Towards coupling 3D printing and the glycation reaction to texturize food for people with oral frailty: A review.

The world's aging population and the growing number of people suffering from oral disorders require the design of texturally and nutritionally adapted and personalized foods. New tools, such as 3D printing, now make it possible to explore textures and shapes that can enhance food palatability, chewability and swallowability. However, it is possible to go a step further by combining the glycation reaction with the printing process to design foods with improved functional and structural properties without adding chemical texturize-modifying agents. This review presents, discusses and evaluates the potential benefit of combining 3D food printing with the glycation reaction to texturize foods for people with oral frailty. We use the existing literature to explain the mechanisms involved in these two approaches and the major role of mastication in food choice to help inform the design of tastier new foods that are beneficial to health and contain fewer additives, taking into account the formation of potentially deleterious compounds. We also present helpful modeling tools not only for food design but also for process optimization.