Propriedades e padrões de qualidade na comercialização de produtos vegetais amazônicos com alegações funcionais

Abstract

The Amazon biome is known worldwide for its wide diversity of plant sources. Amazonian plant sources are inserted in the popular's everyday life from the beginnings of indigenous and as consequence of the Brazilian’ African practice to the present day involving cultural issues, economic chain, industrial development, primary and complementary health. The Amazonian flora is inserted in the natural products market, for the enjoyment of health benefits by fans, present at fairs and even online sales platforms, minimally processed or in transformed products. The commercial natural products sector contains a wide range of consumer goods with a “healthier, more natural, more sustainable” appeal involved in this marketing. These products need to follow production and marketing regulations according to the type of product, to ensure consumer safety. In addition, from Amazonian plant sources, fruits, some with a consolidated market, can present themselves as an opportunity for sustainable application by using residues from the production chain to transform them into bioproducts. Therefore, the objective of this work was to verify which Amazonian plant sources are inserted in the market as natural products, from visits to points of sale in the city of BelémPA. The marketing of these products was evaluated, such as organization of the environment, storage and packaging, as well as the presence of these sources in products on Brazilian electronic pages and in electronic commerce in other countries. In addition to obtaining information on regulation and surveying of technological properties to present the potential of Amazonian fruits if inserted in a circular economy. The visit to 33 points of sale, which totaled 12 Amazonian plant sources (Annona muricata, Arrabidaea chica, Carapa guianensis Aubl., Copaifera langsdorffii, Himatanthus sucuuba (Spruce) ex Müll. Arg, Hymenaea courbaril L., Myrciaria dubia, Parahancornia amapa (Huber) Ducke, Passiflora incarnata, Paullinia cupana, Ptychopetalum olacoides, Uncaria tomentosa) marketed as dry products, powders, capsules, oils and other exudates. In the trade of natural products, in addition to packaged products, there is the common practice of selling in bulk, with benefits inherent to this practice of use. The sales locations were mainly differentiated in two ways, herbalist and emporium that perceptibly show differences in organization and prevalence for product types. These sources are included in national electronic commerce, presented with different functional and therapeutic indications, and are also present in international commerce, with the exception of Parahancornia amapa (Huber) Ducke. The labeling criteria are included in the specific regulations for each product according to each federation, however, they are still subject to confusion regarding the classification of these products. And about the fruits, these have great potential for the market in the use of production residues. It is noticed that the form of commerce of natural products is globally consolidated, but it can present risks to the health of the consumer due to the indiscriminate sale and if basic conditions of commercialization and regulation are not met.