EIT Food launches healthy aging expert group to drive innovation through food

The Healthy Ageing Think & Do Tank, led by EIT Food, unites 45 experts from 15 countries to help the food system adapt to support an increasingly older European population. These researchers, food innovators, health professionals, and policy experts will drive innovation and develop solutions that support healthier aging through food.

The independent group develops practical, science-based solutions to promote well-being, prevent diet-related diseases, and empower people to maintain autonomy as they age. 

“The European population is aging rapidly, and this brings both challenges and unique opportunities,” says Begoña Pérez-Villarreal, director of EIT Food South. “By combining culture, science, and community, food innovation can play a pivotal role in supporting healthier lives across all stages of aging. The Healthy Ageing Think & Do Tank is committed to fostering solutions that benefit society as a whole.” 

The initiative’s experts are structured into three thematic working groups: 

• Dietary strategies for preventing age-related non-communicable diseases.
• Targeted approaches for healthy aging.
• Enhancing well-being through microbiome health.

The Healthy Ageing Think & Do Tank aims to identify barriers and enablers in the food system, propose policy recommendations, and create roadmaps linking scientific evidence with tangible outcomes. 

Aging population needs

The WHO estimates that in 2030, one in six people will be 60 or older, a number that is expected to double by 2050 to reach 2.1 billion people. EIT Food underscores that poor nutrition is a cause and consequence of declining health as people age. 

The organization, supported by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), notes that many older adults face barriers to eating well. These include affordability, physical limitations, isolation, and a lack of products adapted to their specific needs. 

At the same time, improving nutrition can help or delay the onset of several non-communicable diseases, such as cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, and cognitive decline. 

The organization believes these challenges require a coordinated, interdisciplinary effort. The Healthy Ageing Think & Do Tank will develop evidence-based strategies to reduce risk factors through diet, adapt food and nutrition to changing physiological and social needs in aging, and explore how pro- and prebiotics can support immunity and digestive health. 

The initiative includes members from several organizations, such as Carbery, Delta Dairy, Danone, Roquette, LeSaffre, IMDEA Nutrición, Cargill, Matís, and Puratos, and several research institutions, such as San Pablo University (Brazil), University of Reading (UK), Austrian Institute of Technology, and Vitagora, a food innovation cluster in France. 

Developing solutions

The Healthy Ageing Think & Do Tank combines research and policy work with highlighting successful innovations and initiatives “that are already making a difference.” 

These include food products and services designed with and for older adults, projects that engage older people as co-creators of change, start-ups and SMEs working on inclusive food innovation, and educational tools and citizen engagement efforts around healthy aging. 

“We are not just discussing aging, we are co-creating solutions,” adds Sara De Pelsmaeker, president of the Think & Do Tank and Group Health & Well-being director at Puratos. “Our goal is to ensure that food systems are truly inclusive at every stage of life, turning principles into real, tangible actions.”