Opinion editorial by Bernice Tay, Director for Food Manufacturing, Enterprise Singapore and Matt Kovac, Executive Director, FIA.
The pool of ageing consumers in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region is rising at an unprecedented rate. According to the United Nations Population Fund, close to 1.3 billion people in APAC will be over 60 years old by 2050. Singapore is no exception. By 2030, one in four Singapore residents will be aged 65 and above.
Within an ageing population, the effects of non-communicable diseases, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and malnutrition, will become even more apparent. One in nine Singaporeans has diabetes but its prevalence increases with age. Among those age 60 and above, three in 10 are diabetic. According to the SHIELD study done by Changi General Hospital, Singhealth Polyclinics and healthcare firm Abbott, around 1 in 3 older adults in Singapore are at risk of malnutrition, with high prevalence of low muscle mass among 80 per cent of these older adults, which may impact overall health and immune function.
What are some of the efforts to cater to the ageing population?
Singapore’s rapidly ageing population is not going unnoticed. Efforts to raise awareness of health and nutrition amongst the elderly have already started several years back. For example, the Silver Generation Office was set up in 2014 to promote the importance of good nutrition to seniors and introduce them to active ageing programmes.
The Healthier Choice Symbol, which is used when a pre-packaged product is healthier than its product alternatives within a food category, has also been well received among the elderly community. Based on a research carried out by FIA and IGD, a global research organisation, 81 per cent of local consumers aged 65 and above surveyed look out for the Healthier Choice Symbol prior to purchasing, with 52 per cent stating that it is a regular habit. Industry data from the same research also shows that there is an increase in commitment by companies to add fibre into their products. This suggests that efforts by the government and industry to empower the elderly to make better informed buying decisions - be it products that are higher in dietary fibre, whole grains or calcium, or lower in fat, sugar or sodium - are gaining traction.
Opportunities to cater to an ageing population
While Singapore’s ageing population has implications on the economy and society, it also presents business opportunities, especially in the area of elderly food and nutrition.
As the elderly have needs that differ from general consumers, food products that are modified in areas such as taste, texture, nutrition and ease of preparation could better cater to their preferences and well-being. Hence, a growing number of food and beverage (F&B) companies today are turning to product innovation and reformulation to address the needs of the elderly. An example is fortification, which is the addition of nutrients such as fibre or protein to food. It is one of the unique ways to make products healthier without requiring radical changes in the eating habits of the consumer.
According to the FIA-IGD study, which surveyed 30 F&B companies operating in Singapore, 80 per cent of the companies have either started or finished their reformulation work, while 16 per cent have plans to get started. More than 5 years ago, the industry was focused on reducing sodium and trans-fat. Now, priorities are on the addition of fibre and protein, and the reduction of sugar. This gives us an indication of how the trends have shifted.
For example, Yeo’s recently launched three healthier versions of its popular chrysanthemum tea with reduced sugar, zero sugar and honey infused variants to keep up with consumer demand for low sugar options. Besides that, it has also launched a chrysanthemum tea variant with wolfberries, known to be beneficial for eye health.
The opportunities go well beyond Singapore too. In 2020, Enterprise Singapore (ESG) conducted a consumer insights study on elderly nutrition in six markets (Singapore, Australia, China, Korea, Thailand and Vietnam) to help Singapore’s food manufacturers better understand the needs and preferences of the silver population in these markets. The insights were shared with food companies to help them find opportunities to innovate new or renovate existing products to address the growing aging population in the APAC region. The crux is to develop products with the customers in mind, given the different profile and health situation of the local communities. One size cannot fit all. While the current travel restrictions have put some expansion plans on hold, some food companies are taking the chance to innovate new products or adapt existing ones to suit the needs of the ageing population in the APAC region.
Public-private collaboration ignites effective innovation
Companies can turn to innovation to come up with solutions that cater to the specific needs of seniors. To provide a conducive environment for food companies to innovate, ESG introduced the Food for Elders programme in 2018, as part of the multi-agency initiative FoodInnovate. Food for Elders focuses on assisting local food companies to develop elderly-friendly products through partnerships with hospitals and eldercare institutions.
In 2018, ESG organised its first elderly nutrition call-for-collaboration and workshop for over 120 representatives from local and multi-national companies, institutes of higher learning and eldercare institutions. Food companies were invited to develop new elderly-friendly products around problem statements provided by six healthcare institutions. Through this open innovation challenge, ESG supported eight food companies to develop more than 30 new products for the elderly in healthcare institutions over the past two years.
One such company is Silver Connect. Under their GentleFoods brand, the company developed a series of local snacks, such as pureed chwee kueh and pumpkin kueh, for elderly with swallowing difficulty. With professional advice from Khoo Teck Puat Hospital’s dietitians and speech therapists, the company was able to develop snacks that have the appropriate consistency, taste and nutritional content. By creating blended food which still looks and taste like the items in their original state, the company hopes to bring back the joy of eating to the elderly.
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