Effect of pregelatinized starch paste on the ease of swallowing high-moisture content bread

This study aimed to reveal the bolus characteristics of high-moisture content bread made by adding a starch paste, consisting of pregelatinized wheat starch and water. The addition of starch paste increased the crumb moisture, thereby reducing hardness and increasing cohesiveness. In the sensory evaluation, 60% starch paste-added bread (52.6% moisture) was judged to be easier to swallow than the control bread (42.7% moisture). The hardness and adhesiveness of a simulated bolus made with crushed crumb and artificial saliva were reduced with the addition of increasing amounts of starch paste, a trend which became more prominent when α-amylase was added to the artificial saliva. The degree of gelatinization of starch paste-added bread was also higher than that of control bread. These results revealed that high-moisture content bread with a starch paste ratio of 60% or higher was easy to swallow, since the highly gelatinized bolus was easily hydrolyzed by α-amylase during chewing.