[Wellness Dining] 'Mousse Soft Delivered Meal' Wins Gold Award in the Elderly Meal Delivery Category at the 'Care Food / Smile Care Food Contest'
Wellness Dining's 'Mousse Soft Delivered Meal' won the Gold Award in the food category for people with swallowing difficulties at the 11th Care Food / Smile Care Food Contest, recognized for combining softness with the joy of eating.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 23, 2026 at 19:20
- 🔍 Collected: April 23, 2026 at 11:01
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 24, 2026 at 01:54 (14h 53m after Collected)
Wellness Dining Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Sumida-ku, Tokyo, CEO: Tetsuhiro Nakamoto) announces that its "Mousse Soft Delivered Meal" has won the Gold Award in the food category for people with swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) at the "11th Care Food / Smile Care Food Contest."
■ Product Overview
[Award-Winning Product]
Mousse Soft Delivered Meal
[Award Category]
Food category for people with swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) (Gold Award)
[Product Description]
This is a delivered meal where ingredients are softly finished into a mousse state so that even those whose chewing and swallowing abilities have declined can eat with peace of mind. By paying close attention to appearance, taste, and aroma, we aim to create products that are not bound by the traditional image of "care food."
Click here for details on the Mousse Soft Delivered Meal.
■ Growing Need for "Soft Meals"
Japan is facing a super-aging society unparalleled in the world. According to the Cabinet Office's "Annual Report on the Aging Society 2025," the elderly aged 65 and over account for nearly 30% of the total population.
Against this backdrop, as the population ages, the need for meals that consider the decline in swallowing function is increasing year by year. A decline in swallowing function not only makes it difficult to eat but also leads to serious health risks such as aspiration pneumonia. Therefore, providing meals that can be eaten safely is an extremely important issue in maintaining the health of the elderly.
On the other hand, traditional care foods have faced challenges such as being "monotonous in appearance," "tasteless," and "unappetizing." Even if nutrition and safety are ensured, if the joy and satisfaction of eating are not achieved, it can lead to a decrease in food intake and malnutrition.
What is demanded in this context is a meal that is not just "edible" but one that people "want to eat." The beauty of the appearance, the richness of the aroma, and the depth of the taste—only when all of these are present can one truly "enjoy a meal" in the true sense.
Introduction to the softness of the "Mousse Soft Delivered Meal"
■ Balancing "Softness" and "Deliciousness"
For the "Mousse Soft Delivered Meal," we have thoroughly focused on the following points:
1. Soft enough to be crushed with the tongue
The hardness is adjusted so that it can be easily crushed between the tongue and the upper palate, ensuring that even those with weak chewing power can eat with peace of mind.
2. Smooth texture that is easy to swallow
It is not just soft, but we pursue a texture that easily gathers in the mouth and passes smoothly down the throat. We have paid careful attention to every detail, from the selection of ingredients to the cooking method and the adjustment of thickness.
3. Seasoning that leverages the flavor of the ingredients
We place great importance on retaining as much of the original flavor of the ingredients as possible, which tends to be lost during the softening process. We value the taste in every step, such as how to make dashi (broth), the choice of seasonings, and the management of heating temperatures.
4. Reproducibility of appearance that stimulates appetite
As the saying goes, "we eat with our eyes," and appearance greatly affects appetite. By maintaining the form of the dish—making a chicken steak look like a steak and a fish dish look like fish—we raise expectations even before eating.
We place importance on the meal "standing as a dish" rather than just being a paste, and we conduct our development accordingly. Through numerous prototypes, we have pursued a quality that makes us think, "I can confidently serve this to my own family."
■ Comments from Wellness Dining's Registered Dietitian
Wellness Dining Registered Dietitian
The starting point of our development was the desire to change the impression that "soft meals = something to endure." From caregiving sites and families supporting meals at home, we received many comments such as, "The person is not enjoying their meals" or "I'm worried because they are eating less." Even if soft meals are provided, if the appearance is poor or the taste is monotonous, the motivation to eat inevitably declines.
Ensuring safety is a prerequisite, but meals cannot continue with just that. Because it is a daily meal, it is important that people think, "I want to eat this again."
As a concrete initiative, we held multiple discussions with the manufacturer to appropriately express the taste and flavor imagined from the menu name, aiming for a finish that "clearly conveys what is being eaten."
In addition, to ensure satisfaction for customers of all ages, we continuously make adjustments to allow people to feel the "joy of eating" by conducting tasting evaluations with staff of different age groups alongside the development team.
We believe that this award is the result of our efforts to balance "softness" and "deliciousness" being evaluated. However, this is not the goal, but a new start. We plan to continue making improvements so that more people can feel that "meals are something to look forward to."
■ Evaluation at the Care Food / Smile Care Food Contest
This product was highly evaluated at the "11th Care Food / Smile Care Food Contest" in the category...
■ Product Overview
[Award-Winning Product]
Mousse Soft Delivered Meal
[Award Category]
Food category for people with swallowing difficulties (dysphagia) (Gold Award)
[Product Description]
This is a delivered meal where ingredients are softly finished into a mousse state so that even those whose chewing and swallowing abilities have declined can eat with peace of mind. By paying close attention to appearance, taste, and aroma, we aim to create products that are not bound by the traditional image of "care food."
Click here for details on the Mousse Soft Delivered Meal.
■ Growing Need for "Soft Meals"
Japan is facing a super-aging society unparalleled in the world. According to the Cabinet Office's "Annual Report on the Aging Society 2025," the elderly aged 65 and over account for nearly 30% of the total population.
Against this backdrop, as the population ages, the need for meals that consider the decline in swallowing function is increasing year by year. A decline in swallowing function not only makes it difficult to eat but also leads to serious health risks such as aspiration pneumonia. Therefore, providing meals that can be eaten safely is an extremely important issue in maintaining the health of the elderly.
On the other hand, traditional care foods have faced challenges such as being "monotonous in appearance," "tasteless," and "unappetizing." Even if nutrition and safety are ensured, if the joy and satisfaction of eating are not achieved, it can lead to a decrease in food intake and malnutrition.
What is demanded in this context is a meal that is not just "edible" but one that people "want to eat." The beauty of the appearance, the richness of the aroma, and the depth of the taste—only when all of these are present can one truly "enjoy a meal" in the true sense.
Introduction to the softness of the "Mousse Soft Delivered Meal"
■ Balancing "Softness" and "Deliciousness"
For the "Mousse Soft Delivered Meal," we have thoroughly focused on the following points:
1. Soft enough to be crushed with the tongue
The hardness is adjusted so that it can be easily crushed between the tongue and the upper palate, ensuring that even those with weak chewing power can eat with peace of mind.
2. Smooth texture that is easy to swallow
It is not just soft, but we pursue a texture that easily gathers in the mouth and passes smoothly down the throat. We have paid careful attention to every detail, from the selection of ingredients to the cooking method and the adjustment of thickness.
3. Seasoning that leverages the flavor of the ingredients
We place great importance on retaining as much of the original flavor of the ingredients as possible, which tends to be lost during the softening process. We value the taste in every step, such as how to make dashi (broth), the choice of seasonings, and the management of heating temperatures.
4. Reproducibility of appearance that stimulates appetite
As the saying goes, "we eat with our eyes," and appearance greatly affects appetite. By maintaining the form of the dish—making a chicken steak look like a steak and a fish dish look like fish—we raise expectations even before eating.
We place importance on the meal "standing as a dish" rather than just being a paste, and we conduct our development accordingly. Through numerous prototypes, we have pursued a quality that makes us think, "I can confidently serve this to my own family."
■ Comments from Wellness Dining's Registered Dietitian
Wellness Dining Registered Dietitian
The starting point of our development was the desire to change the impression that "soft meals = something to endure." From caregiving sites and families supporting meals at home, we received many comments such as, "The person is not enjoying their meals" or "I'm worried because they are eating less." Even if soft meals are provided, if the appearance is poor or the taste is monotonous, the motivation to eat inevitably declines.
Ensuring safety is a prerequisite, but meals cannot continue with just that. Because it is a daily meal, it is important that people think, "I want to eat this again."
As a concrete initiative, we held multiple discussions with the manufacturer to appropriately express the taste and flavor imagined from the menu name, aiming for a finish that "clearly conveys what is being eaten."
In addition, to ensure satisfaction for customers of all ages, we continuously make adjustments to allow people to feel the "joy of eating" by conducting tasting evaluations with staff of different age groups alongside the development team.
We believe that this award is the result of our efforts to balance "softness" and "deliciousness" being evaluated. However, this is not the goal, but a new start. We plan to continue making improvements so that more people can feel that "meals are something to look forward to."
■ Evaluation at the Care Food / Smile Care Food Contest
This product was highly evaluated at the "11th Care Food / Smile Care Food Contest" in the category...