Care Food Campaign

This project aims to build a vibrant care food ecosystem in Hong Kong by launching initiatives to set standards in care food (e.g. measurement of softness), share best practices, transfer knowledge and build capacity of caregivers and market suppliers (e.g. restaurant). The initiative also hopes to set up a care food incubation fund to groom and incubate new start-ups and social innovation projects related to this area.

POLICY PARTNER

DESIRED OUTCOMES

Initial efforts are currently scattered and not co-ordinated. We hope to create a co-ordinated, inclusive and vibrant eco-system of care food industry in Hong Kong by engaging different players to participate.

Offer innovative solutions to caregivers (both institutions and domestic) and alleviate their burdens.

Enhance the quality of life of dysphagia patients and improve their health conditions.



COLLABORATION OPPORTUNITIES

A Care Food Incubation Fund is proposed which aims to facilitate the growth of more market players (e.g. R&D of care food, design and development of elderly-friendly food utensils, new service delivery model etc). Supports can be in form of grant, interest-free or low interest loan or equity)

Engage Now

Experts who have knowledge on the food innovation / technique related to the R&D and production of soft food or similar products are welcomed.

Engage Now


Policy Impact Areas
Market
Beneficiaries
Social Causes
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
  • 03 - Good Health and Well-Being
  • 09 - Industry Innovation and Infrastructure
  • 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production

BACKGROUND AND DETAILS

The problem brought by dysphagia has received an increasing public attention in Hong Kong. The negative consequences, such as weight loss have become a big concern to caregivers of elders and patients. Based on a survey finding of HKCSS in 2017, it was found that over 55% of elders in residential homes suffer from dysphagia.  Despite of the growing population, not many solutions are currently offered in the market except some trials initiated by NGOs, social enterprises and private food suppliers. It is estimated that over 0.5 million of dysphagia and cancer patients will be benefited by this movement.

This project hopes to:

  • Build up a Vibrant Care Food Sector: ‘Care food / soft food’ is still a new concept to both the demand side (caregivers and caretakers) and supply side (food producers and service providers). By developing unified standard and best practices together with key stakeholders in the field to offer various kind of support to interested parties, we wish to build up a care food sector in which eventually elders and patients with dysphagia will be served.
  • Capacity building of service providers and individual caregivers: Enhance knowledge of service providers (e.g. NGOs) and caregivers on the daily challenges faced by elders and patients with dysphagia, offer hands-on skills (e.g. cooking, feedback skills) and professional support to caregivers in need.
  • Public awareness building: Promote the concept of ‘care food’ and make solutions available in the community and raise public concern about the problems led by poor diets of elders and patient with special need.
  • Benefit people in need on individual level: Directly benefit elders and patients in the collaborating residential homes and improve their quality of life.


PARTNERS ENGAGED

  1. University of Hong Kong and Chinese University of Hong Kong: Provide academic knowledge on the development of a unified care food standard in Hong Kong (taking reference from existing practices in Japan, Europe and US)
  2. Elderly nursing homes in Hong Kong: Service providers who can take part in service delivery
  3. Culinary schools and individual caregivers: Receive training and train-up more caregivers in the community
  4. Potential food suppliers (social enterprises, private companies and NGOs): Participate in the R&D and production of care food as well as delivery of product


IMPLEMENTATION PLAN

July – Aug 2019
  • Release a survey on dysphagia to draw public and media attention
November 2019
  • Organize a Care Food Pavilion at the Gerontech and Innovation Expo cum Summit (GIES) in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre to as to attract potential customers and partners
Mid 2020
  • Secured funding to launch this Care Food Campaign




Initiative Lead
Wing Sai Jessica Tam Head, Social Enterprise Business Centre Hong Kong Council of Social Service

Jointly funded by the Hongkong Bank Foundation and the Social Welfare Department’s Partnership Fund for the Disadvantaged, the Hong Kong Council of Social Service established HKCSS ‘ HSBC Social Enterprise Business Centre in 2008, to advance social entrepreneurship and mobilize social innovation. SEBC strategically partnered with a number of professional…

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