우리 사회에 출생률 감소와 급속한 고령화, 일자리 감소와 소득 양극화 등 사회·경제적으로 부정적인 여건이 대두되고 지속되면서 앞으로의 경제전망은 더욱 어두워지고 있다. 이러한 상황에서 정부는 경제 활성화를 위하여 미래 혁신성장동력 확보, 규제혁신 등 여러 경제정책을 종합하여 추진하고 있다. 본 연구는 일반적으로 미래 성장동력으로 쉽게 여겨지지 않는 농식품분야에서 유망한 대표적인 신산업을 대상으로 분석을 실시하였다. 고령친화식품산업과 펫푸드(Pet Food)산업에 대하여 산업 활성화를 위한 규제개선의 과제로 품질인증제 도입을 제시하고 이로 인한 경제적 효과도 예시적으로 계측하였으며, 마지막으로 이것이 갖는 경제학적 의미를 논의하였다. 두 농식품분야 신산업에서의 품질인증제 시행은 식품의 안전성을 강화하는 동시에 사회 전체 후생도 향상시킬 수 있는 방안으로 기대된다.

In this study, hardness, which is one of the most important texture properties of meat products, was investigated in order to evaluate the potential of using crushed meat products as food for seniors. The hardness of crushed meat products in the Korean market, such as hamburg steak (12 products), meatball (8 products), ddeokgalbi (rib patties, 13 products), and wanja (meat dumplings, 10 products) were analyzed through a texture analyzer. Also, the hardness of UDF 1st grade hamburg steak (Japanese care food) was assessed in comparison with the texture characteristics of crushed meat products. The mean value of hardness of 43 crushed meat products purchased in the Korean market was 64,733±12,319 N/m2 (23,650-102,780 N/m2) while the hardness of UDF 1st grade product was 50,910±4,990 N/m2. The hardness of 16 crushed meat products was not significantly different from that of UDF 1st grade products (p<0.05). On the other hand, crushed meat products had higher relative standard deviation (RSD, %) values of hardness (mean: 19.6%, from 7.8 to 43.1%) than the RSD of UDF 1st grade products (9.8%) except for three products. Therefore, crushed meat products could be a developable “food for seniors” if deviations of texture are minimized. These findings on texture properties could be an effective data base for the development and quality control of “food for seniors” using meat materials.

The objective of this study was to develop a standard for setting a legal system for senior-friendly food. We conducted a web-based survey on 95 food industry workers. Answers to 10 questions in the survey were analyzed using SPSS 19.0. Important factors to consider when it comes to food for seniors are the supply of balanced nutrition, enhancement of functionality, and promotion of convenience. A total of 47 respondents (51.1%) felt the need for a legal system for senior food, and they thought that a certification for senior-friendly food would be advantageous for companies. They said that there should be texture standards to promote ease of chewing, standards for functionality, nutritional standards, and safety standards to certify senior-friendly foods. A total of 41 people (44.6%) said that it was reasonable to classify Japanese food into five levels of senior-friendly foods according to ease of chewing. Certification management received the highest score in implementing an activation plan for senior-friendly food.

Development of elderly foods that improve health among the older population is needed. The purpose of this study was to investigate the preference of specific foods for development as elderly foods. A one-to-one survey method was used for data collection from 150 elderly people attending senior welfare centers. The results of the study showed that the preferred cooking materials were vegetables, meats and fishes; and preferred cooking method was soup and stew rather than deep-frying. The elderly preferred meats and seafood but they did not eat them frequently. The results of investigating the preference of specific foods including meats, Kimchi, nuts and rice cakes indicated that old people liked broiled meats, Chinese cabbage Kimchi, walnuts and nonglutinous rice cakes the most, and they did not feel comfortable with chewing the foods. Most respondents were not familiar with the elderly foods. Moreover, the most important factors affecting their choice of elderly foods were hygiene, nutrition and flavor