What is Elderly-friendly food?

Elderly-friendly Food

Elderly-friendly food refers to food specially developed to maintain and improve the health of the elderly. These foods are typically rich in nutrients, easy to digest, and made in a form that is easy to chew and swallow.

 

Grades and Criteria for Elderly-friendly Food

The Food and Drug Administration classifies elderly-friendly food into three grades based on the ease of chewing and swallowing:

• Grade 1: Food that can be easily chewed even by people with very few teeth.
• Grade 2: Food that can be chewed with some teeth.
• Grade 3: Food that is overall soft and easy to swallow.

Each grade is determined based on criteria such as food texture, structure, and viscosity.

 

Nutrient Standards for Elderly-friendly Food

The Food and Drug Administration has clear regulations on the essential nutrients that should be included in elderly-friendly food to meet the nutritional needs of the elderly. Essential nutrients such as high protein, calcium, and vitamin D should be included to support the health of the elderly.

 

Safety and Quality Management

Manufacturers of elderly-friendly food must adhere to quality and safety management standards, including:

• Ensuring the safety of raw materials.
• Maintaining cleanliness and hygiene in the manufacturing process.
• Conducting microbial and hazardous substance testing.
• Providing clear labeling on product packaging for easy readability by the elderly.

Labeling and Advertising

Elderly-friendly food products must display the following information prominently:

• Product name and grade.
• Nutritional information table.
• Consumption instructions and precautions.
• Shelf-life and storage instructions.

Advertising must accurately convey the characteristics and benefits of elderly-friendly food without exaggeration. False advertising is strictly prohibited.

 

Certification Process

To obtain the Food and Drug Administration's certification mark for elderly-friendly food, the following steps must be followed:

• Product development and testing to ensure compliance with relevant standards.
• Submission of certification application and necessary documentation to the Food and Drug Administration.
• Examination and verification of product quality and safety by the Food and Drug Administration.
• Granting of certification mark if the standards are met, allowing the mark to be displayed on the product.

 

※ Food and Drug Administration - Food Labeled for the Elderly

1) Definition

    'Food labeled for the elderly (elderly-friendly food)' refers to food falling within sections 1 to 24 of the 'Standard and Specification by Food Type,' including snacks, bread, cakes, up to other food items (excluding processed products), which are marked for consumption by the elderly to aid in the consumption, digestion, and other aspects of the elderly by adjusting the properties of the food, facilitating digestion, modifying components or forms for easy consumption, or adjusting nutritional content.

 

2) Requirements for Ingredients, etc.

 

3) Manufacturing and Processing Standards

    (1) Manufacturing and processing should consider the elderly's abilities in consumption, digestion, absorption, metabolism, excretion.

    (2) To prevent harm from microorganisms, fruits and vegetables should be thoroughly washed, disinfected with approved sterilizers, and then cleaned thoroughly with clean water (excluding fruits and vegetables consumed with the peel removed, those treated with heat after washing, or those undergoing processing).

   (3) Meat, edible eggs, or animal-derived seafood used as raw materials should be adequately heated to ensure thorough cooking (excluding products meant for consumption without further heating).

   (4) To aid in the consumption of the elderly, products should be manufactured and processed to be suitable in the following ways.

       ⓛ Products must combine raw materials or add nutrients to ensure that the product contains three or more nutrients among protein, vitamins A, C, D, riboflavin, niacin, calcium, potassium, and dietary fiber per 100g, exceeding 10% of the recommended intake or adequate intake of adult males aged 65-74 according to Korean Dietary Reference Intakes General Test Method 12, Label 12.10. In cases of products targeting specific gender or age groups, the respective dietary intake standards of that population group can be used. Elderly nutrient supplement foods shall be manufactured according to '5. 10. 10-7 3).'

       ② Products should be manufactured with a hardness of 500,000 N/m2 or less to facilitate consumption by the elderly.

 

4) Specifications

       ① Coliform bacteria group: n=5, c=0, m=0 (for sterilized products).

       ② Coliform bacteria: n=5, c=0, m=0 (for non-sterilized products).

       ③ Hardness: Below 500,000 N/m2 (for hardness adjustment products).

       ④ Viscosity: Over 1,500 mpa·s (for liquid products with hardness below 20,000 N/m2).

 

Source: Standards and Specifications for Food Directive Special Edition (No. 2024-22, May 17, 2024)

• Provision 3: Standards and Specifications for Foods labeled for infants, children, the elderly, or alternative foods sold as such https://mfds.go.kr/brd/m_211/view.do?seq=14828&srchFr=&srchTo=&srchWord=%EC%8B%9D%ED%92%88&srchTp=0&itm_seq_2=0&multi_itm_seq=0&company_cd=&company_nm=&Data_stts_gubun=C9999&page=1

Source: Children's Social Welfare Meal Management Support Center - Social Welfare March Health Information Magazine (Understanding Elderly-Friendly Foods) https://dietary4u.mfds.go.kr/board.es?mid=ok0501000000&bid=OK07&list_no=52696&act=view

 

Source: Korea Health Industry Development Institute - Elderly-Friendly Industry Support Center https://www.khidi.or.kr/board?menuId=MENU00319