Since the implementation of the second child policy, the fertility rate in China has not been as good as expected, but China's aging population is deepening at a rapid pace. According to the 2014 National Economic and Social Development Statistical Bulletin of the National Bureau of Statistics, China ’s 1.367 billion population Among them, 212 million were aged 60 and over, accounting for 15.5% of the total population; 137 million were aged 65 and over, accounting for 10.1%. According to the common international view, when a country or region has an elderly population of 60 years or older, accounting for 10% of the total population, or an elderly population of 65 years or older accounts for 7% of the total population, it means that the population of this country or region is in an aging society. At the current rate of aging in China, 30% of the country's population will be elderly in 2030. From a market perspective, the silver-haired economy that cannot be underestimated is followed, but the domestic market development in this area is still stuck in the "health products" field, and the nearly 200 million people over 65 years old Demand for aged foods is increasing.
When visiting several large supermarkets in Hangzhou, it was found that there were very few elderly foods, and a small amount of brewed foods such as old milk powder and old cereals were scattered on shelves in different regions. Consultation with supermarket staff would only point you to the health products area. In contrast, the market-friendly "baby food" has a special section in each supermarket, and some supermarkets subdivided baby food into imported baby food areas and domestic baby food areas. In addition, in well-known online shopping platforms such as Taobao, JD.com, and NetEase Koala, the search results for "senior food" are mainly concentrated in traditional foods such as "sugar-free, low-sugar" pastry products and those with antihypertensive, hypoglycemics, intestinal labels. Among health foods, there is a single variety which is however of very poor taste, low branding, and no R & D.
Why can infant foods get market segmentation development and were well promoted by major brands? Because companies have seen the attention of young parents on the growth of infants and young children, they are willing to invest in food-grade products that directly affect the growth of infants and young children and are increasingly paying attention to branded products. On the contrary, in the traditional concept, the elderly have become synonymous with diligence and thrift, and generally do not want to spend money on higher-priced products. According to estimates from related parties, the annual consumption potential of the elderly in China reaches more than 300 billion yuan, of which the spending power on food is at least 100 billion yuan annually. In addition, the 80s, who have gradually become the backbone of society, have also changed their concepts and efforts in caring for the elderly, and are more willing to spend money on the purchase of food for the elderly to improve their parents' quality of life and save their time as caregivers.
China has gradually entered an aging society. Five years later, there will be an outbreak of food for the elderly. At present, there is no corresponding representative company, but the market for elderly food is huge. Different industries can help to develop the market of senior foods in China in the future.
From the nutritional point of view, the elderly food must meet three criteria: provide the required nutrition, meet the taste of the elderly, and help regulate physiological functions. For example, the elderly also like dietary variety. They are not just satisfied with undercooked, soft dishes. They also want to eat a variety of delicious foods.
At present time in China, there are growing demands for elderly foods. Existing prepared foods in major supermarkets are completely unable to meet this market demand. A government report released in September 2016 stated that goods and services related to the elderly accounted for 8% of China's consumption structure. This market is worth 4 trillion yuan, which means that the billion-level senior food market is waiting to be developed.
Whether it is infant and toddler food, children's food, female food, pregnant woman's food, health care and functional food in China have gradually undergone important industrial development, and have a number of leading and representative enterprises. But the elderly food market is still a blank. Although the relevant institutions' expectations for 'the elderly consume one third of the gross domestic product ' are in the distant 2050, if you want to have a place in the elderly food market, it depends on how you explore the market potential. Fully understand the characteristics of the elderly group in China, develop and produce beverages, snack foods, nutritious foods, convenience foods, alcoholic beverages and corresponding senior food industry capacity that the Chinese elderly love, is waiting for your exploration.
According to incomplete statistics, China's health industry currently has an annual output value of about 560 billion yuan, a total of about 1,700 manufacturing companies, about 25,000 sales companies, and a sales scale of 90 billion yuan. The annual sales scale in 2011 is estimated to exceed 100 billion yuan. By the end of 2011, China had approved 11,862 health foods, of which 11,197 were domestically produced and 665 were imported. At the same time, the health care products and health services industry has also risen rapidly, with an output value of about 300 billion yuan. China has become an important raw material supply and entrusted producer in the world health (functional) food industry. It is expected that by 2015, the size of the entire market will surpass the United States and become the world's number one, and by 2020, the total market will exceed 450 billion yuan. At present, the development of China's health care product industry more reflects the concept of the integration of traditional health theory and modern technology. The domestic health food market presents a tripartite pattern: namely products based on traditional Chinese medicine theory and medicinal plants as raw materials; nutritional supplements based on nutrition theory and various types of nutrients as resources; Biology is the theoretical basis, a product produced through biological transformation.
According to a 2010 market survey by the China Health Care Association, the top ten most widely accepted health foods are calcium, fish oil, lecithin, spirulina, multivitamins, proteins, propolis, and natural vitamin E., garlic extract, ginkgo extract. Health products cover home rehabilitation and medical care products, massage appliances, natural personal care products, health and beauty care products, sports fitness and weight-loss equipment. In 2011, there were 31,735 food enterprises above designated size in China, with a total output value of 78.832 billion yuan at the current price of the food industry, a year-on-year increase of 31.6%. We can see that the basic dietary needs of the elderly, including rice and vegetable milk, are generally met. Although the basic food requirements of the elderly are usually met, there are also some problems in the development of the food industry related to the elderly.
First, there is a single variety of food for the elderly. In some supermarkets and stores, most aged foods are prepared and thick pastes such as walnut powder and soymilk powder. Although these foods are differentiated according to the age level of children, adolescents, middle-aged and elderly people, in fact, not many are really suitable for the taste and nutrition of the elderly. With the establishment of a well-off society, more and more elderly people's demand for food is no longer limited to a single food, thick paste and other foods.
Second, the packaging of aged foods is not designed according to the characteristics of the elderly. For example, many yoghurt and other foods suitable for the elderly need a lot of effort to open the box. The iron box packaging of the food is extremely hard, and some even need to be cut with a kitchen knife. If the elderly are not careful when eating, their hands are easily sharpened. Scratches on the knives or tin. In fact, the weakening of the elderly has prompted them to want more convenient food. In summary, the elderly foods currently on the market are difficult to meet the convenience requirements of elderly consumers.
Third, there are few restaurants for seniors. It is understood that there are more than 20,000 large and small restaurants in China, but few elderly restaurants appear, and the elderly restaurants in nursing homes are just elderly cafeterias with unreasonable nutrition. In fact, with the emergence of empty nest families, the elderly have difficulty moving, eager to appear in elderly restaurants, easy to eat, meet their own tastes and physical conditions, and can also be matched in terms of nutritional values. The survey on the characteristics of food for the elderly shows that 63.5% and 86.5% of the elderly consumers value the nutritious health care function and health and safety of the food, respectively. However, in China's catering industry, which faces the mass market, there are too few special foods that are easy to digest, can nourish and have curative effects.
It is difficult for the elderly to find a restaurant suitable for them. The elderly catering industry is a blank in the country. Questionnaires showed that 280 elderly people think that there are not many special foods suitable for elderly people in the market today, accounting for 74.1%. It can be seen that the special foods for the elderly in the market today cannot meet the food consumption needs of the elderly. In the questionnaire survey of 378 elderly people, it can be seen that 50% of elderly people think that the most needed elderly products and services are elderly foods, second only to the elderly medical care and other industries, so elderly foods are in the elderly consumption demands. It accounts for a large proportion of the elderly consumption. It can be seen that although China's food industry has been constantly developing and improving, the production of really suitable food for the elderly according to the characteristics of the elderly is far from meeting the requirements of the elderly consumers.
In short, although China's elderly food industry has been developing steadily in recent years, more than 5,000 food manufacturing companies have met the basic dietary needs of the elderly. However, the elderly food industry still has problems such as single varieties, cumbersome packaging, and insecurity. As a result, the elderly are afraid to consume some foods on the market, which has curbed the demand for elderly foods. The market surveys of rising consumer demand showed that only with the continuous improvement of social productivity and the continuous improvement of the industrial system, can consumer demand generally show a gradual upward trend. Therefore, to meet the food needs of the elderly, there is an urgent need to strengthen senior food market supervision in China. To vigorously develop the elderly food industry. At the same time, enterprises should also develop and deliver products and services that are really suitable for the elderly according to their physical and psychological characteristics.
The Office of the National Working Committee on Ageing and the China Ageing Association recently released "China's Aging Career in Progress" shows that by 2035, China's population aged 60 and over will account for more than a quarter of the total population. Around 2050, it will exceed one third of the total population, and this population size will exceed 500 million. The elderly population in China will pose a huge challenge to the elderly cause, but at the same time, the diverse needs also contain new opportunities. According to the "Aging Industry Development Report of China" issued by the National Working Committee on Aging, from 2014 to 2050, the consumption potential of China's elderly population will increase from 4 trillion to about 106 trillion-yuan, accounting for 33% of GDP. China will become the country with the largest potential in the global aging industry market. At the same time, in view of China's population aging trend, the elderly consumer groups continue to expand. In February this year, the National Health Commission issued the "National Food Safety Standards General Guidelines for Aged Food", filling the gap in domestic standards for elderly foods.
According to the General Principles, elderly food refers to improved physical properties of food and / or adjustment of the type and content of dietary (nutritive) ingredients to adapt to the physiological characteristics of elderly people with reduced chewing and / or swallowing function and to meet their diet, a special dietary food that has specific nutritional requirements. Elderly food is divided into easy-to-eat food, nutrition formula food for the elderly, nutritional supplement food for the elderly. For the development of such foods, not only the naturalness and health of the ingredients need to be improved, but also the convenience of use should be paid attention to. For elderly users, aging is a gradual process, so it is necessary to pay attention to the changes in diet during the entire physiological change process of the user, so as to carry out targeted food development. There are also some special physical conditions in different aging stages, so product development needs to be developed based on many characteristics of the population.
Studies have pointed out that elderly foods should be controlled foods targeted at the elderly. Elderly people are at high risk of diabetes and three high-risk diseases. In order to reduce the incidence of diabetes and blood glucose fluctuations in the elderly, in product development, we must not only pay attention to the sugar content of the product, but also pay attention to the glycaemic index of the food to avoid excessive blood glucose rises after meals. Food industries should develop low-sodium products for hypertensive people and add some functional ingredients to their products. Research points to the need of further development of health-care products aimed at physical degradation is needed. With the increase of age, some of the elderly's body functions deteriorate, such as prone to osteoporosis, memory loss, insomnia, and indigestion. There are currently many products targeted at such situations, such as bone strengthening, sleep aids, and digestive aids. However, the current product categories are single, mainly milk powder products. The elderly also needs rich foods. In addition to milk powder, they can also develop functional snacks such as juices, sweets, and pastries.
With the improvement of the consumption level of the elderly, in addition to products that meet the needs of the body, some products that can enhance the sense of happiness and pleasure also have potential market demand, such as products that help beauty shaping, antioxidants, and UFA, so that the elderly In addition to fullness, there are more adjustments in mental state and posture. Japan entered the aging society earlier than China and has rich experience in the development of elderly food. In Japan, elderly foods are also called "care foods", and documents such as "Food for Swallowing and Chewing Difficulties" issued by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare have classified care foods according to chewing standards, swallowing standards, soft hardness, and stickiness The elderly can choose the type of food that suits them. In the future, China's senior food market will not only focus on food development. With the release of documents such as the State Council's Medium- and Long-term Plan for Actively Coping with Population Aging, more policy and regulatory documents will also support the development of senior food products convoy.