Thailand-based company, Wholesome Lab Co., Ltd will soon be launching SOUPORT™, an instant texture-modified soup designed for older adults and individuals with chewing or swallowing difficulties, including dysphagia. The product can be simply made by adding hot water or warm milk, allowing it to reach a designed soft texture within minutes.
According to Dr Siriyupa Netramai, CEO and Co-Founder of Wholesome Lab, “We develop SOUPORT following IDDSI (International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative) standards, covering Levels 3 to 6. Textures can also be custom-tailored upon request for medical institutions or specialized care settings. What makes SOUPORT unique is its focus on Thai and ASEAN culinary identity, offering seniors familiar flavors as well as new dishes that are not usually available in elderly-friendly formats. Our goal is not only nutrition but to restore joy, dignity, and cultural connection to mealtimes.”
Highlights of the SOUPORT™ range that will be launched include:
- Thai-inspired soft foods, beyond the typical Tom Yum, giving seniors new dishes to discover or rediscover.
- ASEAN-inspired concepts, such as spirulina soup inspired by Japanese seaweed–miso flavors and fish soup with napa cabbage.
- Functional nutritional properties: Each formula (flavor) has its own feature, for example, ivy gourd leaf soup and fish soup with napa cabbage are good sources of dietary fiber; spirulina soup, inspired by Japanese-style seaweed miso, is a good source of protein, and bitter melon soup will be available in multiple IDDSI textures.
SOUPORT ensures that elder-focused foods can also be delicious, comforting, and culturally meaningful.
Targeted launch for SOUPORT™ will be latest by January 2026 for the soft launch in which the company will release a small pilot batch for market testing and early user evaluation. This phase will help the company to refine its formulations, packaging, and user experience through direct feedback from seniors and caregivers. According to Dr Netramai, “Depending on scheduling and program acceptance, the company is exploring opportunities to showcase SOUPORT during Bangkok Design Week 2026 through a mobile pop-up, where we will serve our first target consumers and collect real-time insights.”
A full-scale launch will be sometime in mid-2026 amidst scale-up production at its own semi-industrial facility currently being planned with its manufacturing partner. This will allow it to deliver consistent, commercial-volume texture-modified meals.
Wholesome Lab’s motto ‘Food•Fun•Forward’ reflects its commitment to making nutritious, enjoyable eating accessible to everyone.
One in five people in ASEAN is 65 or older, yet food choices for seniors remain extremely limited. Most soft foods in the market focus solely on functionality, not flavor, cultural relevance, nor emotional comfort.
Netramai added, “Our early market survey in Thailand showed that over 80% of seniors consume soup as a side dish in almost every meal, creating a powerful opportunity to deliver added nutrition through a format they already enjoy. We created SOUPORT to bring joy, variety, and dignity back to eating, while meeting the practical needs of caregivers and healthcare providers.”
SOUPORT is currently undergoing FDA certification in Thailand with the following 4 initial variants, namely bitter melon soup, spirulina soup (inspired by Japanese seaweed–miso profiles), fish soup with napa cabbage, and ivy gourd leaf soup.
We are also developing additional flavors to expand the variety of culturally familiar soft foods, including Thai-style sukiyaki, winter melon and pickled lime soup, Chinese-style winter melon & pork bone herbal soup, and Bak Kut Teh. These new variants are expected to be ready by late January 2026 for the initial launch.
SOUPORT™ will initially be available in instant dry format packed in a 50ml single-serve sealed cup designed for convenience and portion control. It will have a recommended retail price of up to US$2 in the domestic market.
The new product target market will be the older adults in Asia who are currently facing difficulties in chewing or swallowing. Their food options are still limited, repetitive, and often joyless. SOUPORT™ provides nutritious, safe, culturally familiar meals they can enjoy again. In addition, many caregivers balance full-time jobs while caring for aging parents. As such, convenience, ease of preparation and consistency are crucial for them.
Wholesome Lab initial focus will be on the domestic Thai market where the aging population is also rising rapidly. However, in December 2025, Wholesome Lab will join the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks (HKSTP) program, and this will enable it to explore expansion into Hong Kong and the Greater Bay Area (GBA), where demand for dysphagia-friendly and elderly-ready meals is high. Other potential market include Singapore where there are already enquiries on SOUPORT™.
Dr Netramai concluded, “Our long-term goal is to position SOUPORT as an elderly nutrition platform in Southeast Asia, combining evidence-based food design with the culinary identity of the region.”
