Changes in food consumption in Brazil

Changes in eating habits have occurred in the last decades in several countries associated to demographic, economic, social and epidemiologic factors. In Brazil, the available data about food consumption are the result of Family Budget Surveys undertaken by Getúlio Vargas Foundation and IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) in 1961/1963 and 1987/88, respectively, and the National Study of Family Expenditure (ENDEF), carried out by IBGE during 1974/75. They reveal as principal tendencies the decreasing consumption of staple foodstuffs (beans, rice, manioc flour), pork meat, lard and butter, the replacement of bovine meat for chicken, and the increase in the consumption of eggs, milk products and vegetable oils. Based on these surveys, the intake of macronutrients in urban areas showed a decrease of carbohydrate and an increase of fat contribution as sources of calories, an increase in the consumption of animal protein in detriment of vegetable protein, and substitution of animal fats for vegetable fats. It was also observed an increase in the use of industrialized foodstuffs, directly related to income, leading to a greater diversity of foodstuffs and lower consumption of staple foods. Recent studies with adult and elderly population from the city of São Paulo show a reduction in the consumption of fatty and fried foods and sugar, and an increase in the consumption of fruits and vegetables because of health concern. Studies that take into account the verified changes in eating habits and the new consumption tendencies, as well as their impact on nutritional and health conditions of the Brazilian urban population, are presently needed.