Are food companies missing an opportunity to sell products to older people wanting to stay healthy?

As we get older, our muscles start to weaken, injuries take longer to heal, and we become more likely to develop conditions that affect our bones, joints, hearts and brains. Diet can help postpone and mitigate these, yet the market for older people wanting to stay healthy has been largely neglected by food companies. This is now beginning to change. 

It’s a growing market, too. According to data from Euromonitor International, the 65+ demographic grew by 12% between 2004 and 2009, and in 2010 totalled about 541 million globally. By 2014, this is predicted to have risen to almost 600 million. 

“Older people are at high risk of nutritional deficiencies,” says Ewa Hudson, head of Euromonitor’s health and wellness research department. “Even if the diet is reasonably healthy and sufficient in calories, the effectiveness of the digestive tract declines with age, and they are no longer able to absorb optimum levels of nutrients. Too little fibre in the diet is also a common concern.”

Although products such as Nestlé’s Build-Up, Complan from Heinz and Abbott’s Ensure are available, they are marketed as medical products. But what about older people who want to remain healthy as long as possible? What potential is there for mainstream products to help them feel younger? “The key message should be that maintaining fitness and healthy muscle and bone mass is much easier than regaining them once the body has succumbed to illness,” says Hudson. 

Jens Bleiel, chief executive of Food for Health Ireland, finds it interesting that the global food industry has yet to discover the consumer potential of the elderly market. “There is no globally successful brand for the elderly,” he says. “The food industry has to get its act together. You can see from other industries, such as cosmetics and travel, that it shouldn’t be that difficult, but the food sector has not found a way to promote healthy ageing with an attractive marketing concept. The examples that exist in the food industry are not that convincing.’

However, healthy ageing is now very much on the agenda of most of the big food and beverage companies, according to Peter Wennström, president and expert consultant at the HealthyMarketingTeam. “You have to address healthy ageing as you would address all other stages of life, and realise that people do not identify themselves as ‘old’,” he says. “If you address ageing as a condition, it’s unlikely to succeed.”

There is certainly an increase in demand for healthy ageing products, claims Noel Corcoran, sales & marketing director at Carbery. “As people grow older, customer demand from older people is going to rise dramatically, and there’s a need for food concepts with clear marketing messages that will appeal to them,” he says. “We deal with both huge multinationals and small companies, and there is growing interest from both for healthy ageing products.”

Older people often have more access to money and time, Wennström says, delivering a discerning and demanding premium consumer who realises they will soon lose the strength and energy to do everything they want, from exercise to sex. Healthy ageing should be promoted as a positive thing, he believes. “It’s only for the niche of people who do have medical problems where a medical approach is needed. It’s not until I see death in the mirror that I will go for a message that tells me to take something if I don’t want to die.”

Protein sources

Many ingredients marketed for healthy ageing products are protein-based, as our bodies’ need for protein increases as we age. “We are starting to see more interest in products targeted to this demographic,” says Andres Kangur, marketing director for Europe at Fonterra. “Our research shows that consumers are becoming more aware of the role that protein plays in muscle maintenance and mobility, so consumer awareness is likely to drive future product development.”

Protein is particularly important in maintaining muscle strength and preventing sarcopenia, or age-related loss of muscle mass. While the World Health Organisation’s recommended daily intake for protein is 0.8g per kilo of bodyweight a day, many scientists working in the field suggest that 1.2–1.3g/kg/day is needed to prevent sarcopenia.

“Normal western diets deliver just 1g/kg/day,” says Barbara McCarthy, project innovation manager at Carbery. “Protein supplementation is really important in this age group, and many food manufacturers see this as an opportunity. Seniors are not so aware of the importance of protein, so this is something we need to educate them on.”

Carbery is one of several companies working in this area, and has carried out clinical trials looking at whey protein to prevent sarcopenia. “It contains all the essential amino acids required by the body, and is absorbed fairly rapidly,” says McCarthy. “Importantly for muscle protein synthesis, it is an excellent source of leucine. Protein supplementation, in combination with physical exercise, optimises muscle protein synthesis, and minimises sarcopenia.”

Whey protein has been widely used in the sport nutrition sector for many years, and there is much experience in formulating it into beverages, bars, meal replacements and ready meals, as well as yoghurts and processed cheese. “Our customers are always looking at different vehicles for incorporating protein into the diet, and we’re continuously looking at new applications, in conjunction with our customers,” says McCarthy. 

Fonterra’s Kangur believes dairy is the optimal protein source from both a taste and nutrition perspective, and the company offers a range of protein-based ingredients to suit different consumer needs and various applications. “Dairy protein is a natural source of nutrition for older people who want to support their mobility and strength to stay fit and vital,” he says. 

From a manufacturing perspective, he believes there can be formulation challenges if a company has never dealt with protein before. ‘That’s why co-creation is at the heart of our business model,’ he says. ‘By working collaboratively with our customers we use our technical knowledge, application expertise and manufacturing know-how to advise and support them in developing their product and process.’ 

Bones and joints

Bones and joints also weaken as we age, and again there is huge potential for food products that target them. Two ingredients from Stratum Nutrition, for example, have applications in this area: NEM, a natural eggshell membrane, for joint health; and ESC, which utilises the calcium from eggs, for bone support. Currently both used in supplements, the company’s Heather Thompson believes they have potential as ingredients in food products, too. “NEM includes a lot of naturally occurring joint support nutrients, such as glycosoaminoglycans, hyaluronic acid and collagen,” she says. “In the US we have self-affirmed GRAS, so we have done work on safety to show it could be used in this way. It’s insoluble so has its limitations in beverages, but in a thicker textured product it could work well.”

Rousselot’s Peptan collagen peptides have also been shown to be beneficial in osteoarthritis and osteopenia. “Several studies have shown a daily intake of 10g of collagen peptides prevents bone loss and even increases bone mass density,” says the company’s Caroline Brochard-Garnier. “One study published last September, showed it could prevent bone mass density decrease as efficiently as the drug raloxifene. Positive effects on joint health have also been shown, with the most recent Rousselot studies showing it had a similar effect on joint cells to ibuprofen.”

Collagen peptides are already used in many food products and beverages. “They are easy to handle and formulate, and virtually dust-free,” she says. “They hydrate and disperse quickly, have good flowing properties, wettability and instant dispersibility, and can also be used to increase dietary protein intake in elderly people.”

Heart health

The incidence of cardiovascular disease increases as we age, too, and products targeting heart health are particularly appropriate for older people. Perhaps the best-known heart-health ingredient is Raisio’s cholesterol-lowering plant stanol extract Benecol, and marketing manager Moona Pohjola says one reason it has great potential in healthy ageing products is that people do not want to give up things as they get older – they want to continue being active. Supporting heart health by lowering cholesterol is a good way to promote this.

“More than 60 clinical studies have been carried out worldwide, and it is one of the few ingredients that has an EC heart disease reduction health claim,” she says. “The benefits can be measured, and the products taste good. Awareness is growing in Latin America and Asia, and heart health is coming onto the agenda in countries such as India and China. Consumers are motivated to take care of themselves, and governments are motivated to raise awareness of the consequences of not ageing healthily.”

The levels of antioxidants in the body also reduce as we age. “This means we need more antioxidants from our food,” explains Petra Kindlund, nutritionist at BioReal. The company produces the powerful antioxidant astaxanthin from algae – it’s about 500 times stronger than vitamin E. “It enters the cell membrane, and gives superior protection to the cell compared to other antioxidants that are only in the lipid layer, or vitamin C which is water-soluble and does not even enter the cell.”

It is thought astaxanthin can improve the function of the mitochondria, which produce energy within cells and become less effective as we age. “This can help the muscles, for example, and perhaps reduce muscle loss,” says Kindlund. Several clinical studies have shown its effectiveness in increasing muscle strength, treating eye strain, and other health applications. Further studies are under way.

In Europe astaxanthin is currently only used in supplements – the company has applied for food use and is awaiting a decision – but in the US it is GRAS-certified and so can be used in foods. “Demand has increased, especially in Europe, and we are increasing our production in Sweden,” she adds. “It’s also been shown to reduce wrinkles, as there is efficient uptake into the skin when it is eaten, supporting the skin from the breakdown of collagen.”

Another ingredient with documented antioxidant properties is Phenolea, the olive fruit extract from Phenofarm rich in polyphenols. “The main polyphenol is hydroxytyrosol, which has a very high antioxidant power,” says managing director Stefano Germani. “In addition to its antioxidant activity, the extract has other important biological effects, such as antiinflammatory properties.” Phenolea is water-soluble, and so is easy to apply in beverages and supplements, he says. 

The company commissioned a study about its effects on brain ageing, related to the activity of nerve growth factor, an important target involved in the brain’s neuronal activity. “It decreases during the ageing process, and the results of the study were interesting as it showed that, after 10 days of administration of Phenolea, NGF levels increased, influencing neuronal activity,” says Germani. This study is due to be published early this year. 

People are looking to defy age and stay healthy as long as possible. They don’t want to age as their parents did, and are open to new products that might help them achieve this goal. But there is also the societal issue – people have a fixed idea of how an ‘old person’ should look and behave, particularly in more traditional countries. “On one side you have scientific and product developments, and on the other the readiness of society to allow the role of ageing people to change,” he says. “It’s not as simple as launching a product that slows ageing – it’s both the psychology and physiology in different markets.”

Developing and Reformulating Healthy Ageing Products in F&B conference will be held in Amsterdam on 28–29 March, 2012. For more information, and to book tickets, visit www.fi-healthyageing.com