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Biography |
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Food Engineer, MSc in Food Science at the State University of Campinas, Brazil (1986). Post-Graduate course in nutritional planning at the University of Gent, Belgium (1980) and in consumer studies at the University of Guelph, Canada (1985). Full time researcher and lecturer at the Department of Nutrition and Food Planning, State University of Campinas (1983-1987), being responsible for several courses and a member of examination committees of several MSc theses. Technical Director of Nutricia S.A., Produtos Dieteticos e Nutricionais, leading a group of 40 researchers mainly oriented at R&D of Foods for Special Dietary Uses. From 1996 to 2003, Nutti was General Manager of Embrapa Food Technology, a research unit with 140 employees, including 40 researchers with PhD or MSc. Brazilian delegate at the Codex Alimentarius Committee in Food Labeling (Canada) since 1997 and at the Codex Alimentarius Task Force on Foods Derived from Biotechnology (Japan) since 2000. She is a member of the FAO/WHO Expert Consultation, "Safety Aspects of Genetically Modified Foods of Plant Origin", being part of the roster of experts of FAO/WHO in Biosafety. Nowadays she is a researcher at Embrapa Food Technology, her research being in the areas of food safety, biosafety and labeling of genetically modified foods. Coordinator of the Brazilian Biofortification Network is responsible for the HarvestPlus, AgroSalud and BioFort projects in Brazil
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Abstract |
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BIOFORTIFICATION IN BRAZIL: HARVESTPLUS, AGROSALUD AND BIOFORT PROJECTS
The current strategy to combat malnutrition in developing countries focus on providing vitamin and mineral supplements for pregnant women and young children and on fortifying foods with these nutrients. Biofortified crops (varieties bred for increased mineral and vitamin content) will complement existing nutrition interventions and provide a sustainable and low-cost way of reaching the target populations. In Brazil, the activities of the biofortification projects HarvestPlus (supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation among others) AgroSalud (supported by the Canadian International Development Agency – CIDA) and BioFORT (supported by the Embrapa/Monsanto Fund) are coordinated by Embrapa and the following crops are being studied: rice, common bean, sweet potato, cassava, maize, cowpea, wheat and pumpkin. Several Embrapa research centers and many partner institutions, from Brazil and abroad, take part in this Biofortification Net, where Brazilian universities carry out studies to evaluate nutrients retention during processing/cooking. Embrapa research centers are developing: cassava, sweet potato and pumpkin with higher levels of carotenoids; maize with higher levels of lysine, tryptophan and pro-vitamin A; rice, common bean, maize, wheat and cowpea with higher levels of iron and zinc; and extruded and bakery products from biofortified flours. The following activities are planned for the biofortified crops under study: evaluation of their agronomic performance and nutrients bioavailability, sensory analysis, investigation of consumption habits and social-economic conditions of the target populations as well as their anthropometric status. Biofortification activities in Brazil carry out a team work strategy, integrating more than 150 people in different geographical areas, and working tightly in order to reach the expected deliverables.
Keywords: biofortification, pro-vitamin A, iron, zinc, Embrapa
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