Nutritional Content of Popular Menu Items from Online Food Delivery Applications in Bangkok, Thailand: Are They Healthy?

Nongnuch Jindarattanaporn (), Inthira Suya, Lara Lorenzetti, Surasak Kantachuvesiri and Thaksaphon Thamarangsi
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Nongnuch Jindarattanaporn: International Health Policy Program (IHPP), The Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand
Inthira Suya: Better Health Program (BHP) Thailand, Family Health International (FHI360), Bangkok 10330, Thailand
Lara Lorenzetti: Global Health and Population Research, FHI 360, Durham, NC 27701, USA
Surasak Kantachuvesiri: Nephrology Division, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok 10400, Thailand
Thaksaphon Thamarangsi: International Health Policy Program (IHPP), The Ministry of Public Health, Nonthaburi 11000, Thailand

IJERPH, 2023, vol. 20, issue 5, 1-14

Abstract: The rise in online food delivery (OFD) applications has increased access to a myriad of ready-to-eat options, which may lead to unhealthier food choices. Our objective was to assess the nutritional profile of popular menu items available through OFD applications in Bangkok, Thailand. We selected the top 40 popular menu items from three of the most commonly used OFD applications in 2021. Each menu item was collected from the top 15 restaurants in Bangkok for a total of 600 items. Nutritional contents were analysed by a professional food laboratory in Bangkok. Descriptive statistics were employed to describe the nutritional content of each menu item, including energy, fat, sodium, and sugar content. We also compared nutritional content to the World Health Organization’s recommended daily intake values. The majority of menu items were considered unhealthy, with 23 of the 25 ready-to-eat menu items containing more than the recommended sodium intake for adults. Eighty percent of all sweets contained approximately 1.5 times more sugar than the daily recommendation. Displaying nutrition facts in the OFD applications for menu items and providing consumers with filters for healthier options are required to reduce overconsumption and improve consumer food choice.

Keywords: nutritional content; online food delivery; popular menu items; Thailand (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
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