Abstracts
OBJECTIVE:
To assess compliance of school menu planning with the National School Food Program's regulations.
METHODS:
This cross-sectional study analyzed 133 menus for 542 schools in 49 municipalities of the state of Santa Catarina. The menus were assessed according to the National School Food Program's regulations, the "Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population" and the "Qualitative Evaluation of Menu Components for Schools". The data were analyzed by descriptive statistics.
RESULTS:
Nearly all (98.5%) municipalities met the requirement of technical responsibility for menu development and 81.0% acquired foods from family farms. The menus contained fruits (87.2%) and non-starchy vegetables (94.0%), but the frequencies of fruits and non-starchy vegetables were smaller than two to three times a week. The most common high-sodium and high-fat foods were commercially processed meats (53.0%), but their frequency was smaller than once a week. Likewise, the frequencies of beverages (natural fruit juice, coffee, and tea) were smaller than once a week. Most menus (85.1%) repeated foods during the week, and only 3.0% of the menus listed organic foods.
CONCLUSION:
Some school menus from Santa Catarina need to be revised with respect to the frequency of fruits and non-starchy vegetables, high-sugar foods, high-sodium foods, and high-fat foods, and need to increase food diversity and variety.
Legislation, food; Menu planning; Organic foods; School food
OBJETIVO:
Avaliar a adequação do planejamento de cardápios escolares perante a regulamentação do Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar.
MÉTODOS:
Trata-se de estudo que transversal, que analisou 133 cardápios, de 49 municípios catarinenses, que atendiam a 542 escolas. Os cardápios foram avaliados com base na regulamentação do Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar, no Guia Alimentar para a população brasileira e no Método de Avaliação Qualitativa das Preparações do Cardápio Escolar. Os dados foram analisados através de estatística descritiva.
RESULTADOS:
A exigência de responsabilidade técnica pela elaboração do cardápio foi observada em 98,5% dos municípios, e 81% adquiriam alimentos da agricultura familiar. Os cardápios apresentaram frutas (87,2%) e hortaliças (94,0%), no entanto mais da metade teve frequência de frutas e hortaliças inferior a duas ou três vezes por semana. A presença de alimentos e preparações ricas em açúcar foi elevada (>90%), predominando frequência de até duas vezes por semana. Dos alimentos ricos em sódio e gorduras, destacaram-se embutidos e produtos cárneos industrializados (53,0%), porém a frequência foi inferior a uma vez por semana. As bebidas nos cardá-pios (suco de fruta natural, café e chá) tiveram frequência inferior a uma vez por semana. A repetição de ali-mentos na mesma semana foi observada em 85,1% dos cardápios. Já a identificação do alimento orgânico foi encontrada em apenas 3,0% deles.
CONCLUSÃO:
Alguns cardápios da alimentação escolar catarinense necessitam de revisão quanto à frequência de frutas e hortaliças, redução de alimentos ricos em açúcar, sódio e gorduras e de aumento na diversidade e variedade de alimentos.
Legislação sobre alimentos; Planejamento de cardápio; Alimentos orgânicos; Alimentação escolar
INTRODUCTION
A healthy and proper diet is a food practice appropriate for individuals' biological
and sociocultural aspects. It is based on the production of sustainable foods that
reduce physical, chemical, and biological contaminants, are referenced by the food
culture, and are physically accessible, affordable, and harmonious in quantity and
quality11. Brasil. Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Atenção à Saúde. Guia
alimentar para a população brasi-leira: promovendo a alimentação saudável.
Brasília: Ministério da Saúde; 2008.
http://189.28.128.100/nutricao/docs/gera...
,
22. Brasil. Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Atenção à Saúde.
Política nacional de alimentação e nutrição. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde;
2012.
http://189.28.128.1 00/nutricao/docs/ger...
.
Intake of fresh or minimally processed vegetables, such as rice, beans, cassava,
potato, fruits, and non-starchy vegetables should be the basis of an appropriate and
healthy diet33. Brasil. Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Atenção à Saúde. Guia
alimentar para a população brasileira. 2ª ed. Brasília: Ministério da Saúde;
2014.
http://portalsaude.
saude.gov.br/...
. On the other hand, one should
avoid consuming too much sugar, sodium, and saturated fats, because these items are
associated with the risk of developing Chronic Noncommunicable Diseases (NCD), such
as diabetes, hypertension, and cancer44. World Health Organization. Global strategy on diet, physical
activity and health. Geneva: WHO; 2004.
http://www.who.int/dietphysicalactivity/...
.
The promotion of healthy food practices among schoolchildren and adolescents is
encouraged because it allows perpetuating good life habits throughout adulthood,
providing greater protection against NCD55. Currie C, Gabhainn SN, Godeau E, Roberts C, Smith R, Currie D, et
al. Inequalities in young people's health: Health behaviour in school-aged
children international report from the 2005/2006 survey. Copenhagen: World
Health Organization; 2008.
http://www.euro.who.int/_data/assets/pdf...
.
Data from the 2009 National Schoolchild Health Survey (Pesquisa Nacional de
Saúde do Escolar, 2009) show low intake of healthier foods, such as
beans, fruits, non-starchy vegetables, and milk, and regular intake of less healthy
foods, such as deep-fried foods, cookies, sandwich cookies, soda, sweets, and
commercially processed meats by Brazilian schoolchildren in the last year of
elementary school66. Malta DC, Sardinha LMV, Barreto SM, Giatti L, Castro IRR, Moura
L, et al. Prevalência de fatores de risco e proteção de doenças crônicas não
trans-missíveis em adolescentes: resultados da Pesquisa Nacional de Saúde do
Escolar (PENSE), Brasil, 2009. Ciênc Saúde Colet. 2010; 15(Supl.
2):3009-19.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1413-81232010...
,
77. Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. Pes-quisa
Nacional de Saúde do Escolar 2009: avaliação do estado nutricional dos escolares
do 9º ano do Ensino Fundamental. Rio de Janeiro: IBGE; 2010.. These data evidence the need of promoting
a healthy diet among this population.
In this scenario, the Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar
(PNAE, National School Food Program) is considered an strategic public policy for
the food and nutrition security of schoolchildren, guided by the Human Right to
Adequate Food (HRAF)11. Brasil. Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Atenção à Saúde. Guia
alimentar para a população brasi-leira: promovendo a alimentação saudável.
Brasília: Ministério da Saúde; 2008.
http://189.28.128.100/nutricao/docs/gera...
,
88. Brasil. Conselho Nacional Segurança Alimentar e Nutricional. A
segurança alimentar e nutricional e o direito humano à alimentação adequada no
Brasil: indicadores e monitoramento: da Constituição de 1988 aos dias atuais.
Brasília: Consea; 2010.
http://www4.
planalto.gov.br/cons...
.
Law nº 11.947/200999. Brasil. Lei nº 11.947, de 16 de junho de 2009. Dis-põe sobre o atendimento da alimentação escolar e do Programa Dinheiro Direto na escola aos alunos da educação básica. Diário Oficial da União. 2009; 17 jun, p.24, Seção 1. of the Fundo Na-cional de Desenvolvimento da Educação (FNDE, National Education Development Fund) regulated by Resolution nº 38/20091010. Brasil. Resolução/CD/FNDE nº 38, 16 de julho de 2009. Dispõe sobre o atendimento da alimentação escolar aos alunos da educação básica no Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar (PNAE). Brasília: Fundo Nacional de Desenvolvimento da Educação; 2009. made important advances by incorporating cultural and social dimensions in school menu planning, such as requiring the purchase of foods produced by family farms with at least 30% of the funds given to the states and municipalities, prioritizing organic and/or agroecological foods. Another fundamental aspect is the required presence of at least three servings a week of fruits and non-starchy vegetables in the menus99. Brasil. Lei nº 11.947, de 16 de junho de 2009. Dis-põe sobre o atendimento da alimentação escolar e do Programa Dinheiro Direto na escola aos alunos da educação básica. Diário Oficial da União. 2009; 17 jun, p.24, Seção 1.; restriction of foods with high simple sugar, sodium, saturated fat, trans fat, and cholesterol contents; and the banning of nutrient-scarce beverages99. Brasil. Lei nº 11.947, de 16 de junho de 2009. Dis-põe sobre o atendimento da alimentação escolar e do Programa Dinheiro Direto na escola aos alunos da educação básica. Diário Oficial da União. 2009; 17 jun, p.24, Seção 1. , 1010. Brasil. Resolução/CD/FNDE nº 38, 16 de julho de 2009. Dispõe sobre o atendimento da alimentação escolar aos alunos da educação básica no Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar (PNAE). Brasília: Fundo Nacional de Desenvolvimento da Educação; 2009..
Other recent public policies that support family farms are compatible and align with
PNAE by promoting healthy food practices11. Brasil. Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Atenção à Saúde. Guia
alimentar para a população brasi-leira: promovendo a alimentação saudável.
Brasília: Ministério da Saúde; 2008.
http://189.28.128.100/nutricao/docs/gera...
and
by encouraging the intake of fresh regional foods that promote social- and
biodiversity. Among the policies, the Política Nacional de Agroecologia e
Produção Orgânica (PNAPO, National Agroecology and Organic Production
Plan) emphasizes the relationship between an appropriate and healthy diet and the
production systems of sustainable foods, incorporating socio-environmental and
cultural values1111. Brasil. Decreto nº 7.794, de 20 de agosto de 2012. Institui a
Política Nacional de Agroecologia e Produção Orgânica. Diário Oficial da União.
2012; 21 ago, p.4-5, Seção 1..
The intake of organic and/or agroecological foods is associated with health benefits
for consumers, producers, and the environment. Add to these benefits the patronizing
of small farmers and promotion of biodiversity and local sustainable development,
guaranteeing higher demand and supply of organic foods at fair prices for individual
and institutional consumers1212. Sousa AA, Azevedo E, Lima EE, Silva APF. Alimentos orgânicos e
saúde humana: estudo sobre as con-trovérsias. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2012;
31(6):513-7.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1020-49 89201...
. On the other
hand, the use of pesticides by conventional agriculture can contribute to soil and
water contamination, disturb ecological processes, damage beneficial microorganisms,
and cause health problems in producers and consumers1313. Food and Agriculture Organization. Agricultura mundial: hacia
lós anos 2015/2030: informe resumido. Roma: FAO; 2002.
http://www.fao.org/docrep/004/y3557s/y35...
.
In summary, supplying meals that meet the nutritional requirements of schoolchildren by including foods produced by family farmers and prioritizing organic, agroecological, local, and regional foods, respecting the local habits and culture as recommended by PNAE99. Brasil. Lei nº 11.947, de 16 de junho de 2009. Dis-põe sobre o atendimento da alimentação escolar e do Programa Dinheiro Direto na escola aos alunos da educação básica. Diário Oficial da União. 2009; 17 jun, p.24, Seção 1., are two measures that can potentially encourage healthy and sustainable school food.
Studies that analyzed planned school menus before Law nº 11.947/200999. Brasil. Lei nº 11.947, de 16 de junho de 2009. Dis-põe sobre o
atendimento da alimentação escolar e do Programa Dinheiro Direto na escola aos
alunos da educação básica. Diário Oficial da União. 2009; 17 jun, p.24, Seção
1. went into force investigated quantitative
indicators (energy and micro- and macronutrients)1414. Domene SMA, Pereira TC, Arrivillaga RK. Estimativa da
disponibilidade de zinco em refeições com preparações padronizadas da
alimentação escolar do município de Campinas. Rev Nutr. 2008;
21(2):161-7.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1415-52 73200...
,
1515. Abranches MV, Paula HAA, Mata GMSC, Salvador BC, Marinho MS,
Priore SE. Avaliação da adequação alimentar de creches pública e privada no
contexto do programa nacional de alimentação escolar. Rev Nutrire. 2009;
34(2):43-57.. Hence, only a few studies assessed
planned menus based on PNAE's recent regulation changes1616. Menegazzo M, Fracalossi K, Fernandes AC, Medeiros NI. Avaliação
qualitativa das preparações do cardápio de centros de educação infantil. Rev
Nutr. 2011; 24(2):243-51.
http://dx.doi.org/10.15 90/S1415-5273201...
17. Longo-Silva G, Toloni M, Rodrigues S, Rocha A, Taddei JAAC.
Qualitative evaluation of the menu and plate waste in public day care centers in
São Paulo city, Brazil. Rev Nutr. 2013; 26(2):135-44.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1415-52732013...
-
1818. Gabriel CG, Costa LCF, Calvo MCM, Vasconcelos FAG. Planejamento
de cardápios para escolas públicas municipais: reflexão e ilustração desse
processo em duas capitais brasileiras. Rev Nutr. 2012;
25(3):363-72.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S14 15-5273201...
, justifying the relevance of monitoring
menus that follow such regulations.
Given this gap, the objectives of the present study were to assess the adequacy of the planned school menus regarding PNAE's regulations; to qualitatively assess the preparations in the menu; to identify the presence of organic foods and preparations containing organic foods in the menu; and to determine their frequency in the menu.
METHODS
This cross-sectional study assessed 133 menus (98 planned monthly and 35 planned weekly) planned for 542 elementary schools in 49 municipalities in the state of Santa Catarina that bought organic foods in 2010.
According to a study done by the Centro Colaborador em Alimentação e Nutrição
do Escolar de Santa Catarina (Cecane/SC, Collaborating Center for Santa
Catarina's Schoolchild Food and Nutrition) in 2010, from the 293 municipalities in
the state, 52 reported buying organic foods for school meals1919. Silva APF, Sousa AA. Alimentos orgânicos da agricultura familiar
no Programa Nacional de alimentação Escolar do Estado de Santa Catarina, Brasil.
Rev Nutr. 2013; 26(6):701-14.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1415-52732013...
. When visiting these municipalities, Cecane/SC asked the
Departments of Education for PNAE's menus of 2010. They collected menus from all
months in 2010. Forty-nine municipalities provided elementary school menus, totaling
133 menus.
An instrument based on Resolution nº 38/20091010. Brasil. Resolução/CD/FNDE nº 38, 16 de julho de 2009. Dispõe sobre o atendimento da alimentação escolar aos alunos da educação básica no Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar (PNAE). Brasília: Fundo Nacional de Desenvolvimento da Educação; 2009., the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population1 and the Qualitative Evaluation of Menu Components for Schools (QEMC School)2020. Veiros MB, Martinelli SS. Avaliação qualitativa das preparações do cardápio escolar: AQPC Escola. Nutrição em Pauta. 2012; 20(114):3-12. was prepared for assessing the menus.
The instrument covered the following variables and indicators:
-
Municipality characteristics (geographical region and size according to the classification provided by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics, in 2010)2121. Brasil. Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística. Síntese de indicadores sociais: uma análise das condições de vida da população brasileira. Rio de Janeiro: IBGE; 2010.
http://www.ibge.gov.br/home/estatistica/... ; -
Having a dietician in charge of the PNAE and menu planning;
-
Purchase of foods produced by family farms and use of at least 30% of the funds provided by FNDE for buying such foods;
-
Purchase of organic foods and identification of their use in the menu;
-
Quality of the information available in the menu (specification of the type of food and how it was prepared; presentation of complementary information: recipe and list of replacements and ingredients, among others);
-
Weekly repetition of foods, preparations, and preparation techniques;
-
Presence of fruits and non-starchy vegetables at least three times a week.
We also estimated the presence and weekly frequency of 20 food and beverage
categories in the school menus defined by QEMC School2020. Veiros MB, Martinelli SS. Avaliação qualitativa das preparações
do cardápio escolar: AQPC Escola. Nutrição em Pauta. 2012;
20(114):3-12., the the Dietary Guidelines for the Brazilian Population11. Brasil. Ministério da Saúde. Secretaria de Atenção à Saúde. Guia
alimentar para a população brasi-leira: promovendo a alimentação saudável.
Brasília: Ministério da Saúde; 2008.
http://189.28.128.100/nutricao/docs/gera...
, and Resolution nº 38/200999. Brasil. Lei nº 11.947, de 16 de junho de 2009. Dis-põe sobre o
atendimento da alimentação escolar e do Programa Dinheiro Direto na escola aos
alunos da educação básica. Diário Oficial da União. 2009; 17 jun, p.24, Seção
1.. These categories were: 1) Fresh fruits and
fruit-based preparations; 2) Non-starchy vegetables and non-starchy vegetable-based
preparations; 3) Grains, bread, pasta, tubers, and roots; 4) Legumes; 5) Milk and
dairy products; 6) Meats and eggs; 7) Condiments and seeds; 8) Oils and fats; 9)
Preparations with added sugar; 10) Products with added sugar; 11) Commercially
processed meats; 12) Canned foods and preserves; 13) Ready-to-eat or almost
ready-to-eat foods; 14) Commercially prepared concentrated, powdered, or dehydrated
foods; 15) Natural fruit juices; 16) Drink mixes; 17) Powdered drink mixes; 18)
Soda; 19) Coffee; 20) Tea.
The data were entered in Microsoft Office Excel 2007 and subsequently transferred to the software Stata 11.0 (Stata Corp., College Station, United States) for the statistical analyses.
The frequency was given by the weekly presence of the different food and beverage categories, that is, by dividing the total number of times that the category appeared in the menu divided by the number of weeks in the menu. Finally, the frequency was classified in increasing order: <once a week; 1 to <2 times a week; 2 to <3 times a week; 3 to <4 times a week; 4 to <5 times a week; and 5 times a week.
The data were analyzed by descriptive analysis expressed as absolute and relative frequencies.
The project was approved by the Human Research Ethics Committee of the Univerdade Federal de Santa Catarina under Protocol nº 1005/2010.
RESULTS
The number of menus provided by the municipalities ranged from one to thirteen, totaling 133 menus for 542 elementary schools in 49 municipalities, but most municipalities (51.0%) provided only one menu. A total of 356 preparations were assessed. Most menus followed the following standard: small meals consisting of fruit-based meals or fruit juice accompanied by cookies, bread, or cake on two to three weekdays; and large meals composed of non-starchy vegetables, a protein source, rice or pasta or starchy vegetables without dessert (fruit/sweet) on the other two or three weekdays. Most menus were from small municipalities (79.6%) in the western region of the state (49.9%), and most (93.9%) had a dietician in charge of the PNAE. Nearly all menus had been planned by a dietician (98.5%); the remainder had been planned by the school principal or the first lady. Most menus were from municipalities that acquired foods produced by family farms (87.2%) or the amount of food required by FNDE (81.0%).
Although most study menus originated in municipalities that claimed having acquired organic foods for the school meals, only 3% pointed out the presence of organic food in the menu preparations. The listed foods and preparations were: organic bean soup, organic bean viradinho (beans mixed with corn meal), organic beans, organic fruits (fruits not specified), and organic salads (vegetables not specified).
Regarding the quality of the information available in the menus, 22.6% of the menus contained a full daily specification of the types of foods, and only 3.7% specified how the foods were prepared. Most menus did not standardize the specification and/or provide complete information about the type of food (45.1%) and preparation technique (43.6%). For example, some meals did not describe the type of fruit they contained, mentioning only "fruit" in the menu, and other meals did not specify the preparation technique, mentioning only "steak" or "chicken".
Fewer than 18% of the menus were provided with some sort of complementary information attached to them, such as a list of the amount of food per capita, list of ingredients, and calculation of the nutritional value of the meals. Table 1 shows the list of the 20 food and beverage categories in the study menus.
Presence of food and beverage groups in the municipal menus of Santa Catarina in 2010 (n=133).
Most menus contained healthy food categories, such as fruits and non-starchy vegetables (87.2 and 94.0%, respectively). The fruits seen most frequently in the menus were: banana (48.9%), apple (36.9%), and orange (18.8%). The main non-starchy vegetables were: cabbage (44.4%), lettuce (39.1%), carrot (37.6%), tomato (12.8%), and cauliflower (12.0%).
Only 6.0% of the menus contained whole foods. The specified whole foods were: whole rice, oats, bread, and cookies. Many foods in the menu contained sugar added by the schools (91.0%), such as cake, porridge, and fruit shake; and commercially processed high-sugar foods (92.5%), especially chocolate milk and cookies.
The menus also contained high-sodium foods: 2.3% consisting of almost or ready-to-eat foods, such as tomato sauce; 11.3% consisting of canned foods or preserves (sardine, pea, and corn); 53.0% consisting of commercially processed meats, especially hot dog sausage and mortadella; and 76.7% consisting of powdered, concentrated, or dehydrated foods, such as cocoa powder and gelatin desserts. The only beverages in the menus were natural fruit juice, coffee, and tea. Table 2 shows the weekly frequency of the study food and beverage categories.
Weekly frequency of food and beverage groups in the municipal menus of Santa Catarina in 2010 (n=133).
The frequency of whole grains, bread, and pasta, tubers, and legumes was low in most menus (served less than once a week). Fruits and non-starchy vegetables were present fewer than three and four times a week, respectively.
Regarding the frequency of food categories containing simple sugars, preparations with added sugar were present fewer than twice a week (41.3%), and high-sugar processed foods were present fewer than three times a week (33.1%). Foods with high sodium and high fat (saturated, total, and trans) contents, such as commercially processed meats, were present fewer than once a week.
DISCUSSION
This study collected school menu planning data from 49 municipalities of Santa Catarina. All of them reported acquiring organic foods for the school meals in 2010.
More than 80.0% of the study menus were from municipalities that acquired at least
30.0% of their foods from family farms, as required by law. Saraiva et
al.2222. Saraiva EB, Silva APF, Sousa AA, Cerqueira GF, Chagas CMS, Toral
N. Panorama da compra de alimentos da agricultura familiar para o Programa
Nacional de Alimentação Escolar. Ciênc Saúde Colet. 2013;
18(4):927-35.
http://dx.doi.org/10.15 90/S1413-8123201...
analyzed 2010 data
regarding the purchase of foods from family farms in Brazilian municipalities and
states and found that the national purchase percentage was 47.4%, less than the
percentage observed herein. Some of the difficulties associated with the acquisition
of family farm foods are: family farmers do not issue invoices; family farms do not
provide a regular and constant food supply; and the sanitary conditions are
inadequate.
Gabriel et al.1818. Gabriel CG, Costa LCF, Calvo MCM, Vasconcelos FAG. Planejamento
de cardápios para escolas públicas municipais: reflexão e ilustração desse
processo em duas capitais brasileiras. Rev Nutr. 2012;
25(3):363-72.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S14 15-5273201...
analyzed
PNAE's menu planning in two Brazilian state capitals, Florianópolis
(SC) and Belém (PA). The study capitals did not buy foods from
family farms. The justification was a food supply that did not meet the demand of
these cities and producers' lack of structure, preventing a regular food supply and
issuance of the required documents.
All study menus were from municipalities that claimed to buy organic foods for the
school meals. However, the menus usually failed to indicate their presence and type.
The results evidenced the need of valuing the information regarding the presence of
these foods in the planned menus, in addition to increasing their use given their
relationship with healthy food practices in their social, environmental, and
cultural dimensions. On the other hand, Silva & Sousa1919. Silva APF, Sousa AA. Alimentos orgânicos da agricultura familiar
no Programa Nacional de alimentação Escolar do Estado de Santa Catarina, Brasil.
Rev Nutr. 2013; 26(6):701-14.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1415-52732013...
used the same database as the present study and identified a
great variety and diversity of these products produced by local family farmers and
included in school meals, which may represent a real advancement for increasing
sustainable food and agriculture systems and schoolchild access to healthy,
culturally referenced foods.
Lima & Sousa2323. Lima EED, Sousa AA. Alimentos orgânicos na pro-dução de
refeições escolares: limites e possibilidades em uma escola pública de
Florianópolis. Rev Nutr. 2011; 24(2):263-73.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1415-52732011...
analyzed the introduction
of organic foods in the meals of a school in Santa Catarina and
found organic foods present in 33% (n=7) of the menu days. The authors also verified
that to increase the amount of organic foods in the menu, the purchases would have
to be better planned.
A study that analyzed 684 suggestions to facilitate the purchase of organic foods
from family farms made by 446 social actors involved in the PNAE in Santa
Catarina identified the following: need of sensitization strategies for
the use of organic foods, with emphasis on educating and sensitizing social actors
and community; better government management of the program, especially less
bureaucracy and taxes, more outsourcing, and more manager involvement; organization
of the supply and demand of organic foods given the logistic difficulties and
management of meal production because of the required volume of a certain harvested
food and diversity of organic foods2424. Silvério GA, Sousa AA. Organic foods from family farms in the
National School Food Program: Perspectives of social actors from Santa Catarina,
Brazil. Rev Nutr. 2014; 27(3):289-300.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/1415-527320140...
.
In the present study, some menus did not contain all the required information, such as specification of the food and preparation technique. On the one hand, the absence of specification can be a strategy to make the menu flexible and adaptable to the foods available at different times, allowing the purchase of seasonal foods such as fruits and vegetables. On the other hand, it limits the ability of the menu of informing the school community and schoolchildren which foods will be available.
However, menus planned in this fashion, aiming to meet the supply and seasonality of organic and/or agroecological foods, for example, could result in transferring the responsibility of food selection, preparation techniques, food combinations, and serving sizes from dieticians to cooks. These, in turn, need systematic education to carry out dietician-related activities2525. Carvalho AT, Muniz VM, Gomes JF, Samico I. Programa de alimentação escolar no município de João Pessoa - PB, Brasil: as merendeiras em foco. Interface. 2008; 12(27):823-34..
Neelon et al.2626. Neelon SEB, Copeland KA, Ball SC, Bradley L, Ward DS. Comparison
of menus to actual foods and beverages served in North Carolina child-care
centers. J Am Diet Assoc. 2010; 110(12):1890-5.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2010.09...
compared the
information in the planned menu with the actual meals. They concluded that the
inaccuracy of the information in the planned menu is a limiting factor for assessing
meal quality, since foods and preparation techniques may change as needed, which may
significantly change the nutritional and sensory quality of the menus. Hence, the
absence of specification in the menu can represent a risk to the nutritional and
sensory quality of the meals.
Some menus did not contain fruits (12.8%) or non-starchy vegetables (6.0%), which is
far from the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation of 400 g per day of
these foods to prevent NCD2727. World Health Organization. Food and Agricultural Organization of
the United Nations. Expert report on diet, nutrition and the prevention of
chronic diseases. Geneva: WHO/FAO; 2003.
http://www.fao.org/english/newsroom/news...
.
Teo & Monteiro2828. Teo CRPA, Monteiro CA. Marco legal do Programa Nacional de
Alimentação Escolar: uma releitura para alinhar propósitos e práticas na
aquisição de alimentos. Rev Nutr. 2012; 25(5):657-68.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1415-52732012...
state that the frequency
of fruits and non-starchy vegetables recommended by PNAE should be increased to at
least one serving per meal. This change in the legislation would promote the daily
supply of these foods in the menus, helping to improve the nutritional quality of
school meals and increase the benefits for farmers from the increased demand, and
consequently, from the purchase of foods produced by family farms.
The present study also found a high frequency of milk and dairy products and a low
frequency of whole grains, evidencing the need of revising the menus to increase the
supply of whole grains. The same was observed by Condon et al.2929. Condon EM, Crepinsek MK, Fox MK. School meals: types of foods
offered to and consumed by children at lunch and breakfast. J Am Diet Assoc.
2009; 109(2 Suppl):S67-78.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2008.10...
: They assessed 1,915 menus from American
public schools and found milk in 100% of the menus and whole bread in only 5% of the
menus.
Data analysis faced some challenges because of the absence of information regarding the preparations and specification of the foods in a meal. For example, some menus contained generic information, such as "fruit," "salad," "soup," and "risotto," among others. Additionally, the preparation technique was also often absent with the menus mentioning only the type of protein source or cut, such as "beef," "chicken," and "meat," among others.
In the present menu, menu assessment was limited to analysis of the information described in the planned menus provided by the municipal departments of education. However, these menus could have been changed before they were executed, especially menus that did not present an appropriate description of the preparations to allow appropriate or coherent execution, thus requiring guidance and recommendations.
The study menus were collected at an earlier time by Cecane/SC (2010), which impaired us from obtaining complementary information in recipe cards. Therefore, the analyses were limited to the ingredients of the listed preparations without having consulted the actual recipes.
It is noteworthy that only a few studies assessed planned menus as recommended by
FNDE's1212. Sousa AA, Azevedo E, Lima EE, Silva APF. Alimentos orgânicos e
saúde humana: estudo sobre as con-trovérsias. Rev Panam Salud Publica. 2012;
31(6):513-7.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1590/S1020-49 89201...
Resolution nº 38 passed in 2009
because of recent changes in the legislation regarding the development of PNAE
menus. This aspect limits the comparison of data found in the present research.
Given the number of study menus (133) and preparations (356), the results may reveal a profile of the municipalities of Santa Catarina that acquired organic foods for school meals.
The data of the present study show inadequacies regarding the quality of the information present in the menus, such as absence of standardization in the specification and/or incomplete information regarding type of food and preparation technique.
Future studies should continue to assess the legal requirements for planning school
menus taking into account the most recent recommendations published in Resolution nº
26, passed on June 17, 20133030. Brasil. Resolução nº 26, de 17 de junho de 2013. Dispõe sobre o
atendimento da alimentação escolar aos alunos da educação básica no âmbito do
Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar - PNAE. Brasília: Fundo Nacional de
Desenvolvimento da Educação; 2013.
http://www.fnde.gov.br/fnde/legislacao/r...
. Among other
advances, the said resolution determines that menu planning should be based on the
recipes, should specify the type of meal, preparation name, ingredients, and
consistency, and should provide nutritional information (energy, macronutrients,
main micronutrients, and fibers). Additionally, it limits the supply of sweets,
sodium, and preparations containing added sugar.
Still, studies on the theme (school menu planning) should increase their depth and also consider the socio-environmental dimensions and appreciation of the food culture, as recommended by public policies. The literature contains gaps regarding the characterization and differentiation of regional foods from sustainable foods. A regional food may not promote sustainability depending on their production model, which raises the need of mapping these foods/products in future studies and deepening this discussion.
CONCLUSION
The study sample came from menus of municipalities of Santa Catarina that claimed to buy organic foods in 2010. However, these foods were not identified in the menus, evidencing the need of valuing this information in the planned menus and increasing the use of these foods to promote healthy food practices.
In this study, almost all menus had been planned by dieticians. However, some menus needed revision regarding the presence and frequency of fruits and non-starchy vegetables. Furthermore, the presence and frequency of whole grains also need to increase, while those of high-sugar, high-fat, and high-sodium foods, such as chocolate milk, biscuits, and commercially processed foods need to decrease. The variety of foods in the meals should also increase, avoiding color, food, and preparation technique monotony.
The menus should be revised to include specifications, such as preparation name, ingredients, and preparation technique.
We emphasize that school food should be a strategy to promote local and sustainable development, as recommended by PNAE, and that menu planning has an essential role in meeting these guidelines because the menu is an important instrument that can guide and encourage the production and acquisition of sustainable foods, and consequently promote healthy food practices.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors thank Coordenação de Aper-feiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior for providing the student grant, and the Centro Colaborador em Alimentação e Nutrição do Escolar de Santa Catarina and Fundo Nacional de Desenvolvimento da Educa-ção - Brazilian Ministry of Education for sponsoring the study.
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29Condon EM, Crepinsek MK, Fox MK. School meals: types of foods offered to and consumed by children at lunch and breakfast. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009; 109(2 Suppl):S67-78.
» http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jada.2008.10.062 -
30Brasil. Resolução nº 26, de 17 de junho de 2013. Dispõe sobre o atendimento da alimentação escolar aos alunos da educação básica no âmbito do Programa Nacional de Alimentação Escolar - PNAE. Brasília: Fundo Nacional de Desenvolvimento da Educação; 2013.
» http://www.fnde.gov.br/fnde/legislacao/resolucoes/item/4620-resolução-cd-fnde-nº-26,-de-17-de-junho-de-2013
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CONTRIBUTORS GM VIDAL, MB VEIROS, and AA SOUSA participated in study conception and design, data analysis, and article writing and review.
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Article based on the master's thesis of GM VIDAL, intitled "Avaliação de cardápios com alimentos orgânicos da alimentação escolar em municípios de Santa Catarina". Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina; 2013.
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Support: Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior, Fundo Nacional de Desenvolvimento da Educação (Process nº 234000.000675/2010-21) and Centro Colaborador em Alimentação e Nutrição do Escolar do Estado de Santa Catarina
Publication Dates
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Publication in this collection
May-Jun 2015
History
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Received
24 June 2014 -
Reviewed
05 Jan 2015 -
Accepted
12 Jan 2015