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Older population demanding convenience in food

A new report from Canadean has found that the older population is increasingly demanding convenience when it comes to food products.

Traditionally targeted towards time-poor city workers, convenience foods have become increasingly more appealing to older consumers in recent years. Market research company Canadean say that by overlooking this market, manufactures are foregoing a large proportion of potential consumers.

Canadean's report found that 17.1 percent of food consumption was motivated by convenience in the older population. The report also made mention of ‘pack rage’ – frustration which is caused by consumers being unable to open packaging. Tight screw tops and fiddly opening mechanisms are common causes of this.

Kirsty Nolan, analyst at Canadean said that food manufacturer Emerald has taken this into account by re-engineering the packaging of its nut assortment products to include indentations on the side to improve grip, together with a shorter rotation to open the lid of product.

“Emerald is successfully targeting the aging population with a product that is not only traditional and high in protein, but that is fully accessible to its target audience,” she says.

As well as snacks, Nolan says that the need for manufacturers to develop convenient meal options is also on the rise.

“Often older people choose to eat traditional cuisines and more fresh food. Therefore, the challenge for food companies is to provide fresh, easy, convenient meal-time choices.” 

 

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