A4. Texture Standards for Chewing & Swallowing

The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) describes a continuum of eight levels (0–7): drinks use levels 0–4 and foods levels 3–7. [5] Level 5 allows soft lumps up to 4 mm that mash with light fork pressure; Level 6 allows tender pieces up to 1.5 cm. [6]

IDDSI level	Name	Kitchen description	Examples in this book
0	Thin	Unthickened liquids	Water, manda, CCF tea, neer mor
1–2	Slightly / mildly thick	Flows through a spoon	Peya, laja peya, thin kanji
3	Moderately thick (liquidised)	Can be drunk from a cup or eaten with a spoon	Yavagu, smooth soups
4	Pureed	Smooth, no lumps, holds shape on a spoon	Moong–rice purée, pumpkin–carrot purée
5	Minced & moist	Lumps ≤ 4 mm; mashes with light fork pressure	Minced khichdi, paneer–moong mash
6	Soft & bite-sized	Pieces ≤ 1.5 cm; needs minimal chewing	Soft vegetable stew, idli soaked in sambar
7	Regular	Normal food (for older guests: regular-soft)	The rest of this book

![](/images/vol2/flow_iddsi.png)

Figure A3. Kitchen texture check before serving

Who decides the level?

A speech-language or swallowing professional sets each guest's level; the kitchen delivers it consistently.
Label every modified tray with the level and the guest's name.
Remove curry leaves, whole spices and seed husks from all Level 4–6 dishes.
Mixed consistencies (e.g. dal with thin water separating) are a choking risk — blend or thicken.