29 April 2026
The RCSLT have worked with thickener company Nutricia to provide further guidance and advice on thickening using Nutricia products.
In September 2025, some of our members made us aware of issues regarding the thickening of drinks other than water using some commercial thickeners. These issues included thickeners not reaching the target viscosity within the stated stand time for drinks such as tea.
We contacted the two manufacturers involved to express our concerns and have since been working closely with one of the manufacturers, Nutricia, to understand the issue and potential resolutions. We are continuing to communicate with other manufacturer to engage them in ongoing discussions.
Nutricia carried out additional laboratory testing, with a sample of drinks other than water using Nutilis Clear. They identified variation in the time and volume of thickener required to achieve the correct level of viscosity compared with the timing and dosage on the label and on current product information.
Nutricia have since written to SLTs with information about their products, and we are continuing to work with them to ensure advice, information and product label information meets the needs of those consuming and preparing.
We recommend that SLTs recommending any thickener products ensure that it can be reliably used within the most common drinks that the service user consumes. This may involve having differing recommendations for dosage and standing time for different drink types and temperatures. If the SLT cannot find a dosage and acceptable standing time they will need to discuss alternative options with the service user.
The risks and benefits of each option need to be discussed to ensure the person/their proxy can make an informed decision. When fluids are being prepared, the person preparing needs to ensure they have reached the correct level of viscosity before serving. RCSLT recommends the use of the IDDSI framework when assessing viscosity.
As per our position paper on the use of thickened fluids in the management of people with swallowing difficulties, decisions about thickened fluids should be carefully considered after comprehensive assessment and informed consent. We would recommend SLTs and prescribers of thickeners review the information in the position paper.
