ANIMAL PROTEIN CONSUMPTION AND FOOD SAFETY IN SANTARÉM-PARÁ IN THE SARS-CoV-2 SCENARIO
Coronavirus-2; animal consumption; animal protein; food security; game meat.
With the emergence of the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome - Coronavirus 2), many changes occurred in people's lives and food was one of the most affected aspects. This study aimed to describe the consumption of protein of animal origin and to evaluate the impact of the pandemic caused by SARS-CoV-2 on food security in the city of Santarém, State of Pará. Through an online questionnaire generated on Google Forms, 140 participants anonymously answered questions about preference and frequency of consumption by type of animal protein, changes in consumption due to the pandemic and questions about food safety, in addition to socioeconomic aspects. . In the results obtained, the animal protein preferred by the interviewees was beef, with game meat being one of the least appreciated. It was found that the egg was the protein of animal origin with the highest frequency of consumption before the pandemic (= 17.8 days/month) and the one that received the most responses “increased consumption” (32.7% of the citations) during the period. pandemic. Game meat was the protein that received the most quotes “I stopped consuming” (32.6%) during the pandemic and was the one that had the second highest price (21 R$/kg) when compared to other meats, behind only beef (21.8 R$/kg). Regarding food security (FS), before the pandemic, 25.7% of respondents were food insecure (FI); with the health emergency, the number increased to 45%. Women were more likely to have some level of AI than men and were 109% more likely to have a mild degree of AI. Therefore, the research demonstrated that the context of SARS-CoV-2 changed the eating habits of the participants and contributed to the increase of AI. The data can support public policies to mitigate the impacts of the pandemic and ensure the safety of the local population.