PROMISS · Project

Evidence-Based Food Products and Strategies to Prevent Malnutrition in Older Adults

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As people age, many quietly stop eating enough or eating the right things — and nobody notices until it becomes a serious health problem. PROMISS gathered data from aging studies across Europe and ran real-world trials to figure out the best combinations of diet and physical activity to keep older adults well-nourished. They then worked directly with food companies to create new products and meal concepts that older people actually want to eat. They also built a technology tool that helps seniors make healthier food and activity choices day to day.

By the numbers

consortium partners across Europe and beyond

countries represented in the consortium

industry partners involved in product development

total project deliverables produced

demonstration deliverables including food products and technology prototype

The business problem

What needed solving

Europe's aging population faces a growing but largely invisible problem: malnutrition among older adults living at home. Many seniors gradually eat less or make poor food choices, leading to health decline that costs healthcare systems and care providers significantly. Food companies want to serve this growing market but lack evidence-based guidance on what older consumers actually need, want, and will eat.

The solution

What was built

PROMISS delivered new food products and food concepts designed with older adults, a technology prototype that helps seniors make healthier dietary and activity choices, a masterclass with course materials for food industry and SMEs, and a roadmap that translates scientific findings into practical product development guidance for the food industry.

Audience

Who needs this

Senior nutrition food manufacturers looking for evidence-based product formulationsDigital health companies building wellness tools for elderly populationsCare home operators seeking evidence-based dietary programs to reduce malnutritionFood industry SMEs wanting to enter the growing senior consumer marketHealth insurance companies looking to fund preventive nutrition interventions

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Senior nutrition and functional foods

SME

Target: Food manufacturers developing products for the elderly market

If you are a food manufacturer looking to enter or expand in the senior nutrition segment — this project developed new food products and food concepts specifically designed with older consumer involvement. The deliverables include a roadmap that bridges scientific knowledge and product development, incorporating the wishes and capabilities of industry and SMEs. The consortium tested these with 26 partners across 12 countries, giving you a European-wide evidence base for product claims.

Health technology for aging populations

any

Target: Digital health companies building tools for elderly care

If you are a health tech company building solutions for older adults — this project developed a prototype of modern technological support that helps seniors make healthy dietary and physical activity choices. The tool was designed around persuasive technology principles and tested with real older adult users. With aging populations across Europe, this evidence-backed approach gives your product clinical credibility that competitors lack.

Elder care and assisted living

mid-size

Target: Care home operators and home care service providers

If you are a care provider dealing with malnutrition among your elderly residents or clients — this project produced practical dietary and physical activity strategies backed by intervention studies. The masterclass materials were developed specifically to support food industry and SMEs with information on dietary characteristics, food intake patterns, attitudes, and sensory preferences of older adults. These can be adapted into staff training programs for your facilities.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to license or adopt these food concepts and strategies?

The project does not publish specific licensing fees. As an EU-funded Research and Innovation Action, many results are publicly available, but commercial food products developed with industrial partners may have separate IP arrangements. Contact the coordinator at Stichting VU (Netherlands) to discuss access terms.

Can these food products be manufactured at industrial scale?

The project included 6 industry partners and 2 SMEs specifically to ensure commercial viability. The roadmap deliverable was designed to bridge scientific knowledge and product development by incorporating industry capabilities. However, the products were developed as concepts and prototypes — scaling would require further product development and regulatory approval.

Who owns the intellectual property from this project?

IP is governed by the Horizon 2020 grant agreement. The 26 consortium partners share rights based on their contributions. Food products developed in collaboration with industrial and SME partners likely have joint ownership arrangements. Specific licensing terms should be discussed directly with the coordinating institution.

Is there regulatory approval for the dietary strategies and food products?

The dietary and physical activity strategies were developed to be translated into practical recommendations for policy and health professionals at EU and Member State level. The food products were developed as concepts with older user involvement. Regulatory approval for specific health claims or novel foods would need to be pursued separately by any company commercializing these results.

How long would it take to bring these solutions to market?

The project ran from 2016 to 2021 and produced tested prototypes and food concepts. A food company with existing manufacturing capability could potentially adapt the food concepts within 12-18 months, depending on regulatory requirements in their market. The technology prototype would need further development before commercial deployment.

What evidence supports the effectiveness of these strategies?

PROMISS combined existing data from established prospective aging cohorts and national nutritional surveys from Europe and third countries with new data from short- and long-term intervention studies in older persons at risk. This dual approach — epidemiological evidence plus clinical trials — provides a strong evidence base for the dietary and physical activity strategies developed.

Is there training available for implementing these strategies?

Yes. The project produced course materials for a masterclass specifically designed to support food industry and SMEs. These materials cover dietary characteristics, food intake patterns, clinical outcomes, attitudes and sensory preferences of older adults, and the optimal dietary and physical activity strategies developed by the project.

Consortium

Who built it

The PROMISS consortium is large and well-structured for translating research into commercial products. With 26 partners across 12 countries, it brings together 11 universities providing scientific rigor, 6 industry partners ensuring commercial relevance, and 4 research organizations. The 23% industry ratio and presence of 2 SMEs indicate genuine commercial interest, though the consortium is still heavily academic. The coordinator, Stichting VU in the Netherlands, is a university — meaning industry partners were collaborators rather than drivers. For a business looking to adopt these results, the key contacts would be the 6 industry partners who helped develop the food products and concepts, as they understand both the science and the market requirements.

STICHTING VUCoordinator · NL
FRIEDRICH-ALEXANDER-UNIVERSITAET ERLANGEN-NUERNBERGparticipant · DE
HELSINGIN YLIOPISTOparticipant · FI
UNIVERSITE DE SHERBROOKEparticipant · CA
NEDERLANDSE ORGANISATIE VOOR TOEGEPAST NATUURWETENSCHAPPELIJK ONDERZOEK TNOparticipant · NL
UNIVERSITEIT GENTparticipant · BE
STICHTING HOGESCHOOL VAN ARNHEM ENNIJMEGEN HANparticipant · NL
OSTERREICHISCHE PLATTFORM FUR INTERDISCIPLINARE ALTERNSFRAGENthirdparty · AT
UNIVERSITY OF NEWCASTLE UPON TYNEparticipant · UK
KATHOLIEKE HOGESCHOOL VIVES ZUIDparticipant · BE
RIJKSINSTITUUT VOOR VOLKSGEZONDHEID EN MILIEUparticipant · NL
EUROPEAN UNION GERIATRIC MEDICINE SOCIETY AISBLparticipant · BE
BLONK MILIEU ADVIES BVparticipant · NL
STICHTING AMSTERDAM UMCparticipant · NL
AGE PLATFORM EUROPEparticipant · BE
SYDDANSK UNIVERSITETparticipant · DK
GOETEBORGS UNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
HASKOLI ISLANDSparticipant · IS

How to reach the team

Stichting VU (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam), Netherlands — a higher education institution that coordinated the 26-partner consortium

Order a report on this consortium See STICHTING VU profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to connect with the PROMISS team about their senior nutrition food concepts or technology prototype? SciTransfer can arrange a direct introduction to the right partner in the consortium.

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