Vegetable Mountain Products, as Functional Food. A Cross-sectional Study of European Romanian Agricultural Producers

Abstract

Background:: Mountain areas, in a normal ecosystemic context as the analyzed region from the European Romanian Carpathians, offer healthier solutions through different agronomical practices and solutions designed for the production of functional food. The paper approaches a chain formed by mountain functional food – agronomic practices – mountain products commerce, the purpose being the development of the entire mountain products value chain from an area focusing on the matrix "from the farm to the fork". The paper analyzes highly consumed mountain products with functional food roles Allium cepa, Allium sativum, Cucumis sativus, Capsicum, and Solanum lycopersicum. Objective: The research highlights the importance of vegetable mountain products as a functional food in the current hunger and environment contexts, in a more and more polluted world Methods:: The experimental, clinical, and agronomical research, together with the production territorial profile, show that mountain products present high qualitative valences comparatively with low-land areas or with reference values given by USDA. Results:: According to macro-nutritional and micro-nutritional analysis – lipids-fats, saturated fatty acids, protein, cyanocobalamin (B12), ergocalciferol (D2 ), cholecalciferol (D3 ), iron and calcium – Allium sativum dominates the mountain product's top with a functional food role. Instead of this, mountain producers prefer to cultivate mountain products with a higher income horizon. Conclusion:: Functional food represents an imperative in a more polluted world. Being less polluted than other ecosystems, the mountain area offers healthier agricultural products and requires notable investments, together with more involved agronomy.