[The concept and development direction of elderly oriented food].

ABSTRACT

Active response to the challenges posed by aging has been established as a national strategy, accompanied by continuous refinement of policies concerning aging work. Decreased digestive system function is commonly present in the natural aging process of older people, which directly affects their food intake, digestion, and absorption, leading to decreased appetite and various forms of malnutrition. It is also a risk factor for age-related diseases such as sarcopenia, osteoporosis, cognitive impairment, and frailty. Nutrition is the foundation for achieving healthy aging. In order to meet the nutritional needs of the elderly population, the Nutrition and Healthy Aging Working Group at the Shanghai Junshi Institute of Life Sciences introduced the concept of "elderly-oriented food" in 2022. In the future, there is an urgent need for comprehensive collaborative efforts to conduct a series of investigations focused on the dietary habits and nutritional requirements of older individuals, in order to evaluate the level of awareness, genuine demands, dietary preferences, and capabilities of selection regarding to the elderly-oriented food. Simultaneously, it is recommended to introduce "Guidelines for the production and application of elderly-oriented food" at the national level to promote the sustainable and orderly development in food industry.