BIODIVERSITY AND COMPOSITION OF FOODS: DATA NATIVE FOOD NUTRITION FRUIT USED UNDER-THE BRAZILIAN FLORA

• Grant number: 13/06689-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: November 01, 2013
• End date: April 30, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nutrition
• Principal Investigator: Deborah Helena Markowicz Bastos
• Grantee: Ricardo Jorge Silva Mendes
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Saúde Pública (FSP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The use of the few species of global agriculture system has contributed to a simplified diet with negative repercussions on the health and well-being of populations. Brazil is the country with the highest biodiversity in the world, occupying 15 to 20% of species on Earth, but the Brazilian agriculture takes very little of that wealth to tackle food insecurity. Therefore, it is essential that the country create investment opportunities for better use of biodiversity.In order to take advantage of this rich biodiversity and still underused, the Ministry of Environment launched the "Plants for the future" whose main objective was to learn about the native flora of the current and potential economic value. Know The result allowed 674 species native to different parts of Brazil may be used as food, fruits, medicine, and other ornamental purposes.This project aims to search, compile and analyze the nutritional composition of these native fruits and provide the data in the tables of food composition and abroad. To obtain these data will search the published literature and unpublished. The methodology for the compilation will be indicated by INFOODS-FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) and the tool will be the "compilation tool", also developed and made available by INFOODS-FOODS. The information obtained will be carefully evaluated, considering the steps involved in the process from sampling to the analytical quality control.Once compiled the data, these native fruits can be used in community nutrition programs, projects in gardens in schools and in education initiatives in nutrition and agribusiness industries.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

MENDES, Ricardo Jorge Silva. Biodiversity and food composition: nutritional data of Brazilian native fruits underused from Brazilian Flora. 2015. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Faculdade de Saúde Pública (FSP/CIR) São Paulo.