Accessible Nutrition for Australia’s Ageing Population

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One of the biggest challenges facing Australia is that of the nation’s ageing population.

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Over the next several decades, population ageing is projected to have significant implications for Australia’s economic, infrastructure, social and health needs. Solutions and strategies need to be put in place to combat these challenges and encourage positive ageing.
One of the issues associated with the ageing population is the provision of accessible and quality nutrition. We know that the number of people in Australia aged 65 and over has tripled in the last fifty years, rising to 3.4 million in 2014¹ (over 14% of the population). The most commonly reported condition affecting half of all people aged 65 and over²⁺ is arthritis.
Unfortunately, Australia’s oldest demographic segments are often overlooked when it comes to nutrition and packaging design.
Hard-to-open food packaging is not uncommon, especially in aged care and hospital facilities. This represents a source of frustration for patients and a potential barrier to nutrition.
The SPC ProVital range of high quality, portion control fruit cups has been specifically designed for Australia’s ageing population, in collaboration with leading health care professionals. The range provides accessible and nutritious fruit snacks to patients with fine motor skills difficulties and/ or difficulty swallowing.
Three NEW flavours - Apple & Strawberry, Apple & Banana, and Peach & Vanilla - are also being introduced to the SPC ProVital puree range from June 2016 offering even more variety for menu rotation and a wider range of delicious and nutritious options for patients.
Key feature of the  SPC ProVital portion control fruit cups:

• Portion controlled to deliver one serve of fruit


• Clear instructions for opening


• A textured and lengthened pull tab for easier grip


• Optimised seal to reduce opening force


• Decagon shape for easier grip


• Smaller grip span for easier hold


• Easy to locate and read best before date


• Extra-large font for improved legibility

References
1.  Australian Institute of Health and Welfare 2015 (http://www.aihw.gov.au/ageing/) Accessed 23 September 2015.
2.  AIHW 2014. Australia’s health 2014. Australia’s health no. 14. Cat. no. AUS 178. Canberra: AIHW.
About SPC
SPC Ardmona has been committed to bringing premium packed fruit and vegetables to Australians for nearly 100 years. The company’s iconic food brands, Ardmona^®, GOULBURN VALLEY^®, IXL^®, SPC^® and TAYLOR’S^® are strong performers in their product categories and are further developed and supported by continued investments in both marketing and product innovations. SPC Ardmona is owned by Australian-listed company Coca-Cola Amatil.
About SPC ProVital: SPC ProVital delivers a range of expertly tailored and nutritionally optimised fruit products to help you maintain vitality, health and wellness, while enjoying the delicious taste of Australian fruits.
About SPC ProVital: SPC ProVital delivers a range of expertly tailored and nutritionally optimised fruit products to help you maintain vitality, health and wellness, while enjoying the delicious taste of Australian fruits.
SPC ProVital is a trade mark of SPC Ardmona
To place an order please contact your preferred local distributor. For further product information, please contact SPC on 1800 805 168.