EIT Food Healthy Ageing 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 45 European 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.

• 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.

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 Tank Executive Leaders

• President – Sara de Pelsmaeker, Puratos
• Vice President of Enhancing Wellbeing through Microbiome Health – Prof. Luca Cocolin, University of Turin
• Vice President of Targeted Approaches for Healthy Ageing  – Irini Shoeman Giziakis, Danone
• Vice President of Dietary Strategies for Preventing Age-Related NCDs – Prof. Carsten Carlberg, IARFR PA

Think Tank Leaders - EIT Food

• Thematic Lead - Lorena Savani, Director of Thematic Leadership (Biotech & Protein)
• Partner and Secretariat Engagement - Gulsah Uysal, Director Partnership & Corporate Services
• Partner and Secretariat Engagement - Regine Roncucci, Ecosystem Manager
• Partner and Secretariat Engagement - Alicia Abendroth, Senior Partnership Manager
• Partner and Secretariat Engagement - Paula Hafner Salina, Senior Partnership Manager

Cross-Organizational Support Team

• Fundraising: Amparo San José, Head of Network & Business Development
• Public Affairs: Flavio Antonelli, Public Affairs Manager

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

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.