MELA Study - Hedonic Study on the Taste of Drugs Crushed in Food: Observational Study Involving 16 Healthy Volunteers

Elderly people often suffer from chronic pathologies and they are given polypharmacy. In case of swallowing problems, the drugs are crushed and mixed in food, which alters the taste of food and is a cause of anorexia and malnutrition. Gustative side-effects of crushed drugs have nether been investigated. The MELA study is a one session hedonic test involving 16 healthy volunteers. They will score in a blind manner the taste of 10 drugs commonly prescribed in nursing homes, crushed in jelly or apple compote. These volunteers will be 8 food professionals and 8 geriatric care professionals. Thanks to the MELA protocol, they will have a unique opportunity to communicate and propose solutions to this neglected aspect of malnutrition in elderly populations.