Silver-Friendly Food Awards: Non-Sticky Yuanzai Kuei Evokes Elderly Dietary Memories

Taipei, June 25 (CNA) The Ministry of Agriculture held the 2026 Silver-Friendly Food Awards ceremony today, with 18 products standing out. These products not only meet the nutritional needs and ease of chewing for the elderly but also evoke their dietary memories, such as non-sticky yuanzai kuei.

Deputy Minister of Agriculture Hu Chung-yi stated that 11 years ago, observing Taiwan's aging trend, he began collaborating with the Food Industry Research and Development Institute to encourage businesses to develop silver-friendly foods. Taiwan has now entered a super-aged society, with the population aged 65 and above accounting for over 20%. Coupled with the declining birthrate, the demand for silver-friendly foods will continue to grow.

Hu Chung-yi pointed out that a major highlight of this year's award-winning products is that they break the stereotype of elderly meals being limited to porridge and can awaken the dietary memories of seniors. For example, Chimei Foods' developed "Non-Sticky Yuanzai Kuei" uses domestic black rice and taro to reduce the high stickiness of traditional glutinous rice desserts, making it easier for many elderly individuals, especially those wearing dentures, to re-experience the deliciousness of traditional snacks.

Other award-winning products include "Taro and Fish Rice Noodles" and "Sesame Oil Chicken Rice" from Xian Yong Enterprise; "Frozen Whitebait Radish Cake" developed by Xi He Foods; and "Local Peanut Crispy Soy Milk Ice Cream" launched by Taiwan Housewives' Association.

Hu Chung-yi mentioned that to deepen the connection between local agriculture and processing technology, the proportion of Taiwanese agricultural raw materials used in this year's participating products was increased from 10% to 15%. However, the award-winning products all used over 35% domestic raw materials, with 14 exceeding 50%. The goal is to have all products exceed 50% next year.

According to a survey by the Food Industry Research and Development Institute, over the past 11 years, silver-friendly foods that have been shortlisted have used a cumulative total of 1.57 million tons of domestic agricultural products. In the initial years, the output value was only NT$100 million to NT$200 million, but this year it has exceeded NT$5.6 billion.

Hu Chung-yi noted that this year attracted 94 businesses and 221 products, with 60% having participated in previous selections. This indicates that silver-friendly foods have shifted from a short-term niche market to medium-to-long-term brand management, and have attracted two major convenience store chains, FamilyMart and Uni-President, to invest in development. The hope is that more silver-friendly foods will enter families and communities in the future, jointly creating a happy dining table for all ages. (Edited by Chang Ya-ching) 1150625

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