Foods for Older Adults: A Critical Review Integrating Market Evidence and Scientific Literature

Although the global older adult’s population is expanding rapidly, the market for specialized nutrition remains underdeveloped because innovation is currently limited and fragmented. This review evaluates the current state of the elderly food sector by comparing market launches with scientific literature to determine if product innovation is keeping pace with the rapidly growing aging population. Methodologically, market data (645 product launches, 2000–2025) were combined with macro-level bibliometric analysis (452,045 Scopus documents) and a micro-level subset (1,544 formulation-focused studies) and an exploratory patent screening to capture clinical, technical, and commercialization signals. Results indicate a translational gap: i) markets favor low-risk liquid dairy formats concentrated in Asia; ii) patenting activity for older-adult foods is likewise concentrated in East Asia): iii) macro-level scientific research is dominated by medical and epidemiological studies; and iv) micro-level technical scientific research is growing but remains largely confined to experimental prototypes. These findings demonstrate a structural misalignment between scientific knowledge production and scalable market execution, highlighting the importance of rapidly translating scientific knowledge into commercially viable, nutritionally adequate, and sensory-appealing foods for older adults.