions”, explains Thérèse Dufresne, who created the Canadian company Prophagia in 2000. This trained nutritionist took part in the 4th Taste-Nutrition-Health Congress in Dijon, participating in a round table debate on food and the elderly.

In 1993, while working for the Hôpital Sainte-Anne, belonging to Canada’s Ministry for returned servicemen, she launched a development program aiming to eradicate the risks of under-nutrition, choking and avoidable death in the elderly due essentially to an inadequate level of food intake. “More than 900 people were taken care of by these services, nearly 40% of which had severe eating difficulties”, she explains. After 5 years of studies, Thérèse Dufresne and her team were able to present the very positive results of their research: to this day none of the residents at the Hôpital Sainte-Anne suffer from under-nutrition. The Ministry for returned servicemen then requested that this technology be transferred for the benefit of other elderly people in Canada. This lead to the creation of the spin-off company Prophagia.

“In the elderly, the whole of the buccal and pharyngeal apparatus no longer functions correctly. It is thus imperative to find a solution so that they do not suffer from under-nutrition but are not at risk of choking”, Thérèse Dufresne summarizes. Prophagia has thus developed a technology for modifying and adapting food products and in order to avoid all risks, as well as offering a range of appetizing products (vegetables, meat, fruit, desserts…). “We work in particular on the texture of food products, whether by adapting or testing precisely in order to compensate for the “handicapped” oropharyngeal apparatus”, she indicates. In order to do so, the team at Prophagia, made up of 6 people – including 5 scientists specialized in human nutrition and food technology and 3 also trained as nutritionists – measure the firmness, elasticity, adhesive and cohesive properties of a food, allowing them to calculate the “Safe Swallowing Texture Index”, a mathematical formula discovered by Prophagia.

Today, they  have about 60 specifically textured products in order to be able to create varied and balanced menus that are consumed each day by thousands of elderly people who can once again find enjoyment in eating with no risk. Since October 2007, these products have been available for those at home. Several countries are interested in using them. “Prophagia doesn’t manufacture these products. We licence our technology which is the subject of two patent applications”, explains Thérèse Dufresne. Her participation in the Taste-Nutrition-Health Congress is thus the opportunity for Thérèse Dufresne to present this solution to French companies. “The greatest challenge is to manage to change the mentalities in each country regarding the elderly”, she confirms. “This is not an aggressive therapy. It is just allowing the elderly the opportunity to enjoy eating in safety.

Contact
Thérèse Dufresne
Email: therese.dufresne@vac-acc.gc.ca
www.prophagia.com

Source : Agence JFD and Co