Nestle Health Science Thicken-Up® Sipper Lid

The Nestle ThickenUp® sipper lid's material choice, size, shape and design features provide an easy to consume pack for the high viscosity products. The pack design is easy to hold and provides a controlled delivery, allowing for use outside of care facilities. This in turn allows patients to receive hydration without assistance, to optimise fluid intake, and reduce compounding heath issues. The overall result delivers a level of consumer convenience that for many of us is taken for granted, but was previously unavailable to a small but significant consumer group, particularly those who suffer the condition of dysphagia.

ThickenUp® is a pre-thickened product, specifically designed to help people with swallowing difficulties meet fluid requirements. It's available in 3 thickness levels; a mildly thick level 150, which has a nectar like consistency; a moderately thick level 400, which has a honey like consistency; and an extremely thick level 900, which is consumed with a spoon. Each thickness level has been designed and colour coded in line with the Australian standards for texture modified foods and fluids. Spoon graphics showcase each viscosity level. ThickenUp® Hydration has been designed in consultation with speech pathologists, dieticians, and key opinion leaders.

The cup with easy hold ridge & easy peel foil is designed to help patients with compounding health issues such as arthritis. The unique sipper lid features a concave nose clearance and tilted spout to allow the cup to be tipped with minimal neck bending. A transparent lid fits snugly to prevent leaks and spills and allows users to see how much has been consumed. The sipper aperture is tailored for the pre-thickened product viscosity, and includes ribbed profiles to provide sensory feedback to Dysphagia patients with poor feeling or sensitivity, informing them that the spout has been inserted fully into their mouth. Perforated easy-open shippers fit neatly into a home pantry or onto food service shelving spaces.

The material chosen for this sipper lid is a soft and pliable low density polyethylene (LDPE). This material feels comfortable in the mouth, and by its soft and pliable nature eliminates the risk of any sharp areas that may be caused from product burrs, flashing or from the injection gating point itself. The pliable material provides easy application to the Thicken-Up cup and is transparent in appearance to have visibility of the product contents and whether they were finished. LDPE also means that should a user chew or bite on the sipper feature it will not crack or shatter in their mouth. LDPE also allows for a soft, smooth surface finish.