Meal-based nutrient profiling models for the away-from-home food environment in Southeast Asia

It is imperative to recognise that the main components of the food environment in SEA are not processed foods and the so-called ultra-processed foods. Instead, large segments of the population have their meals frequently away from home, as demonstrated by data from Malaysia and Indonesia in this supplement. A myriad of eating places have mushroomed in countries in the region, ranging from street foods, coffee shops, hawker centres and restaurants as well as through numerous food delivery services. Many of these meals are imbalanced, lacking in the healthful food groups, whilst containing high amounts of sugar, oil and salt. Frequent and excessive consumption of these meals and beverages could very well be the main contributors to the nutrition related health problems in the region. Recognising this, the supplement summarises research car-ried out on developing nutrient profiles based on meals or dishes as one of the strategies to improve the food environment. One article in this supplement summarises the principles and utilisation of nutrient profiles while another three articles summarise such meal-based profiles developed by researchers in Thailand and Japan. Meal-based nutritional profile systems, based on food cultures of countries in the region, could help both food vendors to reformulate and improve their menus as well as to consumers to select healthier away-from-home meals. It is hoped that information in this supplement may prove useful for researchers, policy makers, and health care professionals in their efforts to improve the food environment in SEA.