(P07-53-26) The Relevance of Hybrid Beverages for Nutritional Security

Objectives: The FAO/WHO principles for sustainable healthy diets call for diverse food groups and moderated animal source food intake to limit environmental impacts while keeping diets affordable, safe and culturally acceptable. In many low-and middle-income countries, including the Philippines, diets still focus on addressing micronutrient gaps, with rice‑dominant eating patterns making nutrient sufficiency difficult. Hybrid beverages that blend animal, plant and fungal ingredients have the potential to enhance protein quality, micronutrients, and sensory appeal, while potentially reducing cost and environmental impact, offering a promising way to improve nutrient density. The objective was to 1) estimate the combined Cost of Nutrient Adequacy (CoNA) and the Cost of a Healthy Diet (CoHD) for Filipino children aged 3–5 years and 2) assess the cost effect of including a nutrient-rich dairy and soy hybrid beverage in the food supply.

Methods: A secondary analysis of the cross-sectional 2018 Philippine Food, Income, and Expenditure Survey, which reports one year of food purchases for 147,000 households, was conducted. Households were ranked by household income and their food purchases were matched with retail prices and nutrient composition data. Mixed integer linear programming was used to calculate the Cost of Nutrient Adequacy (CoNA) for boys aged 3–5 years, applying a least-cost diet method while ensuring compliance with local dietary guidelines (CoHD), both with and without a hybrid beverage in the food supply.

Results: The estimated daily per capita food expenditure by wealth quintile was identified at 37, 39, 44, 51, and 72 pesos (₱) across respective income groups. The combined CoNA plus CoHD for Filipino children was ₱72 per day. When modelling was repeated with the availability of a hybrid beverage, it was selected for the least cost diet, reducing the cost to ₱48.

Conclusions: Our findings show that an affordable hybrid beverage may reduce the cost of a nutrient adequate and healthy diet for Filipino households by 33%. This scalable approach may help close micronutrient gaps and aligns with FAO/WHO guidance.

Funding Sources: This research was funded by Nestlé Research.