Improving sensory quality of food product to meet the elderly’s preferences: which winning strategy?

Having a "good" diet counts as an important factor for healthy ageing. Beyond nutritional aspects, a "good" diet, also contributes to maintain “eating pleasure”, an essential component in food intake mechanism. The present study aims to assess the impact of changes related to texture, taste and flavor on food acceptance in the elderly. The adopted strategy was to orientate the products modifications based on elderly’s expectations. A qualitative approach (focus group and face-to-face interviews) was carried on with a first elderly panel (>65 yo) to collect suggestions about sensory improvements that can be made in a meat dish with a normal texture, in a meat dish with a modified texture and…