A total of 140 food products have in the past two years been awarded the Eatender label for senior-friendly products, the Food Industry Research and Development Institute said yesterday.
The label is awarded to products that are easy to chew, even for people who have lost their teeth, institute director-general Liao Chii-cherng (廖啟成) said, adding that the applications of 35 food products are under review.
These products, if awarded the label, could generate revenue of more than NT$300 million (US$10.53 million), Liao said, adding that food products with the label can be exported to Hong Kong and Japan.
Photo: Chien Hui-ju, Taipei Times
This would not only spur the development of more senior-friendly products, but also help the nation’s agricultural industry find new markets, Liao said.
This year, the institute has selected 150 senior-friendly food products for a competition held by the Council of Agriculture, which assesses the nutrition value, texture and packaging of senior-friendly foods made from local produce, the institute said.
Winners of the competition were announced at the Taipei International Food Show, which ended yesterday.
Council of Agriculture Deputy Minister Chen Junne-jih (陳駿季), who presented the awards, said that as Taiwan is set to become an ultra-aging society, it is increasingly important to focus on the taste and dietary needs of older people.
“We host the competition to promote the nation’s agricultural products, which can be used to prepare healthy food for older people,” he said.
The winners were steamed beans from UTC Food Corp, chicken breast cooked with sesame oil from Taiwan Farm Industry Co, rice cakes with frozen milkfish from Ban Ten Co and chicken breast from Orientalbest Foods Co.
“Overcooking chicken breast affects how older people chew and swallow. Our chicken breast is prepared with sesame oil and tastes fresh,” Taiwan Farm Industry Co chairman Chang Hua-hsin (張華欣) said.
The first two F-16V Bock 70 jets purchased from the US are expected to arrive in Taiwan around Double Ten National Day, which is on Oct. 10, a military source said yesterday. Of the 66 F-16V Block 70 jets purchased from the US, the first completed production in March, the source said, adding that since then three jets have been produced per month. Although there were reports of engine defects, the issue has been resolved, they said. After the jets arrive in Taiwan, they must first pass testing by the air force before they would officially become Taiwan’s property, they said. The air force
GLOBAL: Although Matsu has limited capacity for large numbers of domestic tourists, it would be a great high-end destination for international travelers, an official said Lienchiang County’s (Matsu) unique landscape and Cold War history give it great potential to be marketed as a destination for international travelers, Tourism Administration Director General Chen Yu-hsiu (陳玉秀) said at the weekend. Tourism officials traveled to the outlying island for the Matsu Biennial, an art festival that started on Friday to celebrate Matsu’s culture, history and landscape. Travelers to Matsu, which lies about 190km northwest of Taipei, must fly or take the state-run New Taima passenger ship. However, flights are often canceled during fog season from April to June. Chen spoke about her vision to promote Matsu as a tourist attraction in
PAWSITIVE IMPACT: A shop owner said that while he adopted cats to take care of rodents, they have also attracted younger visitors who also buy his dried goods In Taipei’s Dadaocheng (大稻埕), cats lounging in shops along Dihua Street do more than nap amid the scent of dried seafood. Many have become beloved fixtures who double as photography models, attracting visitors and helping boost sales in one of the capital’s most historic quarters. A recent photo contest featuring more than a dozen shop cats drew more than 2,200 submissions, turning everyday cat-spotting into a friendly competition that attracted amateur and professional photographers. “It’s rare to see cats standing, so when it suddenly did, it felt like a lucky cat,” said Sabrina Hsu (徐淳蔚), who won the NT$10,000 top prize in
STRIKE: Some travel agencies in Taiwan said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group tours to the country were proceeding as planned A planned strike by airport personnel in South Korea has not affected group tours to the country from Taiwan, travel agencies said yesterday. They added that they were closely monitoring the situation. Personnel at 15 airports, including Seoul’s Incheon and Gimpo airports, are to go on strike. They announced at a news conference on Tuesday that the strike would begin on Friday next week and continue until the Mid-Autumn Festival next month. Some travel agencies in Taiwan, including Cola Tour, Lion Travel, SET Tour and ezTravel, said that they were aware of the situation in South Korea, and that group