Norwegian foods optimised for an ageing population (203193)

The main objective of this project is to investigate how product innovation based on Norwegian foods may help improve elderly consumer's diet and quality of life. Elderly consumers constitute a growing and diverse group in the population with different ne eds and requirements with regard to food and nutrition. However, to develop attractive, healthy and innovative product and meal concepts, it is necessary to understand the factors that govern food choice and nutritional intake in this target group. To mee t an increasing demand for tailored food products and concepts for active elderly consumers, researchers and industry must work together to obtain the required knowledge concerning drivers and barriers governing food choices of the elderly that is necessa ry for food product innovation. This project consists of two parts where, first, relevant knowledge about elderly people's food-related behaviour will be collected, and second, this information will be implemented in a product or meal concept innovation process. Consumer studies on elderly consumers can be a challenge in itself, especially since it is a relatively unexplored area. A critical issue in the implementation of this project will be to adjust existing methodology used within consumer research to better suit the varying conditions among elderly, thereby ensuring reliable data that better indicate what factors govern food choices of the elderly consumer. The industrial partners in this project represent all aspects of a meal, and thus, there is an elevated potential that this project will lead to actual development of more acceptable meals for the elderly consumer. Hence, the results from this project are expected not only to benefit the companies in terms of competency development and increase d market potential, but also the elderly consumer who will experience a better health status and quality of life through the contributions of this project.