Spain Launches Collaborative Effort To Create Healthier Diets For Elderly Population

As part of the SENIFOOD project funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, research organizations and companies are collaborating to develop nutritionally balanced diets and foods targeting a growing aging population. The plan is to create ingredients and diets that will help reduce the incidence of metabolic syndrome, a precursor to diabetes; improve bone, muscle, gastrointestinal, visual and cognitive health; and to reduce neurodegenerative disorders. The issue of elder health is a pressing one in Spain, where older people comprise 17 percent of the population. Involved in the collaboration are functional ingredients companies, food manufacturers, a manager of nursing homes, and 25 technological centers and universities.