老年食品市场进入爆发前夜，但标准、功能声称等困扰仍待解

Group 1 - The elderly food market in China is expected to grow due to the accelerating aging population, but it faces systemic challenges that need to be addressed [1][2] - As of the end of 2023, the population aged 60 and above in China reached 296.97 million, accounting for 21.1% of the total population, with the aging process expected to intensify in the coming years [1] - The market for nutritional health foods is projected to reach 522.3 billion yuan in 2024, with a compound annual growth rate of 8.5% for nutritional functional foods over the next five years [2] Group 2 - There is a mismatch between the demand and supply of elderly food products in China, with few products specifically designed for the elderly and many being health supplements that do not cater to their actual needs [3] - The ordinary food sector often misrepresents products as suitable for the elderly, lacking genuine nutritional considerations [3] - The influx of participants in the health food market has led to a lack of innovation and quality, resulting in consumer distrust due to misleading marketing practices [3] Group 3 - Domestic dairy and food companies are recognizing the market opportunities in elderly food and are accelerating their investments in this sector [4] - Companies like Bright Dairy and Yili are focusing on developing functional dairy products aimed at healthy aging, but they face challenges such as a lack of standards and difficulties in claiming product functions [4] - The regulatory environment complicates the ability to make functional claims for new products, as only health foods can officially declare such benefits [4][5] Group 4 - The process of obtaining health food certifications is lengthy and challenging, which does not align with the rapidly changing market demands [5] - Companies are encouraged to innovate while simultaneously gathering research data on the elderly population to address the urgent issue of aging in China [5]