Heston Blumenthal develops umami-rich hospital food
Heston Blumenthal has developed umami-rich dishes for hospital patients in a bid to encourage the elderly to eat more.
He has been working with food scientists at the University of Reading to include ingredients that are considered high in umami - the fifth taste - such as Worcester sauce, soy and ketchup.
According to the Journal of Nutrition and Ageing, Blumenthal trialled his dishes on 31 elderly patients. They were given a choice of two cottage pies, but not told which was created by the chef. The patients rated Blumenthal's as tastier and ate more of it in the trial.
The Journal said that more trials were now needed to ascertain whether Blumenthal's recipes could prevent malnutrition by encouraging patients to eat more.
Umami is down to an amino acid found in meat, cheese, stock and sauces such as soy.
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