Nanotecnologia: do estudo do comportamento do consumidor ao desenvolvimento de aroma nanoencapsulado

• Ano de defesa: 2013
• Autor(a) principal: Vidigal, Márcia Cristina Teixeira Ribeiro
• Orientador(a): Minim, Valéria Paula Rodrigues
• Banca de defesa: Lucia, Suzana Maria Della , Gonçalves, Aline Cristina Arruda
• Tipo de documento: Tese
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: por
• Instituição de defesa: Universidade Federal de Viçosa
• Programa de Pós-Graduação: Doutorado em Ciência e Tecnologia de Alimentos
• Departamento: Ciência de Alimentos; Tecnologia de Alimentos; Engenharia de Alimentos
• País: BR
• Palavras-chave em Português: Sensorial; Aroma; Nanoparticulas; Neofobia
• Palavras-chave em Inglês: Sensory; Aroma; Nanoparticles; Neophobia
• Área do conhecimento CNPq: CNPQ::CIENCIAS AGRARIAS::CIENCIA E TECNOLOGIA DE ALIMENTOS::CIENCIA DE ALIMENTOS
• Link de acesso: http://locus.ufv.br/handle/123456789/486

In recent years, applications of nanotechnology in the food sector have been growing and many research projects are ongoing in order to evaluate consumer s behavior in relation to this new technology. Because it is a new technology, its acceptance by consumers is not clear yet. In this context, one factor that has been investigated is the aversion of consumers to new technologies used in food production and processing, a phenomenon known as neophobia. Thus, the present work aimed to study the behavior of Brazilian consumers regarding nanotechnology and compare it with other current and conventional technologies (pasteurisation, organic, enriched with bioactive proteins and transgenic) using the neophobia scale for food technologies (FTNS- Food Technology Neophobia Scale), which was duly translated and validated for the Portuguese language. The neophobia study was conducted with 389 respondents in Belo Horizonte-MG, Brazil. Results suggest that the FTNS is important to explain consumer attitudes in relation to new technologies, especially with regards to nanotechnology. Consumers are less familiar with foods labeled as genetically modified (GM) and nanotechnology and their willingness to try these products was significantly lower (p<0.05). The perception of individuals in relation to nanotechnology was also investigated by the Words Association technique. The study was conducted by 179 consumers in Viçosa-MG, Brazil. Expectations and motivations of consumers were significantly affected (p<0.001) by the conventional and unconventional technologies. The word association technique provided interesting results for consumer perceptions in relation to new technologies, being useful for development of new products and marketing strategies. Consumer perception in relation to nanotechnology was mainly related to novelty, uncertainty and curiosity, thus indicating their interest in obtaining more information. Thus, the application of nanotechnology in the food sector depends on consumer awareness regarding the risks and benefits of this new technology. In the area of sensory analysis, the development of more stable nanoencapsulated aromas is an alternative to improve the flavor of free or low-fat foods, and to avoid loss of these compounds during food processing, storage and consumption. Solid lipid nanoparticles containing &#947;-nonalactone, a lipophilic aroma that gives coconut flavor to foods, were developed and characterized (&#947;-nonalac-SLNs). The influence of surfactant and aroma concentrations on particle size, zeta potential and encapsulation efficiency was evaluated using a Rotational Central Composite Design (RCCD). The &#947;-nonalac-SLNs were also characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. The particles reconstituted after lyophilization were visually examined in relation to aggregation. The ideal condition for nanoparticle preparation was 1.8% of poloxamer 188 (continuous phase), and 50.0% of &#947;-nonalactone (dispersed phase) which provides an encapsulation efficiency of 86.06 %, mean size of 530.10 nm and zeta potential of - 32.13 mV. A visual assessment indicated that the reconstituted nanoparticles, after mechanical homogenization and high pressure, presented good dispersion in water. Thus, &#947;-nonalac-SLNs may be an alternative for use in foods in general, especially those with low fat concentration in order to improve the flavor and aroma of these foods, and increase their stability. It can be concluded that although the neophobia study reported that consumers showed neophobia in relation to nanotechnology, the exploratory technique, word association, indicated that this behavior is associated with lack of knowledge. Thus, through communication and information programs for consumers, food produced using nanotechnology has the potential to be accepted by the market.