Roeselare (Brussels Morning Newspaper): AZ Delta is developing personalized recipes for cancer patients facing taste changes, focusing on bread and soup. Chef Philip Van Hoornick and star chef Tim Bury are collaborating on this initiative. A conference on taste in healthcare is scheduled for November 9.
Cancer patients often struggle with changes in their sense of taste, finding food can taste like sand, bitter, or metallic. This makes eating less enjoyable, especially when good nutrition is vital for recovery. AZ Delta has been using a tasting box with ingredients like ginger, thyme, and mushroom pesto to understand these changes better. Doctor Pieter Vandecandelaere notes that since everyone’s tastes are different, creating a single recipe for all patients is challenging. That’s why they aim to establish a taste center to develop personalized recipes, despite the time and expertise required.
How are AZ Delta and Chef Tim Bury enhancing meals for cancer patients?
The focus is on making recipes for bread and soup because they are simple and people eat them a lot. Chef Philip Van Hoornick, in charge of the kitchen for patients, says these recipes need to be followed carefully and can have some surprising ingredients. For example, a colleague once added a tonic to a recipe, and the patient enjoyed their food more. They are also creating recipes for those who have trouble chewing or swallowing. Philip says they have a type of bread that can be eaten with a spoon and are working on a spoonable pizza with different toppings.
Philip Van Hoornick and his team will not have to figure out all the recipes by themselves. Star chef Tim Bury from Roeselare is joining the project and is excited to help. Doctor Vandecandelaere says Tim wants to be actively involved, not just put his name on it, because he is a taste expert. AZ Delta is organizing a conference on taste in healthcare to promote the taste center and share ideas about taste-driven recipes. This conference will take place on November 9 at RADar, the learning and innovation center of AZ Delta.
