Differences between food for patients, health functional foods, and senior-friendly foods

Patients with chronic diseases such as diabetes and kidney disease need to be careful about what they eat. In order to help with their diet, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety has established standards for food for patients in the food classification other than medicines and health functional foods.

                       

This time, we will learn about food for patients.

1. The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety regulates processed products other than fresh agricultural products that can be eaten by humans as food codes in the Food Sanitation Act. Special medical food can be considered food for patients, and special nutritional food also has separate standards. In terms of packaging, it is produced in cans or pouch bags after sterilization in a lettuce form, and it is produced and supplied more hygienically because it is fed directly through the throat through a tube. ​ 2. The market for food for patients (food for special medical purposes) is growing rapidly as it was created in the Food Codes according to modern trends due to reasons such as special ingredient restrictions for each patient, but it is not active among the general public except for related patient families, but it seems to be gradually spreading as they become aware of it. It is also promising as a silver industry, and not only large corporations but also medium and small businesses are implementing or planning to do so. Related development and supply companies include large corporations such as Daesang, Pulmuone, and Samyuk Foods, as well as venture companies. 3. The differences between food for patients, health functional foods, and elderly-friendly foods are as follows. 1). Food for special medical purposes (food for patients) Food for special medical purposes (Chapter 11 of the Food Code) refers to food manufactured and processed to be supplied through oral or tube feeding to replace part or all of a meal for people who have limited normal intake, digestion, absorption, or metabolism ability, or who have different nutritional needs from the general public due to disease, surgery, etc., and who need sufficient nutritional supply or need restriction or supplementation of some nutrients. 2). Special nutritional food Previously called 'special purpose food', it is manufactured and processed by mixing food and nutritional ingredients for specific subjects who require special nutritional management, such as infants, obese people, or pregnant or lactating women (Chapter 10 of the Food Code), and includes infant formula, food for pregnant or lactating women, and formula for weight control. ​ 3). Health functional food Health functional food is generally a food consumed for the purpose of maintaining and improving health and preventing specific diseases, and contains specific nutrients or functional ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, dietary fiber, and lactic acid bacteria, and is a product recognized as being helpful for health. (Omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics) 4). Senior-friendly food Senior-friendly food is food developed considering the characteristics and nutritional needs of the elderly population. It is provided in a form that is easy to swallow and digest for the elderly who have difficulty chewing and swallowing, and includes products with increased calcium, vitamin D, and high protein content to supplement nutrients that the elderly are likely to lack and reduce the risk of age-related diseases such as osteoporosis or muscle loss.

A total of 227 products are designated according to the Senior-friendly Industry Promotion Act.