Uncovering the Impact of Homogenization and Dietary Fiber on the In Vitro Digestion of Cod Protein Composite Gel

ABSTRACT The aim of this research was to evaluate the swallowability, oral processing, in vitro gastric digestion, and gastric emptying of cod protein composite gels in elderly individuals using sensory evaluation, rheometry, and the dynamic in vitro gastrointestinal digestion system (DIVHS). The results showed that the cod protein composite gels produced through homogenization had excellent taste properties and met the requirements for Level 6—“soft and bite‐sized” of the International Dysphagia Diets Standardization Initiative Framework, making it suitable for individuals with special needs for food texture. During digestion, the addition of dietary fiber and homogenization led to the fastest half disintegration time (t 1/2 ) of 93.80 min, whereas the homogenization only sample had the slowest gastric emptying rate of about 0.38 after 180 min. These findings provide valuable insights for the development of texture‐modified protein gel food products that are more suitable for the dysphagia patients.