Singapore Standard (SS) 604:2025 “Guidelines on Nutrition and Food Service for Older Adults”

SS 604:2025 provides practical guidelines for organisations delivering meals to older adults, to ensure that food provided is:

Safe

Nutritionally adequate

Appropriate for different nutritional needs

The standard supports consistent and quality food service practices across care and community settings.

SS 604:2025 was developed by a multi-stakeholder Working Group, chaired by NHG Health, under the national standardisation programme overseen by Enterprise Singapore.

Purpose

SS 604 aims to:

a) Ensure older adults receive appropriate and nutritious meals

b) Improve the quality and consistency of food services

c) Support safe food practices and nutrition care

d) Align expectations between care providers and food service providers

Scope and Application

SS 604 applies to care facilities and organisations providing food for older adults, including hospitals, nursing homes, day care centres, senior care services, meal delivery providers, and catering companies. It supports older adults who require general nutrition support, are nutritionally at risk, or require therapeutic or modified diets.

Key Areas Covered

SS 604 provides guidance in the following areas:

Nutrition care policy (including screening and monitoring)

Food safety, hygiene and quality practices

Food service practices

Menu planning and portioning

Food selection and preparation

Therapeutic diets, food fortification and nutritional supplementation

Food intolerance, hypersensitivity and allergy (FIHA) management

Key Enhancements in SS 604:2025

The revised standard introduces updates to improve practicality and relevance:

More implementation-focused with checklists and templates

Clearer roles and responsibilities across care staff, food service providers, and dietitians

Alignment with national nutrition guidelines to support healthy ageing efforts

Expanded scope of care to cover nutrition and meals provisions to seniors in the community (e.g. meal deliveries) and short-term care facilities (e.g. day-care centres, AAC)

Stronger nutrition guidance including:

Food intolerance, hypersensitivity & allergy management (new)

Nutrition screening tool (new) to help care centre operators conduct nutrition screening for seniors

Recommendations on common therapeutic diets (new) for seniors who require special diets

Recommendations for food donations (enhanced) to encourage donation of healthier food

Food hygiene & safety checklist (enhanced) to enhance food safety for seniors

Development

SS 604:2025 was developed by a multi-stakeholder Working Group comprising representatives from healthcare institutions, government agencies, institutes of higher learning, industry associations, and service providers.

Participating organisations include Alexandra Hospital, FairPrice Group, Lee Ah Mooi Old Age Home, Nanyang Polytechnic, NHG Health, National University of Singapore, NTUC Health, SATS Ltd, Singapore General Hospital, Singapore Institute of Technology, Singapore Nutrition and Dietetics Association, St Luke’s Eldercare, Thye Hua Kwan Hospital, and Vanguard Healthcare.

Availability

SS 604:2025 can be purchased from the Singapore Standards eShop at:

www.singaporestandardseshop.sg

15M Social Movement

The 15M Social Movement (“15M”) is an initiative driven by NHG Health’s aspiration to add 15 million years of healthy life to the 1.5 million residents in Central and North Singapore. While Singaporeans live to an average of 85 years, they typically spend their last 10 years in poor health. The movement's rallying call is to reclaim those years, not just individually, but collectively as healthier communities (1.5 million residents × 10 years = 15 million years). It calls on residents – as families, friends, neighbours, schoolmates, colleagues, and interest groups – to connect and act together for one another’s health.

15M Health Games

Launched in 2025 at the inaugural NHG Healthiverse, the 15M Health Games features group-based games adapted for different ages and physical abilities. This year's 15M Health Games features eight games, with a refreshed lineup of returning favourites and new adaptive experiences co-designed with community and sport partners to ensure accessibility, safety and enjoyment for participants with different abilities.

Adaptive Badminton (New): A seated game of badminton where players rally a slow-floating shuttle, promoting coordination, cooperation, and enjoyment at an easy pace.

Adaptive Water Polo (New): A gentle game of water polo for families and residents of different abilities to come together to pass and shoot with the use of floatation support, encouraging confidence, teamwork, and inclusive fun in the pool.

Cyber Cycle (New): A tech-powered cycling relay that brings competitive cycling to seniors in a safe, accessible format.

Drone Soccer (New): An exciting indoor game where teams pilot drones through a goal, sparking teamwork, discovery, and friendly competition through the use of technology.

Bonding Boccia: A light-hearted game of precision where children and seniors take turns tossing soft balls to land closest to a target, fostering connection and friendly competition across generations.

Soft Volleyball: A gentler, senior-friendly take on volleyball that encourages active play, coordination, and laughter through slower, softer rallies.

Tic-Tac Floorball: A modified version of floorball where seniors play within designated zones, promoting strategy, movement, and fun without high impact.

Walking Football: A no-running version of football where players work together to pass and score at a comfortable pace, promoting teamwork and intergenerational bonding.

15M Hungry Games

The inaugural 15M Hungry Games is launched as part of NHG Healthiverse 2026 to empower residents to cook and eat healthier versions of local food. Across 29 and 30 May 2026, 34 teams of home cooks will compete against one another to cook tastier and healthier versions of fried rice. The initiative recognises that staying active must be complemented by good nutrition and addresses the role of diet in overall wellbeing.

15M Awards

The 15M Awards recognise individuals, community groups, and organisations that have made meaningful contributions to improving the health and wellbeing of residents across Central and North Singapore. The Awards comprise two categories: the 15M Community Awards and the 15M Excellence Awards.

The 15M Community Awards celebrate residents and community groups who step up to support, connect, and organise their communities for health and wellbeing. The Awards are sponsored by GIC, with The Majurity Trust serving as award partner, providing expertise in grant management and advisory support. Each recipient receives a grant of up to S$10,000 to support their community initiative.

Nominations were reviewed by a judging panel comprising Prof Jonty Heaversedge, Chief of Population Health and Chief Clinical Information Officer (Population Health), NHG Health; Mr Martin Tan, CEO, The Majurity Trust; and Ms Celine Loh, Head of Investment Enterprise Data Solutions, GIC.

The 15M Excellence Awards recognise organisations whose initiatives demonstrate innovation, collaboration, and impact in advancing community health and wellbeing across Central and North Singapore. Each recipient receives up to S$1,000 in recognition, provided as food and beverage reimbursement for their team.

15M Community Awards: Partner Organisations

About GIC

GIC is a leading global investment firm established in 1981 to secure Singapore’s financial future. As the manager of Singapore’s foreign reserves, we take a long-term, disciplined approach to investing. Our asset allocation strategy spans three asset groups – Equities, Fixed Income, and Real Assets. These include investments in developed and emerging market equities, nominal and inflation-linked bonds, private equity, real estate, alternatives, and infrastructure. We are headquartered in Singapore, with a global presence including a talent force of over 2,300 people in 11 key financial cities and investments in over 40 countries. We seek to add meaningful value to our investments and be an investor of choice by leveraging our long-term approach, multi-asset capabilities, and global connectivity. 

About The Majurity Trust                             

The Majurity Trust is a philanthropic organisation, recognised as an Institution of Public Character, that works with donors, social impact partners and communities to build a thriving Singapore for all.

15M Community Awards: Awardees

Mr Tan Kok Chuan

Mr Tan Kok Chuan began his journey at NTUC Health Active Ageing Centre (Serangoon Central) as a participant in regular brisk walking sessions before growing into resident leadership role, organising a walking community of 40 to 50 seniors. He curated walking routes across Singapore, including Bukit Batok Little Guilin, Bukit Timah Rail Corridor, Park Connector Networks, and Walking Trails@CDC, with exploratory walks extending as far as food trails in Johor Bahru. His dedication to the community means walks continue even on days when the centre is closed — a commitment that has seen the community proudly complete a 41.7km cross-island walk from Jurong Lake to Coney Island.

 

Mr Tan has also developed initiatives such as Active Steps, Sharp Minds, where participants engage in light cognitive challenges during walks, and Grooving Down Memory Lane, where seniors revisit familiar places and bond through reminiscence — reflecting the principles of social prescribing. Beyond walking, it has grown into a genuine care network where members coordinate meals and support for one another in times of need. Seniors who once participated passively now suggest routes, organise walks, and invite others to join independently.

 

Mdm Sarimah Binte Amat

Mdm Sarimah Binte Amat is the founder of Project Pencil, a ground-up initiative that has supported underserved families and elderly in the Yishun area since 2014. She has worked closely with partners including the People's Association, Tzu Chi Humanistic Youth Centre, and Mendaki to deliver various community engagement programmes. Supported by the GIC Thriving Communities Fund under The Majurity Trust, her work addressed community gaps across the Chong Pang community, including monthly food rescue efforts, upcycling and redistribution of preloved items, and celebrations and excursions for children under the CHAMPS programme. Mdm Sarimah's community engagement includes conducting stretch band exercises under HPB's Saham Kesihatan M³, arranging transport and sourcing mobility aids for residents, and acting as a patient advocate helping neighbours navigate healthcare systems. She runs a community garden, organises annual Ramadan porridge and food distribution, and connects residents to agencies such as the Social Service Office and Singapore Children's Society. Having personally recruited and mobilised fellow neighbours as volunteers, she has built a community where residents are not only supported but rallied to act and thrive.

 

Voices of Friends (VOF)

VOF was founded in 2015 by 3 long-standing volunteers — Music Director Peggy, keyboardist Ai Lin, and flutist Serena — at St Hilda's Community Services Centre. Drawing on their musical backgrounds, the trio established weekly singing sessions to bring together residents of Jalan Batu and Old Airport Road living with chronic diseases and neurological or mental health conditions who may otherwise remain isolated at home. Over more than a decade, VOF has grown into a stable, self-sustaining community that has impacted over 100 residents, with around 60 active members today. Beyond weekly sessions, VOF members support one another by sharing personal experiences and offering encouragement on disease management. The group has performed at the Singing Lotus Concert 2024 and 2025, and the Blooming Daffodils Recital at imPAct@HongLimGreen, inspiring hundreds of persons with disability and elderly through their music. As one member shared, "no medicine can help to do what music can do to us" — reflecting how VOF has become more than a support group, but a space where members reconnect with their identity, regain confidence, and find meaning beyond illness or decline.

 

Siti Wahidah Abdul Wahab

Siti Wahidah Abdul Wahab is a resourceful and well-connected community activator fluent in 4 languages who bridges resources to the evolving needs of her neighbourhood. What began as informal support for over 100 elderly residents has grown into coordinated outreach across 6 to 7 rental blocks, supported by a network of 30 volunteers she has personally recruited, trained, and mobilised. She founded the PassionArts Football Club in collaboration with the Residents' Committee, Beyond Social Services, and Balestier Khalsa Football Club, securing sponsorships for training costs, meals, jerseys, and football boots to ensure financial barriers do not limit participation. As a grassroots leader with the Malay Activity Executive Committee, she has organised large-scale distribution of resources for residents in need, including food ration drives and distribution of pre-loved clothing and daily necessities.

 

Siti's community engagement extends beyond provision to genuine care. Her attentiveness to residents' circumstances led to deeper intervention — upon noticing that some boys from the football club were bringing their meals home to share with siblings, she proactively secured additional sponsorships to extend meal support to their families. She maintains regular check-ins with over 100 vulnerable households and connects residents to agencies such as the Social Service Office and Singapore Children's Society. Through intergenerational initiatives including visits to Changi War Memorial and Bukit Brown Cemetery, she fosters mutual understanding and connection between youths and elderly residents.

 

Voluntary Doctors Programme

The Voluntary Doctors Program at St Hilda's Community Services Centre (SHCSC) has provided free and accessible medical care to approximately 2,000 patients across the Jalan Batu and Old Airport Road community since 2011. Led by long-serving volunteer doctors Dr Allyn Hum and Dr Dana Teo, the programme delivers a comprehensive range of services including chronic disease management, comprehensive geriatric assessment, cognitive and mental health care, medication optimisation, and end-of-life and palliative care. Beyond direct patient care, the volunteer doctors provide medical governance, mentorship, and training to a multidisciplinary team of nurses, therapists, social workers, and allied health professionals.

 

Serving an ageing estate of approximately 20 blocks and 2,000 households, the programme has been critical in reducing hospital admissions, delaying institutionalisation, and supporting seniors to age in place with dignity. Residents identified by clinical teams are referred to volunteer doctors for timely assessment, ensuring early intervention and continuity of care. As one caregiver shared, "the volunteer doctor really cares a lot for my sister and I. Without her advice and care, I would have sent my sister to the nursing home" – reflecting the profound and personal difference the programme has made over more than 15 years of service.

15M Excellence Awards: Awardees

Allkin Singapore – Eat Right, Share a Bite

In 2024 Allkin Singapore piloted Eat Right, Share a Bite with NHG Health to address nutrition challenges among seniors stemming not from lack of knowledge, but from low appetite and social isolation. Dietitian-led workshops built on seniors' own recipes, with regular communal meals turning healthy eating into a shared routine. In 2025, the initiative extended its reach through a community cookbook, food ration guide, and supermarket learning journeys. The programme was recognised with the Kopi-aaC! Impactful Partnership Award.

 

Blossom Seeds – Communal Dining Kakis

Communal Dining Kakis operates across Sembawang Central and Canberra, where volunteer chefs, including seniors, prepare over 80 plant-based meals daily spanning five cuisines. Seniors, among them those experiencing frailty, contribute in small ways that foster dignity and belonging. By 2025, over 20,000 meals had been delivered across six sites, with the volunteer base growing 15 to 20% through word of mouth alone.

 

National Kidney Foundation (NKF) – Building the Bridge: NKF's Community-to-Clinic Kidney Prevention Model

This model embeds kidney health outreach into trusted community spaces to reach Singapore's Malay community, which faces elevated chronic kidney disease risk but historically lower engagement with preventive healthcare. NKF partnered Darul Makmur Mosque in Yishun to engage 130 residents and 300 Zakat beneficiaries, and integrated screening outreach into Projek Kurma, a mosque-led welfare initiative in Whampoa. Of 290 Malay community members screened, 1 in 5 showed elevated kidney risk and 74% followed up for further evaluation.

 

SG Assist – Age+ Living Lab

Launched in March 2024 by Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS) and SG Assist, Age+ Living Lab gave seniors and caregivers in Khatib a hands-on space to explore assistive products across four areas: medical, dining, living, and mobility. Over 3,000 individuals have engaged with the Lab, and 115 seniors are now trained GeronTech Ambassadors leading tours and championing assistive technology in their communities through a micro-job programme.

 

Tan Tock Seng Hospital (TTSH) – Community Fall-to-Fit Programme

Sarcopenia, characterised by the loss of muscle mass and strength, affects up to 12% of Singapore's seniors, often go unnoticed until a fall occurs. TTSH's Community Fall-to-Fit programme combines strength training, balance exercises, and nutrition education, starting with 200 seniors across 11 centres. The programme achieved 37% fewer emergency visits, 27% fewer fall-related admissions, and S$65,000 in projected savings. It has since been expanded to over 19 centres targeting 900 participants.