With the advent of an aging society, the topic of health and longevity has drawn the attention of the whole society. How to meet the body's needs for various nutritional components during the aging process from the aspect of nutrition and health care, so as to achieve the goal of health and longevity, has become a hot pursuit in the global nutrition and health care market.

01 Aging Promotes the Rise of Silver Economy

At present, the anti-aging nutrition and health food market is on the rise. Statistical data from overseas institutions shows that the global anti-aging nutrition and health food market size will increase from $1.4 billion in 2024 to $2.161 billion in 2034. Among them, Asian countries including China will be the largest source of growth in this market in the future. There are mainly two reasons for this: one is the continuous deepening of the aging, and the other is the enhancement of people’s health awareness.

At present, there are obvious differences between the domestic market and the mature anti-aging nutrition and health food markets abroad such as North America. Overseas products are currently subdivided into two directions: one focuses on anti-aging, emphasizing the rejuvenation of appearance and physiological functions; the other focuses on longevity, emphasizing the extension of life and overall health. In the domestic market, there are more nutrition and health foods targeting specific needs, such as enhancing immunity and promoting cardiovascular health.

02 Policies Promote the Development of the Anti-aging Industry

In recent years, China has introduced a series of policies to meet the changing needs of an aging society, including promoting the development of the anti-aging nutrition and health food industry. In January last year, the State Council issued the Opinions on Developing Silver Economy and Improving the Well-being of the Elderly, proposing to develop the anti-aging industry and promote the in-depth integration of biotechnology and the prevention of geriatric diseases. At the same time, it clearly stipulates that "enterprises are encouraged to develop health food and food for special medical purpose that are suitable for chewing, swallowing and nutritional requirements of the elderly", providing important guidance for relevant enterprises and encouraging them to strengthen research and development and introduce foods that better meet the taste and nutritional needs of the elderly.

At the same time, the policy level fully considers the specific needs of various elderly groups. Last year, the State Administration for Market Regulation issued the Dosage Forms and Technical Requirements for Filing Health Food (2024 Version) (Draft for Comments) and the Available Auxiliary Materials for Filing Health Food and their Usage Regulations (2024 Version) (Draft for Comments). The two drafts supplemented and improved the relevant product dosage forms and technical requirements of corresponding auxiliary materials and dosage forms, enriched the dosage forms of filing health foods of nutrient supplements, and added food forms such as candies, beverages, chocolates, jellies and powders that are easily accepted by the general public. It means that the elderly can take health food in the form of beverages and powders, which not only meets the nutritional supplement needs of the "silver-haired group", but also solves problems such as chewing difficulties and indigestion.

03 Diversified Products Enable Precise Anti-aging

Anti-aging involves at least four aspects: brain health, gut health, bone and muscle health and sleep health. Enterprises need to pay more attention to product research and development and innovation to ensure that products are both safe and effective. Brands need to segment the market according to factors such as different age groups and differentiated needs, and launch more targeted products to meet the needs of different consumers.

In the future, the sales channels for anti-aging products will be more diversified. In addition to traditional offline channels, online channels will play an increasingly important role. Brands need to focus on the expansion and operation of online channels to increase brand awareness and product sales.

Source: China Food Newspaper

Note: This article is compiled by Antion. Please indicate the source for reprint.