What is the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI)?
The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) is a global initiative to improve the lives of over 590 million people worldwide living with dysphagia. IDDSI was founded in 2013 with the goal of developing new global standardised terminology and definitions to describe texture modified foods and thickened liquids used for individuals with dysphagia of all ages, in all care settings, and all cultures.
Several years of ongoing work by the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Committee has culminated in a final dysphagia diet framework consisting of a continuum of 8 levels (0-7). Levels are identified by numbers, text labels and colour codes.
The IDDSI Framework provides a common terminology to describe food textures and drink thickness. IDDSI tests are intended to confirm the flow or textural characteristics of a particular product at the time of testing. Testing should be done on foods and drinks under the intended serving conditions (especially temperature). The clinician has the responsibility to make recommendations for foods or drinks for a particular patient based on their comprehensive clinical assessment.
For the latest updates and resources, please visit www.iddsi.org. On the IDDSI website, you will find free, downloadable resources for patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers. The resources are free to share without the need for permission as long as the documents and images are cited as:
The International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative 2016 @https://iddsi.org/framework/
Attribution is NOT PERMITTED for derivative works incorporating any alterations to the IDDSI Framework that extend beyond language translation. Supplementary Notice: Modification of the diagrams or descriptors within the IDDSI Framework is DISCOURAGED and NOT RECOMMENDED. Alterations to elements of the IDDSI framework may lead to confusion and errors in diet texture or drink selection for patients with dysphagia. Such errors have previously been associated with adverse events including choking and death.