Thickening Milk: What is the issue?

We are aware of an issue affecting thickened milk and milky drinks. Sometimes thickening products may not work as expected with milk-based drinks. This means that drinks may become too thin or too thick, especially if left standing for a period of time. This issue may affect all thickening products and is currently being investigated regionally.

What You Should do:

Anyone preparing thickened drinks should take extra care when making milk-based drinks. Please remember:

• always check the drink consistency carefully before serving
• check the consistency again at the time of drinking
• do not serve or drink any thickened drink that has not reached the correct consistency

If the drink is not correct, provide an alternative non-milk-based thickened drink.

Why is this important?

Ensuring drinks are prepared to the correct consistency helps support safe swallowing.

Testing Guidance

Information on International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) descriptors and testing methods can be accessed using the QR code on this leaflet or by the following link IDDSI Testing Methods – Standards – IDDSI