Everyone has the right to eat well – Fazer studies and develops the meals on wheels for senior citizens
Fazer aims to make food with a purpose and promote holistic well-being at all stages of life. Fazer Food Services Finland and Fazer’s research and innovation unit, Fazer Lab, study and develop the meals-on-wheels services of senior citizens in cooperation with customers and partners. The goal is to provide meal services that bring more well-being and happiness to each day.
In January 2018, Fazer asked the relatives of senior citizens about their perceptions on how well their elderly relatives eat. The goal of the survey was to gain a better understanding of the views, expectations and wishes of older people in terms of the food served at assisted living facilities and the services delivering meals to senior citizens living at home. The survey, commissioned by Fazer and carried out by Innolink, consisted of interviews conducted with 1,000 relatives of senior citizens.
The responses highlighted the fact that what the relatives of senior citizens consider important in the catering services aimed at older people is not only nutritionally good and tasty food, but pleasant and unrushed meals – and senior citizens being treated with dignity, as people.
Food is nourishing only when it is eaten
Pleasant meals and the taste, texture and appeal of food are also important in terms of nutrition: good food in a pleasant environment improves the appetite of almost anyone, and for senior citizens, the importance of these attributes is even more pronounced. According to previous Finnish studies, the nutrition of senior citizens living at home is often at risk, and only food that is eaten provides nourishment.
“Fazer’s mission is food with a purpose. Everyone has the right to eat well, and we’re developing the selection of senior citizens’ meal services not only in terms of the quality of nutrition, but also the pleasure that food can offer”, says Tuomas Nurmela, director of Public Food Services at Fazer Food Services Finland.
Meals-on-wheels services studied in Pori this summer
The summer of 2018 will see Fazer and Pori’s Social and Health Services launch a nutritional study called Power Meals for home-care customers aged 65 and over and their spouses. The aim of this study is to improve senior citizens’ nutrition, functionality and quality of life with the help of meals and snacks served at home. The study is funded by Fazer, and the results will be used in research and development work by both Pori’s Social and Health Services and Fazer.
The cooperation between Fazer and Pori’s Social and Health Services is based on shared interests: both aim to improve the nutrition of senior citizens living at home.
“We’ve been looking for a partner with the interest and skill to implement this experiment with us and also to engage customers in the development work. In the future, we want to generate well-being for people through nutrition”, says Terttu Nordman, Head of Department at Pori’s Social and Health Services.
“We do a lot of research at Fazer on how nutrition impacts overall well-being in the context of programmes such as Fazer Brainhow, which focuses on brain health. This is why the Power Meals study forms a very natural part of our operations and supports our goal of offering pleasant, nutritional food experiences for people throughout their lives”, says Marika Laaksonen, nutrition specialist at Fazer’s research and innovation unit, Fazer Lab.
Fazer delivers customized tasty and healthy meals on wheels to senior citizens under the Seniori Ateria brand.
For further information, please contact:
Fazer's media phone line is open Mon–Fri from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
tel. +358 40 668 2998
#fazerfoodservices #foodwithapurpose #fazerbrainhow #futurefood
Fazer Group
Fazer is an International family-owned company offering quality bakery, confectionery, biscuit and grain products, plant-based meals, non-dairy products, on-the-go food & drinks as well as food and café services. Fazer’s mission is Food with a Purpose. The Group operates in eight countries and exports to around 40 countries. Fazer’s success, ever since its establishment in 1891, has been based on the best product and service quality, beloved brands, the passion of its skilful people and the Group’s responsible ways of working. In 2017, Fazer Group had net sales of 1.6 billion euros and nearly 15,000 employees. Fazer’s operations comply with ethical principles that are based on the Group’s values and the UN Global Compact.
Makes the world taste good
