EIT Food Healthy Ageing Think & Do Tank brings together strategic and delivery partners from across Europe to foster effective collaboration, knowledge sharing, and impactful initiatives that accelerate food system transformation to promote healthy ageing.
By 2030, one in six people worldwide will be aged 60 years or over, increasing from 1 billion in 2020 to 1.4 billion. By 2050, this number is expected to double to 2.1 billion, with the number of people aged 80 and older tripling to 426 million.
Aligned with other institutions like the United Nations which launched the UN Decade of Healthy Ageing (2021-2030) with the aim to improve lives of older people worldwide, EIT Food launched a new Think & Do Tank called “EIT Food Healthy Ageing”. An ambitious initiative successfully launched in Bilbao on 16 April 2024, in the context of the Food 4 Future Worldwide Summit.
EIT Food Healthy Aging Think & Do Tank
EIT Food Healthy Ageing Think & Do Tank is an independent body that engages all stakeholders within the food system, in a structured discussion to identify gaps, barriers, and opportunities as well as co-creates evidence-based roadmaps and recommends actions and policies for EIT Food Mission 1“Healthier Lives through food” to drive the food systems transformation.
A group of 45European leaders and experts from 22 universities, technology centers, and companies from 15 countries is committed to finding sustainable and economically scalable solutions for maintaining the health and well-being of the ageing population.
Mission
We strive to be the driving force behind innovative approaches addressing the health challenges of ageing, ultimately improving the life for millions of older adults across Europe.
Vision
We envision a future where the food system is fully aligned with the needs of ageing populations, ensuring that all individuals can enjoy a healthy, active, and fulfilling life.
An initiative developed through 3 working groups
Dietary Strategies for Preventing Age-Related NCDs Implement nutrition strategies to prevent non-communicable diseases such as metabolic and cardiovascular diseases, as well as cognitive decline.
Targeted approaches for healthy ageing Develop personalized nutrition plans and address specific dietary needs at different stages of life to enhance health and wellbeing.
Enhanching Wellbeing through Microbiome Health Examine the impact of diet on gut health, focusing on the benefits of biotics for maintaining a balanced microbiome, to prevent dysbiosis and disease.
Holistic Approach to accelerate transition
Research & Innovation
Explore and identify the most beneficial nutrition solutions.
Investigate physiological and sociological factors underlying the success or failure of diet and nutrition interventions.
Education
Increase public awareness on the need for early intervention.
Educate the public on how lifestyle choices are essential for preventing NCDs and maintain “functional ability”.
Policy & Advocacy
Advocate for policies that integrate healthy ageing into preventive healthcare and early intervention programs.
Engage regulators to support funding for age-related research and nutrition guidelines.
Equity & Accessibility
Ensure initiatives are inclusive across socioeconomic backgrounds.
Promote cost-effective interventions accessible to all.
Community & Collaboration
Create support networks for peer engagement.
Build partnerships with corporations, non-profits, and healthcare providers.
Think & Do Tank Participants
Think & Do Tank Steering Committee
These are the members that form the Steering Committee
Think & Do Tank President Sara de Pelsmaeker Group Health & Well-being Director at Puratos
Vice-President of the Working Group “Enhancing Wellbeing through Microbiome Health”
Prof. Luca Cocolin
Department of Agricultural, Forest and Food Sciences, PhD Food Biotechnology at University of Turin
Vice-President of the Working Group “Targeted Approaches for Healthy Ageing”
Irini Shoeman Giziakis Open Innovation Manager at Danone Group
Vice-President of the Working Group “Dietary Strategies for Preventing Age-Related NCDs”
Prof. Carsten Carlberg Leader of ERA Chair for Nutrigenomics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poland, and Professor of Biochemistry - Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Sciences
EIT Food Healthy Ageing Think & Do Tank - Position Paper
The Healthy Ageing Think & Do Tank (HAT&DT) Position Paper sets out a comprehensive vision for how food and nutrition can play a central role in enabling people to live longer, healthier and more active lives. Developed by EIT Food, the paper responds to the rapid ageing of Europe’s population and the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cognitive decline
Modulating biological aging with food-derived signals: a systems and precision nutrition perspective
Lifespan extension has not prevented age-related decline. We propose that diet acts as a molecular modulator of aging, influencing inflammation, the microbiome, and systemic resilience. Biological age markers and AI-powered multi-omics reveal actionable dietary targets, including food-derived signals and Nutrition Dark Matter. We highlight precision nutrition and the EIT Food Healthy Aging Think & Do Tank as pathways to align science, policy, and practice for healthy aging.
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