Research Lines
Line 1: Social Gastronomy and Sustainability
This research line, based on multidisciplinary studies, focuses on strategies for promoting social development and investigating its impacts. It aims to scientifically translate and disseminate local, regional, and national food cultural production, including: documentation of the tangible and intangible aspects of gastronomic culture; the practice of gastronomy in relation to sustainability and food sovereignty; interventions and incorporations of gastronomic perspectives into public food policies, considering the social function of gastronomy; the preservation and documentation of traditional knowledge; studies on the foundations and implementation of Food and Nutritional Education; exploration of the practices and representations of cooking, food, and beverages as cultural symbols; discussions on the scope of professional activities and the theoretical-practical training of professionals in the food sector; and the mobilization of entrepreneurship to provide solutions to social problems through gastronomic knowledge.
Line 2: Gastronomic Technology and Innovation
This research line, based on multidisciplinary studies, aims to understand gastronomy in its technical-scientific dimension, focusing on the investigation of: local, regional, and national raw materials; traditional and non-traditional foods and local/regional agricultural production; culinary preparation methods and techniques that minimize nutrient loss, aiming for better food quality; the development of new gastronomic techniques and products, with an emphasis on understanding their nutritional, chemical, functional, sensory, and cultural aspects while respecting food sovereignty.
Line 3: Gastronomy, Nutrition, and Health
This research line, grounded in a multidisciplinary perspective, encompasses various fields of knowledge such as food, nutrition, health, anthropology, education, technology, market trends, and sustainability, all related to gastronomy and food and nutrition issues and their health challenges. Areas of focus include clinical nutrition and gastronomy, with a spotlight on hospital gastronomy and the fight against chronic diseases; dietary restrictions and mental health; nutrition and gastronomy across different life stages and physiological conditions; health benefits of bioactive compounds and functional foods, particularly those from Brazilian biodiversity; gastronomy in food and nutritional education; food security and sovereignty; safe food and good practices; nutrient preservation and preparation techniques; vegetarian menus; planetary health and sustainability; ethnonutrition, cultural variables, and their nutritional outcomes.
