What do you consider to be the highest priority in addressing malnutrition in an ageing population?

 

The UK’s older population is anticipated to grow in coming years. In order for older consumers to enjoy a longer and better quality of life it is important to ensure that the influences on both under and over nutrition are considered.  It is therefore important to help ensure that as the profile of the population ages consumers have sufficient knowledge, skills  and support to choose, cook and eat safe and healthy food whether they live independently or rely on others for support, including that support from relatives, friends, carers, local or central government. The Food Standards Agency’s role with respect to malnutrition is therefore one related to prevention.

 

What have you recently undertaken or valued to help improve food access or the nutrition of older people?

 

The Food Standards Agency looks to develop, pilot, implement and evaluate strategic activity to help all consumers choose, cook and eat safe, healthy food.  We look to achieve our aims through working to influence food available, the information and skills people have to choose and cook this food and the environment in which people make these choices.  Our current activity includes active engagement with food manufacturers, retailers and the catering sector to influence the nutritional content of food available to consumers through a range of outlets.  Over recent years this has led to reductions in salt content of many products and ongoing discussions in relation to saturated fat. 

 

Coupled with this activity with the food industry the Food Standards Agency has developed campaigns to raise awareness of the health implications of consuming too much salt and saturated fat, as well as tips to help reduce the consumption of products high in these nutrients.  Such developments have included the development and promotion of front of pack labelling such that consumers can see at a glance which products contribute most to high intake of these nutrients and can make informed choices about their purchases.  Current work with the catering sector are already achieving reformulation of menus as well as looking towards provision of nutrition labelling of menus, with calories being the first step.

 

For older consumers who eat food provided by major institutions, the Food Standards Agency has produced food and nutrient based guidelines that help caterers meet the nutrient requirements of older people, and in particular that help address issue of nutrients consumed both in excess and in insufficient quantities.  This advice maintains the energy requirements which are an important requirement such that it helps to prevent malnutrition in the older population.  In May 2008 the Food Standards Agency  launched a Safer food, better business (SFBB) supplement designed to help small caterers and staff working in care homes across the UK prepare and cook safer food for their residents. Older people can be more vulnerable to illness, and so extra measures need to be put in place to ensure food safety is managed effectively. The supplement was designed to be used with the main SFBB pack for caterers. It provides additional safe methods that cover specific food safety issues found in care homes, such as handling laundry, the safe storage of medicines and receiving food donated or given as gifts. The Agency is currently conducting action research to investigate the barriers and solutions to adopting this guidance in older people’s care settings.

 

The Food Standards Agency provides technical advice and support to other Government Departments to support schemes promoting appropriate catering in different settings including, for example, the Scottish HealthyLiving Award,

the Welsh Healthy Options Award and the developing Healthier Food Mark in England.

 

The Food Standards Agency produces a leaflet for older people called the Good Life, which is available; both free of charge and can also be downloaded from the eatwell website.

 

The Food Standard Agency continues to work with relevant Government Departments in each of the four UK countries to provide the evidence base for policy decisions and continues to support action in each of the four UK countries to improve the food provision and dignity in social care settings.  Activity to support our remit in this area also includes commissioning of research where gaps in the evidence base are apparent to support action to overcome barriers to achieving a balanced diet that meets the needs of the UK population; this has, in the past, included intervention research with older people and modelling of the impact of fortification of flour with folic acid on older people.

 

 

What are your future plans to address issues raised by the Summit?

 

The Food Standards Agency will continue its work to influence people, products and the environment as detailed above with continuing work to provide information to consumers, work with food manufacturers, retailers and caterers to improve the availability of healthier options, with local authorities to help spread good practise and stimulate interest and ideas through the Food Vision partnership with LGA, LACROS, IDeA and CIEH, and with other Government Departments to identify strategic levers to improve food availability to meet the needs of all sectors for the UK population, including older people, work with major institutions to advise on the provision of appropriate nutrition and look to influence the wider environment to support active, healthier lifestyles for UK consumers.  For more information about the policy and research activity of the Food Standards Agency see [the FSA’s strategic plan on] food.gov.uk 

 

Due to the increase in cases of listeriosis in the over 60 age group Food Safety Week 2009 will focus on targeting that age group with relevant food hygiene messages, particularly providing advice on the safe storage and handling of food.   The 2009/10 grants to Local Authorities for food hygiene and healthy eating Initiatives will also focus on promoting good food hygiene among older people.  In addition, we are currently commissioning research to more accurately identify the “at risk” population among the over 60s and to refine our understanding of host factors implicated in increased susceptibility to infection with Listeria.

 

 

The Food Standards Agency plans to continue within our wider remit to help improve population health and wellbeing through helping older people, their relative, friends and carers choose, cook and eat safe, healthy food thereby contributing towards longer, healthier lives.