Unconventional food plants: knowledge and consumption in a state in southeastern Brazil

Abstract

Background: Although some previous studies have investigated the nutritional and health properties of unconventional food plants (UFPs), there is limited information regarding their application in the diet. This is the first study that evaluated UFP consumption in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Objective: This study examined how well the population of Minas Gerais, Brazil knew about UFPs and their use. Design: This cross-sectional study analyzed data from an online survey (November 2020 to March 2021). Participants/setting: Participants were 1026 adults resided in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Main outcome measures: This study collected socioeconomic data, UFP knowledge and consumption from the participants. The sociodemographic influence on UFP knowledge was evaluated. Statistical analyses performed: The Chi-square test (in category variables) and Mann-Whitney or Kruskal-Wallis (in continuous variables) were used to assess the association between UFP knowledge and sociodemographic data. Results: Half of the participants were not familiar with the term UFP and 41.4% could not identify UFPs’ edible and inedible/toxic parts. UFPs’ general knowledge was associated to being a female, as well as living in a city with less than 200,000 inhabitants (p<0.05). Most of the participants rarely/never consumed UFPs. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that the population evaluated did not know much about UFP and that UFP consumption is low.