Unconventional food plants in Brazil: Knowledge and consumption analysis

Abstract

Unconventional Food Plants (UFP) refers to edible parts of exotic or native plants absent from people’s food habits and/or are produced and commercialized outside the traditional food systems. These species present great nutritional value and can also play an important role in social, financial, and environmental spheres. Despite that, UFP still do not occupy a proper space in diets, mainly due to the lack of knowledge. Therefore, this work aims to observe the knowledge, frequency, forms and motivations for the consumption of UFP among Brazilian participants. For this, an online survey was applied, obtaining 613 responses. Most participants are women (77.7%) aged between 20 and 29 years, from Bahia (38.6%), and with a higher education level (undergraduate). The survey revealed that the population understands UFP but rarely consumes it. Only a portion of the participants consumes UFP frequently or intensely. Curiosity was the primary motivation, with no consolidated family habits. However, curiosity is a possibility for the development of new products by the food industry, enabling the consumption of non-recurring forms and intensifying the nutritional and functional properties of these plants. In fact, among the other reasons observed for this intake by the population, vegetarianism and dietary diversification stand out. The most recurrent form of consumption is through preparations and, as noted, the degree of urbanization or distance from urban centers can influence the knowledge and consumption of these plants. Therefore, considering its nutritional and health characteristics, the consumption and appreciation of UFP should be encouraged in the face of data on hunger and malnutrition throughout the country, especially in less economically developed regions. Furthermore, the globalization of the food market has led to cultural food erosion, simplifying the diet of the population. Thus, these plants allow the recovery of traditional food, betting on local and easily accessible species, and the improvement of Food and Nutritional Security indices.