Step up to cater for our ageing population
While the nutritional requirements of the elderly are receiving increasing public attention, food manufacturers have not stepped up to the mark to fill those needs, said Lynn Dornblaser, director of innovation and insight at market research company Mintel.
The issues presented by the UK's ageing population are receiving increasing recognition at the moment. Only last month, TV celebrity Esther Rantzen lobbied Prime Minister David Cameron to create a 'grey minister' to address the needs of the elderly.
Meanwhile, market research company Innova Market Insights predicted that food products designed for senior consumers would become a dominant trend in 2012 as manufacturers recognised their buying power.
Dornblaser said: "The short answer is that there still are not products specifically positioned for seniors To me, it seems this is still a major opportunity area, as boomers are getting older."
Although there are products designed to address the specific health problems of older consumers such as foods that are easier to swallow and have packaging that is easy to open there is not much for everyday consumption, said Dornblaser.
Hilary Hamer, industrial liaison officer at the Humber Obesity, Nutrition, Education and Innovation project said portion sizes and fortified foods were areas where manufacturers could easily create products that met the needs of the elderly population as a whole.
Stronger tasting products fortified with vitamin D and calcium could help combat bone brittleness, for example, while addressing the loss of taste that many elderly suffer, Hamer said.
Pre-portioned frozen products in which a large product is sold with individually defrostable servings could be a cost-effective solution for elderly consumers that live alone, Hamer added.
