The Need for New Product Development in Food Packaging to Cater for Sensory Decline and Compromised Nutritional Status in Elderly Consumers in Ireland
Dr Paula Conroya, Dr Maurice O Sullivanb and Prof Joe Kerryb
aAtlantic Technical University, Galway
bUniversity College Cork, Cork.
The ageing population can be seen as one of the greatest successes of public health. A key challenge is not only the extension of life expectancy but to ensure those extra years are healthy and disability free for as long as possible. Providing food and nutrition for older consumers requires an awareness of physiological and nutritional status. One barrier faced by the elderly population is reading labels and opening and closing food packaging in a safe manner due to sensory decline.
The objectives of this study were two-fold.
1. To assess the general attitudes of the Irish elderly to commodity packaging
2. Evaluation of novel packaging concepts
The packaging concepts employed contained in a control format (vacuum packaged meal), Torus Pak® and a Cryova Darfresh® vacuum-skin packaging technology. Hand grip strength was measured using a dynamometer, to assess health status and to use this measure as a means of quantifying the elderly assessment of package open ability.
Consumer age had a significant impact on the choice and rating of packaging. The size of label printing and the use of sharp objects to open packaging were rated as the most prevalent problems associated with food packaging. The incidences of injury sustained because of opening food packaging with a sharp object was directly related to age. Ready-meal packaging and carton-based packaging were described as the most difficult packaging to open by participants. In this study, the two experimental food packaging systems were both preferred by the elderly over the control.
When offered packaging materials and systems that provide aspects of convenience, like ease of opening, they will clearly choose such systems.
This study indicates a need for change. The food packaging currently in Ireland is not safe for older consumers. It leaves them at great risk of injury, misunderstanding of expiration dates and a lack of knowledge around the actual product and nutritional status. This study illustrates that it is possible to include age friendly NPD of food packaging and there will potentially be an uptake for it in this age cohort.

**The Need for New Product Development in Food Packaging to Cater for Sensory Decline and Compromised Nutritional Status in Elderly Consumers in Ireland**
Dr Paula Conroya, Dr Maurice O Sullivanb and Prof Joe Kerryb
aAtlantic Technical University, Galway
bUniversity College Cork, Cork.
The ageing population can be seen as one of the greatest successes of public health. A key challenge is not only the extension of life expectancy but to ensure those extra years are healthy and disability free for as long as possible. Providing food and nutrition for older consumers requires an awareness of physiological and nutritional status. One barrier faced by the elderly population is reading labels and opening and closing food packaging in a safe manner due to sensory decline.
The objectives of this study were two-fold.
1. To assess the general attitudes of the Irish elderly to commodity packaging
2. Evaluation of novel packaging concepts
The packaging concepts employed contained in a control format (vacuum packaged meal), Torus Pak® and a Cryova Darfresh® vacuum-skin packaging technology. Hand grip strength was measured using a dynamometer, to assess health status and to use this measure as a means of quantifying the elderly assessment of package open ability.
Consumer age had a significant impact on the choice and rating of packaging. The size of label printing and the use of sharp objects to open packaging were rated as the most prevalent problems associated with food packaging. The incidences of injury sustained because of opening food packaging with a sharp object was directly related to age. Ready-meal packaging and carton-based packaging were described as the most difficult packaging to open by participants. In this study, the two experimental food packaging systems were both preferred by the elderly over the control.
When offered packaging materials and systems that provide aspects of convenience, like ease of opening, they will clearly choose such systems.
This study indicates a need for change. The food packaging currently in Ireland is not safe for older consumers. It leaves them at great risk of injury, misunderstanding of expiration dates and a lack of knowledge around the actual product and nutritional status. This study illustrates that it is possible to include age friendly NPD of food packaging and there will potentially be an uptake for it in this age cohort.

LB2 - The Need for New Product Development in Food Packaging to Cater for Sensory Decline and Compromised Nutritional Status in Elderly Consumers in Ireland.

Unique to the new Congress (previously the Summer Conference) is that you will have greater opportunity to engage with more nutrition science than ever before. In 2024 the core programme will be delivered by the Irish Section of The Nutrition Society, supported by the Science Committee. The theme of these symposia will be ‘new data – focused approaches and challenges’. Outside of the core programme you will have the chance to hear the latest research from the Society’s partner organisations, universities, the private sector and more, on a diverse range of research.