TEXTURE HIERARCHY
TEXTURE LABEL
TEXTURE DESCRIPTION
e.g. Degree of fluidity, how to
process and to what extent
EXAMPLES
Fluid
Flows quickly
Milk, water, squash, tea, coffee
Thickened fluid
Flows slowly
Drink with manufactured thickener,
McDonald’s milkshake, tinned
custard
Smooth / Purée
Thick, smooth food which keeps
its shape on a plate – no skins,
pips, husks
4 month baby foods, moist blended
food
Set solid
Keeps shape on plate
Mousse, egg custard, Fromage
Frais, not jelly
Soft lump
Lumps of soft food – soft enough
to be easily mashed by fork or in
mouth by tongue or jaws
- chewing not essential
- size of lump small
7 month baby foods, well cooked
vegetables, for example, potato,
carrot – may be moistened with
sauce / gravy; banana
Bite and melt
Dissolves when held in the
mouth
Prawn crackers, Wotsits, Quavers,
Skips, chocolate buttons
Bite and soft chew
Requires some lateral and
diagonal tongue movements and
chewing before swallowing –
size of lumps less than 2 cm
diameter
Pieces of soft cooked vegetable or
fruit
Bite and scatter
Breaks up into small pieces in
mouth when bitten
Biscuits
Bite and hard lump / Retains hard solid shape after
chew
biting and requires chewing for a
period before swallowing
Raw fruit and vegetables, for
example, apple
Bite and chewy
Require much chewing before
swallowing
Meat, toffee, dried fruit
Mixed texture
Hard chew and thin fluid
Soup with bits, cereal floating in milk
Derbyshire Community Health Services
is responsible for providing NHS Services in
the Derbyshire County area and is hosted by
Derbyshire County Primary Care Trust.