Personalised nutrition and food technology (foodtech) have become commonplace in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The former involves tailoring diets based on individual characteristics, lifestyle, gender, ethnicity, health, sleep patterns, and genetics. The latter encompasses everything to do with growing, making, and selling meals. This process includes sourcing ingredients, producing and processing the food, and distributing it through retail stores and restaurants.
According to the eConomy SEA Report 2023 from Google, Temasek, and Bain & Company, the transport and food delivery sector is one of the five leading sectors in the digital economy. It started becoming popular after the COVID-19 pandemic hit the region, forcing people to stay indoors most of the time. This development meant people could not visit restaurants and food and beverage (F&B) spots.
Therefore, companies involved in foodtech in Southeast Asia helped bring meals to the public conveniently at their homes. As of April 2023, a survey by Rakuten Insights showed that there was a large share of consumers in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) that ordered fast food using food delivery apps. The Philippines led the way with 85%, followed by Malaysia at 76% and Singapore at 70%. Next was Indonesia at 64%, Thailand at 61%, and Vietnam at 60%.
In 2024, revenue in the food market looks set to reach USD 722.20 billion, with the average food volume per person amounting to 355.90kg. However, with people having gone through the pandemic and gotten into the habit of receiving meals delivered to their houses, the focus is switching to getting healthier food. Southeast Asians are increasingly more wellness-oriented, seeking better diets and nutritional benefits and working towards maintaining their fitness by exercising and eating quality dishes.
Furthermore, people are avoiding chemicals in food and poor diets and replacing them with meals personalised for their bodies. Some of these bespoke meals can help boost the body's immunity, manage a disease like diabetes, reduce weight, or ward off cardiovascular disease.
Factors driving the growth of foodtech and personalised nutrition in ASEAN
Foodtech is crucial for personalised nutrition because it helps to bring quality food that can be customised to each individual. Both of them can also address specific challenges in ASEAN, including:
Reducing waste
The sector is working to reduce food wastage as it empowers experts to plan meals for their customers based on their preferences and tastes. Moreover, users can learn better ways to store food safely, preventing mould and other diseases from contaminating it.
People in Southeast Asia are also learning about repurposing waste. For example, they can use it as fertiliser for their crops.
Delivering sustainability
Creating personalised dishes can also help combat pollution and lower the carbon footprint generated as people produce food for a specific audience rather than randomly. Some other steps they can take include reducing the use of plastics and other non-recyclable materials and changing the packaging for more eco-friendly bags.
Access to technology and the Internet
Tech adoption in ASEAN has contributed to the growth of foodtech in the region. The Internet and increased smartphone use enable customers to access various platforms to order food and track delivery. Unfortunately, access to some of these technologies is limited in rural areas, undermining the monitoring of nutritional goals and overall health.
Costs and investment
Handling the meal sector requires money, and stakeholders must secure investors to sustain the industry.
Infrastructure problems
Food development, production, and transportation need a reliable infrastructure network. The supply chain in Southeast Asia currently needs improvement. Resolving these issues will help deliver products faster to customers.
Data safety
Combining food and technology means user data must be collected and stored on servers. Therefore, there is a cybersecurity risk of losing customer information to criminals.
Food management issues
Finally, food packers and vendors must remove the risk of contamination and ensure timely and efficient deliveries to customers.
Future potential for the food sector
There is much potential for foodtech in Southeast Asia. As the region has limitations for food development due to scarce land for farming and production, stakeholders have had to find alternative ways to develop, produce, and deliver healthy dishes to consumers.
It is vital to adopt technologies to streamline operations. For example, embracing artificial intelligence can assist in designing menus or provide communication solutions like chatbots to respond immediately to customers.
The Meals in Minutes company offers an innovative meal kit concept and reduces food waste by flash-freezing ready-to-cook portioned meals. The dishes are also free from genetic modifications and additives, and this is the personalised nutrition approach that Southeast Asians are craving.
Foodtech will thrive by improving its digital ordering and delivery services and analysing customer data to understand their tastes and preferences. Ensuring the meals are sustainably sourced will enable the stakeholders to prevent environmental degradation and deliver nutritional meals.
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