Dairy can support healthy ageing, with one multinational food firm setting out to demonstrate exactly this.
Danish-headquartered Arla Foods Ingredients is demonstrating how dairy products can deliver healthy ageing benefits sought by consumers in their forties and fifties.
New research shows that consumers in the 40 to 60 age range are “highly aware of the importance of nutrition to help them stay healthy and active”, the company says.
Quoting research published last year from Health Focus International, Arla noted that 50% of consumer respondents in this age group “choose products with protective or preventative health benefits”, and 65% “strongly agree that food or beverages can be used to reduce the need for medical products”.
Two of the most common health concerns in the group are age-related bone and muscle loss, which is driving interest in food and beverage products with high levels of protein and calcium.
To demonstrate how manufacturers can meet this demand, Arla Foods Ingredients has launched a new ‘Healthy Through Life’ concept, which uses three dairy recipes to “showcase the potential” of protein and calcium ingredients.
Barbara Jensen, sales development manager for dairy and bakery at Arla Foods Ingredients, said:
“Consumers in the 40-60 age group have significant buying power, and naturally many of them want use it to stay fit and active for as long as possible.
“There is increasing interest in nutrition as a strategy for healthy ageing, and in particular in everyday foods and beverages that can reduce the risk of age-related bone and muscle loss.
“By using our solutions, manufacturers can create a range of dairy products that are high in protein and calcium, contributing to the maintenance of muscle mass and bone health, and helping consumers stay healthy and active for longer.”