PD888 - IMPACT OF FLAVOR PERSONALIZATION ON NUTRITIONAL COMPLIANCE IN CANCER PATIENTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY ON AN INNOVATIVE DAIRY-BASED FUNCTIONAL FOOD

PD888

IMPACT OF FLAVOR PERSONALIZATION ON NUTRITIONAL COMPLIANCE IN CANCER PATIENTS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY ON AN INNOVATIVE DAIRY-BASED FUNCTIONAL FOOD

T. Monge^1,*, I. Capizzi¹, S. Diberti¹, V. Giurdanella¹, E. Tiozzo¹, S. Porcari¹, J. P. Studer², E. Cappellano², S. Novello³, M. Tinivella¹

¹Dietetics and Clinical Nutrition, San Luigi Gonzaga Orbassano Hospital, Orbassano (To), ²Inlab Solutions Inalpi Spa, Moretta (Cn), ³Oncology, San Luigi Gonzaga Orbassano Hospital, Orbassano (To), Italy

Rationale: In oncology, nutrition management is crucial to prevent neoplastic cachexia, but poor palatability is often a reason for rejecting Oral Nutritional Supplement (ONS). The purpose of this study is to assess the sensory acceptability of a functional food created by InLab Solution Inalpi, which is enriched with Leucine, EPA, and DHA, to enhance patient adherence.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 197 oncology patients. Subjects tested four aromatic variants. Nutritional status was assessed via Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST), and the presence of dysgeusia/ageusia was recorded. Sensory liking (scale 1-10) and texture were measured through structured questionnaires. Data were segmented by clinical status (MST score and taste alterations).

Results: Blueberry was the best with a mean score of 8.6/10 and high clinical resilience in fragile patients (MST≥2). In patients with dysgeusia, Citrus was the only flavor showing a positive trend (increasing from 6.9 to 7.5), effectively countering metallic aftertastes. Coffee was the least accepted (6.8/10), penalized by a perceived "artificial" taste. High-risk patients (MST≥2) reported increased difficulty with dense textures.

Image:

Conclusion: The acceptability of ONS is strictly conditioned by the patient's symptomatic profile. The project's success highlights how the role of the dietitian is central to cancer patient management, acting as an indispensable bridge between clinical research evidence and the personalization of nutritional support. This project also enhances the synergy between the hospital and local industrial excellence with the aim of offering innovative solutions to the most vulnerable patients. The integration of scientific research and industry thus confirms itself as the fundamental driver for evolving modern clinical nutrition and improving the effectiveness of treatment pathways.

Disclosure of Interest: None declared