A study by the National Association of Care Catering (NACC) found that community meal services for pensioners are disappearing as local authorities have no legal obligation to provide them

By 2033 it is estimated nearly a quarter of the British population (23 per cent) will be aged over 65, meaning the number of older people suffering from malnutrition is set to rise even further.

 Many eldery people who suffer from other problems such as Alzheimer's are seeing their illnesses deteriorate further due to bad nutrition and lack of care.

The elderly at risk from malnutrition are not being identified early enough due to lack of interaction with meal service providers - who are forced to have minimal contact with pensioners due to tight budgets.

Researchers found many OAPs are forced into care homes as they become ill due to malnutrition - even though pushing people into care homes is likely to cost the UK taxpayer more than if they were able to stay in their own home.

Malnutrition among older people can lead to increased hospital stay, increased readmission rates and increased transfer and admission to care homes, all of which costs the government money.

The NACC says investing in the care catering sector rather than cutting these services will actually help save money in the long term.

They cite research in Australia has shown that spending £1 on good nutrition is likely to save £5 on the health budget as care packages are reduced.

There are two different sets of guidelines for nutrition in community meals services, making it hard for Local Authorities to compare service providers - and this lack of standardised measures leaves vulnerable aging Brits facing a services lottery.

The NACC report found there is a lack of awareness about the right nutrition for older people, with many older at risk as those hired by direct care do not need official checks.

In a bid to improve meal services for the whole of the UK the NACC and the Caroline Walker Trust have drawn up single Nutrition Standard to be used university in a bid to improve food nutrition.

Using two sets of guidelines has led to huge variations in nutritional care throughout the UK , and the NACC believes the introduction of this new standard will help ensure all older people have access to better food - lowering the malnutrition risk.

NACC Chairman Derek Johnson said: "The Nutrition Standard will ensure consistency in the nutritional content of food provided throughout the care catering sector.

"The launch of the standard builds on the 10 Key Characteristics for Good Nutritional Care initiative launched last month.

"It is however still vital that government support this standard and are committed to providing care for the elderly, not only allowing them a real choice in care services, but also saving the NHS money in the years to come."

Available nutrition recommendations from the Food Standards Agency (FSA) include all ages from 65 upwards, but the needs of older people change with increasing age.

The NACC says there is little guidance available on the risk of being underweight for the elderly, and claim that to tackle the problem of malnutrition the government must support their single Nutrition Standard and recognize the role of good nutrition for the elderly.

The report, compiled from a roundtable discussion chaired by Baroness Greengross, says good nutrition is not just about food, but also about care service provision, and community meal provision and access to food should be considered as a core part of the social care package provided for all older people.

Mr Johnson added: "The report identifies those working in the care catering sector as being in an ideal position to monitor the health of older people and encourage them to eat well, lowering the risk of malnutrition.

"Regular delivery of meals to the home is key to ensuring older people have regular contact with others.

"However, the need for Local Authorities to cut costs due to slashed budgets has led to a reduction in these services, with personalisation reduced to the lowest common denominator in some cases, meaning social interaction and its vital role in good health is ignored.

"The Government must support both a Nutrition Standard and the 10 Key Characteristics launched last month to ensure older people get the type of care they need."

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