Active Ageing: Formulating foods with the adult population in mind

By Mary Wanjira

Active Ageing is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as the process of optimizing opportunities for health, participation, and security to enhance quality of life as people age. This concept has gained more prominence today as the world population steadily ages. As of today, there are approximately 1.04 billion people aged 60 and above in the world, representing 12.8% of the global population, according to data from the World Bank. This number is expected to continue growing rapidly in the coming decades, reaching an estimated 2.1 billion by 2050.

As more people age, the focus for many people today is not "how old can I live to be?" Instead, the most important question has become: "Will I be able to do the things I want to do when I am older? This desire to live more active and fulfilling lives in old age has elevated the role of nutrition in adult populations. According to a recent study, 64% of seniors make a greater effort than before to have a healthier diet, and 42% rely on diets to relieve their main ailments.

Demand for healthier diets has led to rapid growth in the adult nutrition market. According to Coherent Market Insights data, the global elderly nutrition market size was valued at US$23.6 billion in 2022 and is expected to witness a CAGR of 6.7% over the forecast period (2022 – 2030). We look at how food manufacturers can better formulate their products to align with the needs of the adult population, currently the fastest-growing population segment in the world.

Formulating For Muscle Mass

Retaining muscle mass is key for active ageing because it allows us to do the day-to-day activities we want to do, as well as protects us from falls and the associated injuries that can result. Our ability to activate muscle growth and repair, however, decreases with age. This helps explain why muscle mass gradually starts to decrease as we get older. According to Kerry Health and Nutrition Insights, after the age of 50, approximately 1% of muscle mass is lost annually, leading to a gradual loss in strength and ability to perform physical activities.

To counteract age-related muscle loss, seniors must increase the consumption of proteins by 25% to 50%, according to the European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism- and they know this. A report by the National Library of Medicine —Relevance of Gastrointestinal Mechanisms- stated that nutritional supplements, including pure-protein or protein-enriched drinks, are increasingly used by older people to maintain body weight and nutrition, and specifically to prevent or treat loss of muscle function, sarcopenia, and frailty.

Formulating high-protein food thus presents a great opportunity for manufacturers seeking to tap into this fast-growing market. In this regard, adding protein-dense foods such as nuts helps strengthen the protein profile of a formulation, helping the elderly address that need and thereby maintain greater autonomy and independence. Research has also shown that leucine appears to be the most potent essential amino acids (EAAs) "in activating anabolic signalling," and its incorporation into adult foods could be beneficial in preventing muscle loss.

Plant-based protein sources are also increasingly becoming popular with as many as 60% of consumers in a Kerry study stating that they consider plant protein to be more nutritious, sustainable, and better quality than animal protein in addition to associating it with a stronger immunity to support healthy ageing.

Formulating For Cognitive Function

Just like muscles, cognitive function degenerates with age, impacting a person's ability to think, learn, and remember. Carotenoids lutein and zeaxanthin are among the nutritional ingredients demonstrated to help combat agerelated cognitive decline. A study Published in the Journal of the International Neuropsychological Society concluded that Lutein and zeaxanthin supplementation appears to benefit neurocognitive function by enhancing cerebral perfusion, even if consumed for a discrete period of time in late life. HP Ingredients recently launched a kesum extract (Persicaria minor or Polygonum minus), as part of an herbal blend branded Quantum IQ, for adults ranging from 35 to 65

TO COUNTERACT AGE-RELATED MUSCLE LOSS, SENIORS MUST INCREASE THE CONSUMPTION OF PROTEINS BY 25% TO 50%, ACCORDING TO THE EUROPEAN SOCIETY FOR CLINICAL NUTRITION AND METABOLISM years old. Company CEO Annie Eng says past studies have shown kesum's benefits for executive functioning, reaction time, and working memory.

Nootropics such as ashwagandha, citicoline and green tea extract are also becoming popular as cognitive function boosters. Ashwagandha has been particularly popular and has become a star ingredient in many new products including teas, yoghurt, granola bars, and even chocolate.

Grand View Research notes that this is a market worth exploring as consumers are increasingly developing an appetite for functional foods and beverages that improve their cognitive function. According to the market research firm, the global brain health functional food and beverage market size was valued at US$18.10 billion in 2022 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.5% from 2023 to 2030.

Formulating For Healthy Hearts

About 80% of adults aged 65 and older have at least one risk factor for cardiovascular diseases, and about half have two or more risk factors, according to research published by the National Library of Medicine. It's no wonder why many adults are concerned about their heart health even before they reach this age. "A widespread priority for today's active seniors and the generation following them (middle-agers) is cardiovascular wellness," says Kate Quackenbush, director of communications for vitamin K2 supplier NattoPharma USA Inc.

Founded by Dr. Elizabeth Klodas, a cardiologist, Step One Foods is one such company formulating foods with the heart in mind. The company uses oat bran, chia and flax seeds, dried fruits and nuts to provide fibre, antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids in the formulation. The whole food ingredients are combined and then fortified with plant sterols.

All Step One Foods — bars, pancake mix, sprinkles and smoothie mix — are clinically formulated to block cholesterol absorption and reabsorption in the digestive system, actively reducing the amount of cholesterol in the bloodstream. "These foods are properly dosed," Dr. Klodas said. "A person should have two servings, spread throughout the day, to be most effective. In 30 days, they should experience a measurable response."

NattoPharma USA Inc. takes heart health a step further with its Vitamin K2 supplements which have been proven to show not only cessation but, remarkably, regression in arterial stiffness, meaning that they make the arteries of adult consumers more flexible. Quackenbush calls these results "truly antiaging."

Formulating For The Gut

The ability to maximize nutrient absorption declines with age. A new study from MDVIP and Ipsos finds twothirds of adults experience recurrent digestive symptoms like gas, bloating and abdominal pain.

This is why digestive health is also a leading purchase driver among adult populations. Over half (51%) of US adults are currently using or are interested in using foods that aid digestion, according to the Ipsos study. When it comes to digestive health, probiotics are the name of the game. According to a report by Innova, new-product launches centred specifically on probiotics grew 10%, and new product launches focused on prebiotics grew 16% during the past five years.

Consumer love for probiotics has some solid backing. A study published by Frontiers in Pharmacology recently found that generalized probiotic intake could result in 2.2 million fewer antibiotic prescriptions, and 54 million fewer sick days annually, and avoid US$919 million in annual productivity losses.

While dairy and yoghurt products still lead in gut health claims, other categories are gaining new ground. From bars to cereal to chips, manufacturers are formulating greattasting products that will also promote good gut health. A good example is the Effi Sweet Heat Probiotic Chickpea Granola which is described

KEY NUMBERS take longer to recover. This makes the development of nutrition interventions to enhance immune activity in seniors equally important. as a nutrient-dense, 100% plant-based granola made with chickpeas and probiotics that balance gut microflora and help promote digestive health.

DuPont Nutrition & Health released results from a meta-analysis showing how its probiotic strain Bifidobacterium animalis ssp. lactis HN019 may help enhance polymorphonuclear (PMN) cell phagocytic capacity or natural killer (NK) cell tumoricidal activity, both of which help fight infections, in older adults.

Formulating To Boost Immunity

The effects of ageing on human immune health can be quite drastic, making seniors more vulnerable to attack from foreign antagonists and

Also looking at elderly immune health, ingredient supplier Kerry, announced the results of a study published last year showing that its Wellmune beta-glucan ingredient (beta 1,3/1,6 glucan derived from baker's yeast) helped shorten the duration and number of upper respiratory tract infections in older adults.

Moving to the retail aisle, the Innova Market Insight report found that soft drinks had one of the fastest growth rates for immune health claims in 2021, with a 78% increase between 2020 and 2021 alone. Other popular categories are hot drinks, sports nutrition, and dairy products. According to Innova, ingredients are at the centre of soft drink innovation, ranging from basic choices to complex blends. Among the most popular ingredients to help the normal functioning of the immune system are zinc, probiotics, prebiotics, and essential vitamins.

Getting It Right With Adult Food Products

When it comes to developing new products for groups of old age, manufacturers should take into consideration physiological changes that could affect product acceptability or effectiveness.

First thing that every new product development specialist should know the elderly may experience a significant loss of these senses. Only sweet tastes remain intact. For this reason, they should consider the real challenge of being able to compensate for these losses in product lines aimed at the elderly.

Secondly, foods that might be easily consumed by younger consumerse.g., "hard, crunchy, dry, and stringy textured foods"-are more difficult for older consumers to eat. To keep the senior population healthy and nutritionally sound, food formulators should focus on innovating more foods specifically tailored to older adults.

The Delivery Vehicle Is As Important As The Nutrient Itself

The adult nutrition market is dominated by supplements. Grand View Research notes that the adult segment held the largest revenue share of 46.01% in the global dietary supplements industry which was estimated to be worth US$164 billion in 2022.

One Step Foods MD Klodas is however a firm believer in the view that "You cannot supplement your way to health." "The delivery vehicle is as important as the nutrient itself," she says. "It's the whole package. The totality of nutrition. Take the powerful blueberry, which is packed with vitamin

C, along with many micronutrients. When consumed, the body recognizes the vitamin C in this context. But if you take a vitamin C supplement and eat a Twinkie, the body does not know what to do with the vitamin C."

Formulating new foods that are bland and boring is certainly not the alternative. "Older adults don't want to change their diets because it's entrenched," says Professor Louise Dye, from the University of Leeds, a Chartered Health Psychologist whose research focuses on the effects of nutrition on cognitive function and decline, health and well-being.

Dye believes that there is a real need for health by stealth to make bad food better. "We have to try and have a way of transitioning people to a healthier diet by adding things in and supplementing them while making them available in a familiar and trusted form." Emil Fazira and Yang Hu who co-authored a Euromonitor study on Five Prospects for Dietary Products – Targeting Older Adults also hold the same opinion. They say, "Foods that can provide a sense of comfort through familiar flavours and formats are a refreshing difference from more clinical supplements and foods that aim to improve health through functionality alone."

Over and above the food itself, specialists in adult nutrition observe that small type and difficult-to-open packages further serve to frustrate an older consumer. "Packaging enhancements such as resealable, better grip design and material more resilient to breakage have yet to break into the market as well but have great potential," Fazira and Hu pointed out.

Final Word

Worldwide, the growing senior population presents food and beverage manufacturers with increased opportunities to market products for senior health. These opportunities will only grow. Those who don't grasp this opportunity are certainly going to be the biggest losers of the new era. Dr. Craig Rose, Founder & and CEO of Seaweed & Co., is certainly not among them.

Dr. Rose believes that adults are the best segment to target with functional foods and beverages. "They are thinking about their health more than they perhaps were 20 years earlier," said Dr. Rose. "They also have more disposable income and are generally more brand loyal than younger people… So I want to actively market to older people."

Food Africa Business