Modest sales in Japan in the niche market of caregiving have to date resulted in a small but growing community of DeliSofter owners who find each other on social media and exchange tips and recipes for getting the most value from the soft-food cooker. Discussions have further inspired GIFMO employees to develop a true passion for what eating means to people, and to share that passion with others. The concept has developed into what GIFMO calls barrier-free eating, a dimension of barrier-free living that has been overlooked.
“In Japan we are actively grappling with an aging society so the idea of quality-of-life during one’s waning years is on the top of a lot of minds,” Tokie Mizuno says. The Japanese are well known for placing a high value on their culinary traditions, seasonal foods, and especially eating together, so the inability to participate in and enjoy these things with others is mentally devastating. Mizuno coined the phrase “quality-of-eat” to focus attention on the need to fulfill this fundamental aspect of daily life—the sheer joy of eating, which is, of course, essential to life.
Based on the number of sales, GIFMO assumes that more than 2,000 people have been able to resume enjoying their mealtimes as a result of the birth of Delisofter. DeliSofter “ambassador” Hiromi Iseki testifies to the product’s ability to do that. Her daughter Yuna developed muscular dystrophy at an early age and by the time Yuna reached high school was largely bedridden and unable to chew and swallow most of the foods she loved.
“DeliSofter completely changed our lives,” Hiromi says. “We use it every day, every meal, and now mealtime is a highlight of Yuna’s day. It is a must-have for anyone with eating difficulties of any type.”
Hiromi describes foods like beef, deep-fried pork cutlets, fried chicken, sushi and even bread as fair game for the DeliSofter, which look appetizing and taste great. “Hospitals typically prepare foods for people with chewing and swallowing difficulties by blending them according to nutritional value, but the patient can’t tell what they are eating, and can even lose the will to eat,” she says. But looks and taste are not everything. “The aroma of foods they want but cannot have is a big part of their anguish. The DeliSofter keeps the food’s original fragrance intact.”
Hiromi believes the soft-food cooker is suitable for everyone. “Once I added some DeliSofter made foods to my husband and son’s lunch boxes by mistake and they love it,” she explains. “I encourage anyone to give it a try. You can literally slice a piece of fried chicken with a potato chip.”