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1 Article based on L.M.J. SEABRA' s thesis project entitled "Litopenaeus vannamei shrimp: components of nutritional importance in meat and processing waste. A B S T R A C TAstaxanthin, a carotenoid belonging to the xanthophyll class, has stirred great interest due to its antioxidant capacity and its possible role in reducing the risk of some diseases. Astaxanthin occurs naturally in microalgae, such as Haematococcus pluvialis and the yeast Phaffia rhodozyma, and has also been considered to be the major carotenoid in salmon and crustaceans. Shrimp processing waste, which is generally discarded, is also an important source of astaxanthin. The antioxidant activity of astaxanthin has been observed to modulate biological functions related to lipid peroxidation, having beneficial effects on chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease, macular degeneration and cancer. Researches have shown that both astaxanthin obtained from natural sources and its synthetic counterpart produce satisfactory effects, but studies in humans are limited to natural sources. There is no established nutritional recommendation regarding astaxanthin daily intake but most studies reported beneficial results from a daily intake of 4mg. Thus, this review discusses some aspects of the carotenoid astaxanthin, highlighting its chemical structure and antioxidant activity, and some studies that report its use in humans.Indexing terms: Antioxidants. Astaxanthin. Carotenoids. Chronic diseases. R E S U M O

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This study aims to assess food safety knowledge and practices of food handlers in popular public restaurants in Brazil. A questionnaire has been applied with 70 food handlers in different municipalities, with questions related to food safety knowledge and food safety self‐reported practices, and observed practices. To check hygienic‐sanitary conditions of restaurants, a checklist has been applied. Regarding food safety knowledge, an average of 72.64% of correct answers has been observed. Food safety self‐reported practices presented 80.71% of adequacy, while observed practices were 75.40%. A positive correlation has been observed between food safety knowledge and self‐reported practices of handlers. The observed food safety practice of handlers presented no correlation with food safety knowledge and self‐reported practices. The average adequacy of hygienic‐sanitary conditions was 68.08%, classifying the units as “regular.” Despite satisfactory results related to the handlers' food safety knowledge and practices, the hygienic‐sanitary conditions of the restaurants are of concern.Practical applicationsThe Popular Restaurant Program in Brazil aims to provide proper food from a nutritional and hygienic‐sanitary aspect at affordable prices. The assessment of food handlers' food safety knowledge and practices and the assessment of hygienic‐sanitary conditions of these units are key in supporting actions aimed at improving the quality of the meals served, as food handlers are the essential agents in the production of meals and can become a source for food contamination if necessary care is not taken. Therefore, conducting this assessment can be an important tool for quality management in these units and can provide improvements in the process of food handling, in addition to ensuring compliance with the objectives proposed by the Popular Restaurant Program.

O objetivo desta pesquisa foi avaliar a composição centesimal e lipídica da carne de ovinos do Nordeste brasileiro. Para isso, foram utilizados 21 borregos, machos inteiros, sendo 10 animais ½ Somalis Brasileira ´ ½ Crioula (SB-C) e 11 animais ½ Santa Inês ´ ½ Crioula (SI-C). Os animais receberam duas dietas durante a fase de amamentação: feno de capim-gramão (Cynodon dactylon) + feno de leucena (Leucaena leucocephala) ad libitum (D1) e feno de capim-gramão + feno de leucena + concentrado com 20% de proteína bruta ad libitum (D2). Não foi observado o efeito dos genótipos nem do sistema de alimentação sobre a composição centesimal e lipídica da carne. Os valores de umidade, proteína, cinzas e gordura, variaram de 76,12 a 76,19%, 19,19 a 19,46%, 1,08 a 1,10% e 2,01 a 2,39%, respectivamente. Os valores de colesterol variaram de 54,43 a 60,05mg por 100g de carne. Os ácidos graxos encontrados em maior quantidade na fração lipídica da carne dos animais estudados foram oleico, palmítico e esteárico. De acordo com os resultados obtidos, conclui-se que a carne de ovinos do Nordeste brasileiro apresenta uma composição centesimal e lipídica similar às carnes de ovinos de clima temperado.

The production of collective meals in institutional restaurants demands a great use of natural resources. The search for strategies to reduce negative environmental impacts in this sector is essential to offer meals that are not only healthy but also sustainable. In this study the evaluation of water footprint (WF) of menus offered in a public university restaurant located in the northeast of Brazil and the verification of the origin of foodstuff purchased to compose the menus in 2 months were carried out. The study is transversal, descriptive, and exploratory and the data were collected between March and April 2018. Water footprint of 112 traditional and vegetarian menus was calculated and the results showed that the WF of traditional menus was higher (p < 0.0001) than the vegetarian menus. Weekly average per capita of WF was 2752.0 L for traditional menus and 1113.9 L for the vegetarian option, with animal protein intake in the traditional version being the main factor for this difference. It was identified that 49.47% of the foods used in the studied period originated from the same state where the restaurant is located, with fresh vegetables being the food group with the highest contribution. Thus, we conclude that although the restaurant purchases local food products, the environmental impact of the choice of foods that is included in the menus must be taken into account. The utilization of local foodstuff and the decrease of animal protein in the menus can be a good strategy to encourage sustainable actions in food services meal production.

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