Complementing discourse following a February 2023 event on dietary protein needs in Southeast Asia (SEA), this symposium report summarizes the region’s protein intake, while simultaneously examining the impact of dietary shift towards complementary and alternative proteins, and their health implications. It highlights the importance of protein quality in dietary evaluations, optimal intake, and sustainability advocating for environmentally conscious protein production and innovation in future foods. Discussion points, expert opinions, national nutrition data, and relevant literature, addressing protein intake and quality, their impact on human health, and various technologies for future foods production have been included.
Despite increased protein supply in SEA, protein requirements, particularly during crucial life stages, are often unmet due to insufficient focus on protein quality. Factoring in amino acids content and bioaccessibility are crucial for assessing nutritional requirement and sustainability evaluations, rather than solely relying on protein quantity alone. Different food sources of protein also have different key co-nutrients for health relevance such as vitamin B-12 and omega-3 fatty acids. Innovations in food structure, processing and technology are key to developing nutritious, sustainable, and appealing future foods, including from complementary and alternative protein sources, while considering safety aspects, especially allergenicity. Addressing protein needs in SEA requires a dual focus on protein quantity and quality, underlining the role of public health policies and guidelines that consider key nutritional differences of animal-source and plant-based proteins. To address regional demands, future food innovations should aim at creating unique yet needful food categories or supplementing current existing sources, rather than mimicking current products.
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