Ray A. Matulka
Director of Toxicology
Burdock Group Consultants, USA

There has been much work and research in the assessment child nutrition, and what is the optimal nutritive qualities that support a child’s growth and development, which has resulted in a significant increase in ingredients that may be added to infant formula to mimic breastmilk. At the other end of the age continuum, research is gaining momentum on the nutritive needs of the elderly, and what factors lead to malabsorption in this age group. Malnutrition among the elderly has become a significant issue as the number of people aged 65 or older worldwide is poised to outnumber children, a first in recorded history [1]. Recent research has found that the inability to obtain adequate nutrition by the elderly has a variety of origins; not only that the elderly do not consume enough nutrient-rich foods. While a significant factor in nutrient malabsorption by the elderly is due to a decrease in food consumption, there are actually a number of underlying physiological issues that may be contributing to decreased food consumption by the elderly.

 The flavorful taste of food is believed to enhance our quality of life, but Solemdal et al. [2] found that impaired taste a ...