On World Stroke Day HIHI launches new case study with Cork company Ocras which aims to restore the enjoyment of eating for patients with Dysphagia
On World Stroke Day Health Innovation Hub Ireland is delighted to launch its latest Clinical Evaluation Study with Ocras. The company founded by Niamh Condon and her partner Siobhain McNulty produces individually portioned texture modified food for people with dysphagia which affects 8% of people worldwide. It is caused by medical conditions such as stroke, cancer, brain injury, MS and Parkinson’s making eating and swallowing problematic.
Ocras came up with a innovative healthcare solution to improve the eating experience, developing a new range of food products suitable for people with dysphagia and worked with Teagasc to create a novel edible glue-like formula that it uses to self-adhere foods. They created frozen and pureed food products designed specifically for the healthcare sector.
HIHI organised a focus group meeting at (CUH) Cork University Hospital to sample and provide feedback on the food working with speech and language therapists, catering staff and consultants. Ocras demonstrated their dysphagia-friendly foods to kitchen staff, who were also given the opportunity to both prepare and blind test them. The feedback was extremely positive in terms of taste, palatability and texture.
Niamh Condon founder of Cork company Ocras today spoke about the innovation journey: “In 2014, I embarked on my healthcare culinary journey as the head chef of a nursing home in Cork. Early on, I realised how crucial food was to the overall wellbeing of residents. However, I found myself questioning the standard methods for preparing and presenting pureed food. Driven to make a difference, I began exploring innovative ways to restore enjoyment in eating, even for those facing swallowing difficulties. This led me to partner with Siobhan, and together we founded OCRAS, focusing on creating frozen, pureed food products designed specifically for the healthcare sector.
The saying “we eat with our eyes first” underscores the importance of visual appeal in food presentation. Rooted in positive psychology, this idea suggests that easily recognisable, visually appealing meals can significantly enhance the dining experience. Our goal is to enable residents, patients, caregivers, and caterers to form a positive emotional connection with each meal, resulting in greater satisfaction and enjoyment of our tasty, palatable products. The support from HIHI (Health Innovation Hub Ireland) was instrumental; they facilitated a focus group at CUH (Cork University Hospital), where the insightful feedback proved invaluable to our fledgling business. From our initial contact to now, their guidance has been both helpful and approachable. We’ve already introduced our products across institutions within the South-West Regional Health Authority and are excited to expand further in the near future”.
Read the full case study here. https://hih.ie/downloads/case-studies/HIHI-case-study_Ocras.pdf