Coordination Action Call 1 NUTRI-SENEX An appetite for life

Declining birth rates and longer life expectancy in heart, but if you only eat small meals, foods with developed countries mean that their populations are high nutritional density may give you more energy. ageing at a rapid rate. is the world’s most One aim of NUTRI-SENEX is to examine the ‘one diet affected region, with a projectionnutrition of one in three fits all’ concept in relation to the nutritional needs Europeans over the age of 60 by the middle of this foodof older safetypeople. century. Many frail elderly will need to live in care homes, placing a growing economic burden on people of working age. Research needs coordination

This burden would be eased if people could stay The European Commission already supports healthy and active in later life – adequate nutrition is several projects in this area and NUTRI-SENEX known to be one of the most significant factors in a partners are prominent in this research field. Current good quality of life for the elderly. Yet elderly people EC projects include: HEALTHSENSE-CHOICE, often become undernourished, a condition which quality food leads looking at how factors such as changes in sensory to a more rapid decline in their health and well-being. perception affect what the elderly choose to eat; A three-year Coordination Action, NUTRI-SENEX, CROWNALIFE, investigating intestinal micro- (Improving the quality of life of elderly people by organisms in old people to help in designing food coordinating research into malnutrition of the elderly) priorities and functional foods to benefit their will bring together the results of EU research intestinal flora; VITAGE, examining the role of fat- programmes into better nutrition for old people. It will soluble vitamins in the diet and how this changes produce recommendations, survey health legislation, with ageing; and SENIOR FOOD, studying old and develop guidelines for functional foods. The result people’s organicattitudes to food, farming including delivered meals, will be greater awareness of the problems faced by convenience foods and snacks. the elderly and should indicate how best to meet their nutritional needs. This work is largely based in academic institutions, so it will be important to convey it to the community

health of the elderly and those caring for them. For this In good taste reason, NUTRI-SENEX has a strong communication element. From the very beginning, a website will from the farm to fork from As people grow older, their senses of taste and smell publicise its aims and results. There will be become less acute, especially if they suffer from chronic workshops to explain to the health and care industries diseases. When they stop enjoying eating, they may the guidelines the network will draw up for best also lose their appetite, lose weight and become more riskpractice analysis in food preparation, as well as technology frail. One solution is to create special foods for the transfer and training workshops. The development elderly, with heightened flavour and fortified with of special food products for older people may prove nutrients. A particular problem arises in care homes, to be an attractive and growing market for the food where all residents tend to be served the same meals, industry. The involvement of organisations which regardless of personal or cultural preferences. In one take care of the elderly will be important to transfer study, nursing home residents given flavour-enhanced results to the end-users of this Coordination Action.

meals became hungrier and actually put on weight. consumers The consortium will be open to new centres of Another problem in the nutrition of the elderly is fear excellence in the field to enable it to become the of certain foods, often as the result of media coverage ERA’s leading forum for research into the nutrition of health threats. A low-fat diet may be good for the of elderly people. © European Communities, 2005 - Reproduction is authorised provided the source is aknowledged • WageningenUniversity (TheNetherlands) • UniversityofTartu(Estonia) • NIZOFoodResearch(TheNetherlands) • SabadellGentGran,CentredeServeis,SA • InstitutetförLivsmedelochBioteknik(Sweden) • WBITechnologyLtd.(Ireland) • Campden&ChorleywoodFoodResearch • UniversitätWien() • SendatekSL(Spain) • Justus-Liebig-Universität,Gießen() • DeutschesInstitutfürErnährungsforschung • Ludwig-Maximilians-UniversitätMünchen • King'sCollegeLondon(UK) • TTZBremerhaven(Germany) • ChalexResearchLtd.(UK) LIST OFPARTNERS (Spain) Association (UK) (Germany) (Germany) • Institutpostgraduálníhovzde • BIMBOSA(Spain) • PolishAcademyofSciences() • FindusR&DAB(Sweden) • InnovativeQualifikationinderAltenpflege • MBTecnicaLtd.(UK) • FrostaAG(Germany) • UniversitéClaudeBernardLyon1() • ASAPGmbH(Germany) • UniversityCollegeCork(Ireland) • DeutscheSeeGmbH&Co.KG(Germany) • UniversityofDerby(UK) • TechnologyCodesLtd.(Ireland) • KarolinskaInstitutet(Sweden) • LeatherheadFoodInternational(UK) • AgeConcernTorbay(UK) • UnileverNederlandBV (TheNetherlands) Food Qualityand Safety-CallFP6-2002-Food-1 (Germany) zdravotnictví (CzechRepublic) EU contribution: rosanna.d’[email protected] Rosanna D’Amario, EC ScientificOfficer: [email protected] Chalex Research, Mark Pullinger, Project co-ordinator: Website: Contract n°: Acronym: malnutrition oftheelderly coordinating researchinto of lifeelderlypeopleby Full title: www.nutri-senex.com Improving thequality NUTRI-SENEX CT-2004-506382 € 1.01m ¬lávání ve