Steak and chips, fish dinner and beans on toast as you’ve never seen them before: The food bringing dignity to the elderly

If this plate of steak and chips looks a bit unusual, that is because it has been blended and remoulded to be safe for stroke, dementia and Parkinson’s patients to eat.

The novel food has been designed to bring dignity and choice to the one in four elderly people in the UK who have problems swallowing.

Known as “texture modified foods”, the meals are made of real ingredients like meat, potatoes and vegetables which are blended into a smooth paste before being moulded into shape.

Experts say it means thousands of elderly people who are unable to swallow normal food can safely experience eating a “proper" meal without the risk of choking on lumps - instead of having to rely on eating pureed, “baby food” meals which can be boring and undignified.

As many as one in four people aged over 76 in the UK suffers from difficulties swallowing, known medically as “dysphagia”.

The condition, which ranges in severity from being unable to swallow certain foods to being completely unable to swallow, is usually caused by other health problems which damage control of the mouth and throat.

Studies suggest dysphagia affects around 300,000 stroke patients in the UK, as well as up to one in five people with dementia and up to two thirds of later-stage Parkinson’s patients.

Elderly people are particularly likely to be affected, with up to six in ten of those in nursing homes living with swallowing problems.

Affected people risk choking on normal food but many find the alternative diet of pureed food is unappetising and demeaning.

Food manufacturer apetito started developing texture-modified food for dysphagia patients in 2010 to combat the problem.

It now has a range of 62 different meals, including British favourites like fish and chips, beef and gravy and even beans on toast.

The meals, which contain the recommended amounts of calories and protein, have been approved by the worldwide standards body for safe dysphagia food, the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative.

They are served to thousands of people in care homes and NHS hospitals, as well as to individuals via the Wiltshire Farm Foods home delivery service.

Helen Willis, apetito’s dietitian, said nutrition played a “critical role” in helping people recover from conditions like stroke and the meals brought “all-important dignity back to dining”.

Lesley Carter, of campaign group the Malnutrition Task Force, said: “Eating professionally textured foods gives people the ability to choose their menus, be aware of the nutritional value and eat food that looks like food. All this makes eating more pleasurable and enables people to meet their nutritional needs with dignity.”