A Japanese caterer has invented a non-melting ice cream for elderly people with swallowing disorders.
It is the Nakasho group, made up of nutritionists, which is at the origin of the product. “ZuT” is an ice cream that can withstand 35 degrees Celsius heat for an hour, according to Franceinfo.
Nakasho provides meals in nursing homes and has worked for years on dysphagia, a disease that causes swallowing difficulties, especially in the elderly.
People over the age of 75 represent 15% of the Japanese population. In retirement homes, certain foods had therefore been removed to adapt to this problem, in particular ice cream, because it melts too quickly for people with dysphagia.
The melting of the ice is done by a process of fusion, that is to say that the heat dissolves the bonds between the milk fat, the water and the air bubbles.
After several months of research, experts have succeeded in delaying this phenomenon by adding natural ingredients to the recipe, such as strawberry polyphenols or a secret ingredient that can be found in certain algae.
Nakasho plans to market the product, so the recipe is kept secret. The ice cream is available in 3 flavors: chocolate, strawberry and yogurt, at just over $8 a tub.