Percorrer por autor "Vitor, Rute"
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- House cricket (Acheta domesticus) as a promising functional ingredient: a synoptical review on nutritional value, technological properties and sustainability perspectivesPublication . Oliveira, F.; Vitor, Rute; Silva, M.M.; Dias, Igor; Borges, S.; Barbosa, J.The house cricket (Acheta domesticus) is among the edible insect species authorized under the European Union novel food framework and is increasingly explored as a food ingredient. This review synthesizes current evidence on its nutritional composition, techno-functional properties, safety, sustainability, and application potential for human consumption. A. domesticus powder is a nutrient-dense ingredient, with reported protein contents ranging from 57.4 to 76.19 g/100 g dry material, together with a relevant amino acid profile, unsaturated lipid fraction, chitin-associated fiber, and selected minerals and vitamins. Its techno-functional profile, including water absorption capacity around 175%, oil absorption capacity around 140%, and emulsifying capacity around 77.7%, supports applications in bakery products, snacks, pasta, meat analogs, and protein-enriched foods. From a sustainability perspective, reported feed conversion ratios around 1.5–1.9 and controlled indoor rearing strengthen its relevance for scalable production, although outcomes depend on substrate choice, energy inputs, production scale, and processing conditions. Safety issues, especially allergenicity, cross-reactivity, microbial control, and contaminant monitoring, remain central to industrial use. Overall, A. domesticus powder has emerged and should be regarded as a nutritionally valuable, technologically versatile and promising functional ingredient for sustainable food innovation
- Integrating Mediterranean diet education and sustainability in primary schools: a two-season community-based intervention in PortugalPublication . Vitor, Rute; Andrade, Vanda; Reis, J.; Macário, M.; Dias, Igor; Figueiredo, M.; Rodrigues, M.; Mendes, L.; Ferrão, I.; Barros, R.; Ruivo, P.Background/Objectives: School-based programmes may play an important role in promoting healthier and more sustainable dietary habits from early childhood. This study described and evaluated a community-based intervention aimed at promoting Mediterraneandiet (MD) principles, improving food literacy, and raising awareness of sustainable food practices among primary school children in the Tagus Lezíria region, Portugal. Methods:The intervention was implemented in 23 schools across 11 municipalities and included two seasonal rounds of participatory educational activities focused on healthy eating, local and seasonal foods, sensory exploration, balanced meals, composting, food storage, sustainable food production, and food waste prevention. A total of 872 children participated in the intervention activities, and 370 provided paired baseline and follow-up KIDMED assessments. Results: The mean KIDMED score decreased significantly from 8.0 ± 2.2 at baseline to 7.5 ± 2.4 after the intervention. Overall, 31.6% of participants improved their score, 18.9% showed no change, and 49.5% showed a decrease. The proportion of children who did not skip breakfast increased from 79.8% to 88.6%, and avoidance of fast-food restaurants more than once weekly increased from 85.4% to 89.6%. Smaller favourable changes were observed for pastry, sweet, and fish consumption, and olive oil use, whereas fruit, vegetable, pulse, and nut consumption did not improve. Conclusions: The intervention produced heterogeneous outcomes. Although overall MD adherence decreased, almost one-third of participants improved individually, with favourable changes in breakfast and selection of less healthy behaviours. Longer programmes with stronger family involvement may be required to reinforce core MD foods and achieve broader, sustained improvements