Elaboração de um banco de dados didático para explorar e difundir a classificação NOVA de alimentos: parte 3 - alimentos processados

Abstract

The objective of this study was to elaborate a didactic data bank with food information of the groups of the NOVA classification, to be applied in a virtual environment, in order to assist professionals in nutrition education activities and the population in general in their food choice processes. This is a descriptive, exploratory and qualitative study. For the database, 15 foods were selected, some of which quite consumed by the population were not found in some of the search sources considered in this study. For all selected foods, it was possible to identify typical ingredients, which the consumer expects to find in a food, and atypical ones being those that are not expected to be found in food manufacture. There were several processing used by the food industry, being the most used cleaning, selection, classification and cutting. It was observed that depending on the type of ingredient that the processed food has and the processing through which the food passes, it could be classified in other groups of the NOVA. Also, it has been observed that all processed foods selected can be made without any industrial processing, ie they can be made at home. The present study has helped professionals and the general population to recognize and differentiate the group of processed foods in order to collaborate with healthier and more adequate choices and eating habits and in accordance with the NOVA classification.