PROMISS (PRevention Of Malnutrition In Senior Subjects in the EU European Union (European Union)) was a multi-country project aiming to turn the challenge of tackling malnutrition in community-dwelling older persons into an opportunity for healthy ageing in the future.

Based on the outcomes of PROMISS, it is recommended that for optimal physical functioning, older adults should eat at least 1.0 grams of protein per kg body weight per day. However, more than half of older adults do not meet this requirement. A European-wide survey showed that while most older adults know that protein is important for health and muscles, knowledge of the recommended intake is rather poor. Older adults with one of the following characteristics are more likely to have a lower protein intake: having a poor appetite, poor smell, swallowing problems or financial limitations, being female, being physically inactive, following a diet (e.g. low salt) and being obese.

A Protein Screener has been developed that can be used to quickly screen older adults for a high risk of low protein intake. Based on these and other results, PROMISS developed optimised, sustainable and evidence-based dietary and physical activity recommendations to prevent malnutrition and support active and healthy ageing. 

Several PROMISS products highlight these recommendations, ranging from helpful tips on how to advise older adults on protein to a recipe booklet and a table with the protein content of food products available in 14 languages. These PROMISS products are freely accessible and downloadable on the project website. A video of the final conference of PROMISS provides an overview of the project and is available on Youtube.

RIVM participated in this EU European Union (European Union) project, together with 7 European universities and 1 Canadian university, two government institutes, two Universities of Applied Sciences, six companies (both SMEs and food industry) and five major European organisations in the field of nutrition, movement and/or the elderly.  The University of Amsterdam (VU) coordinated the project.