Mealtime collaboration a ‘huge stride forward’ for industry leaders

The Pure Food Co has announced a new partnership with Regis Aged Care, one of Australia’s largest aged care providers, to deliver high-quality, nutritious, and flavourful meals to residents requiring texture-modified diets.

Less than 12 months after being recognised at the Asia Pacific Eldercare Innovation Awards for its outstanding food and nutrition system that enhances the health of older adults, The Pure Food Co will introduce an array of chef-inspired meals across Regis’ 67 residential care homes nationwide.

This collaboration represents a significant milestone for the New Zealand-founded company as it expands its footprint in Australia, reinforcing its position as a leader in aged care nutrition.

The Pure Food Co co-founder and co-CEO Sam Bridgewater said partnership with Regis is built on a shared commitment to making mealtimes an enjoyable and nourishing experience for older Australians.

“Food is an absolutely essential part of the human experience, and it should nourish us, body and soul,” Mr Bridgewater said. 

“Regis understands this and we’re just so thrilled to be helping ensure that every one of their residents, wherever they are on their ageing journey, doesn’t just enjoy their food but has a memorable dining experience.” 

Generally speaking, malnutrition has been a major point of concern for residential aged care with 2024 research indicating four in ten residents are malnourished. However, those figures are lower than historic data, and it’s clear aged care providers are making positive strides.

Texture modified foods can also often be a challenge for providers if they are not providing consistent quality and nutritional value in those foods. Luckily The Pure Food Co’s range features 41% more protein and 60% more energy than comparable meals. It’s easy access to chef-developed meals. 

Now, The Pure Food Co’s specialised system has been successfully embedded into all Regis homes after the company invested more than 300,000 training hours for Regis staff.

“A partnership of this scale, with such a highly respected national operator, is a huge stride forward for our fast-growing Australian business,” Mr Bridgewater added. 

Mr Bridgewater, who started the company after his step-father became ill and couldn’t find meals he wanted to eat – slowing his recovery – said the benefits of The Pure Food Co meals speak for themselves.  

“Through our work with aged care providers and hospitals, we’ve been able to show that weight loss in residents has fallen by 38%, falls have reduced by 27% and wound care has reduced by 26%, because people are healthier and they’re healing at a faster rate,” he shared. 

Regis Managing Director and CEO, Linda Mellors, expressed enthusiasm for the partnership, emphasising its alignment with Regis’ commitment to an unbeatable dining experience for residents.

“Partnering with The Pure Food Co for this subset of meal types underscores our unwavering commitment to continuously enhance the dining experience and providing the best options for our residents,” Ms Mellors said.

“This provides Regis an exciting opportunity to create new products, offering more choice and nutritious options for residents.” 

Endorsed by speech pathologists and dietitians, the partnership is expected to bring numerous benefits including an enhanced culinary experience, increased food intake due to a broader choice, flavours and textures, improved nutrition and allergy management, improved clinical outcomes, and ongoing compliance with the latest aged care quality standards and the International Dysphagia Diet Standardisation Initiative (IDDSI) framework.