Abstract
It is estimated that the global number of people affected by micronutrient deficiency, known worldwide as hidden hunger, is over two billion and also considered a public health problem. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate biofortified cassava cultivars in relation to their physical-chemical composition, total carotenoids and to verify their sensory acceptance by schoolchildren. The study was conducted in Santa Maria, in the state of Rio Grande do Sul (RS), Brazil, with four cassava cultivars, two biofortified with yellow pulp (BRS 399 and BRS 396); two non-biofortified varieties: one with yellow pulp (“Gema de ovo”) and another with white pulp (“Vassourinha”). After cooking the roots, the nutritional composition (moisture, protein, lipid, ash, and total starch), the total carotenoid content, and the sensory acceptance of the roots by the children at school, in the countryside of Julio de Castilhos and Dilermando de Aguiar, was determined. The contents of moisture, protein, lipids, ash, and starch showed significant variations between the cultivars analyzed. The highest levels of total carotenoids were found in biofortified cultivars (12.85 µg g-1). In the non-biofortified cultivars, “Gema de ovo” and “Vassourinha”, the levels were 12.01 µg g-1 and 3.30 µg g-1, respectively. Sensory acceptance was 78.7%, demonstrating the potential for the insertion of biofortified roots in school meals.
Keywords:
Agriculture; School feeding; Biofortification; Micronutrients; Vitamin A
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