Estratégias para inserção de mariscos da Baía de Todos os Santos na alimentação escolar

Abstract

In Brazil, almost half of the seafood consumed comes from artisanal fishing. However, this activity is marked by historical processes of social exclusion. Furthermore, there is low consumption of seafood by the population, especially by children and adolescents. The possibility of purchasing artisanal seafood by the Food Acquisition Program for school meals is an important alternative that allows, simultaneously, to strengthen this production chain and promote healthy eating habits. Thus, this work sought to evaluate the development of strategies aimed at the inclusion of shellfish from the biodiversity of the Todos os Santos Bay (TSB) in school meals. The work covered three axes, seeking to boost the artisanal fishing chain: characterization of the scenario of seafood consumption in school meals in Brazil; determination of proximate composition and fatty acid profile of shellfish native from TSB unrecorded in literature; knowledge transmission about preparations with native shellfish from TSB for school meals, along with social actors of school meals and artisanal fishing. In the country, it is found that policies to encourage seafood consumption and its inclusion in school meals have been implemented, with coexisting cultural and operational challenges in achieving this objective. However, recent changes in the federal government's situation have resulted in the weakening of these policies. Literature describes studies aimed at the introduction of seafood into school meals, observing well-accepted preparations with minced fish and without frying, contributing to a healthier diet. As for shellfish composition, the studied species had a considerable protein content (from 9.44 to 19.75 g/100 g), especially mangrove crab, which had a low lipid content (0.44 to 0.99 g/100 g) and low energy value (50.22 to 89.37 Kcal/100 g). Still, unsaturated fatty acids registered a higher proportion when compared to saturated ones, with eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) standing out among polyunsaturated ones. Starting from field surveys and the search for seafood preparations in literature, the use of ingredients that integrate the dietary habits of the TSB fishing communities was found, such as coconut milk and palm oil - the most suggested preparations among the participants were moqueca (13.92%) and casserole (11.39%). Culinary workshops brought together the participants’ practical knowledge with technical knowledge, adding quality to the elaborated dishes. As for the developed preparations, the most accepted were the Bay’s vatapá and oyster casserole - graded 5.0 each, being also the most caloric ones. The highest protein content was found in the mangrove crab sandwich filling (16.03 g and 16.35 g), while the highest levels of lipids were found in the Bay’s vatapá (18.49 g and 14.59 g), and in oyster casserole (14.69 g and 13.78 g). The strategies used for the inclusion of shellfish in school meals proved to be relevant, since they allowed the value of popular cuisine preparations, with recognition and appraisal of local foods.