AVALIAÇÃO QUALITATIVA DAS PREPARAÇÕES SERVIDAS EM UM RESTAURANTE POPULAR E OS IMPACTOS DO CENÁRIO PANDÊMICO DA COVID-19

Abstract

Introduction: Considering the implications that the Covid-19 pandemic caused and the importance of the popular restaurant program in the offer of meals, this study proposed a qualitative evaluation on the lunch menu of the Popular Restaurant in the municipality of Santa Cruz-RN and the impacts of the pandemic scenario.  Methodology: To this, the menus for the months of March, April, May, August and September 2021 were evaluated by the QEMP method - qualitative evaluation of menu preparations - and based on an adaptation proposed by Prado et al.. Furthermore, through the adaptation of the QEMP Escola method, preparations were designated according to the recommendations for type of processing following the Food Guide for the Brazilian population. Results: A low supply of fruits and leafy vegetables was identified, high supply of fatty and sweet meats, regular supply of preparations rich in sulfur and the same colors. However, as for the frying and the frying + sweet set, they were presented in only 1 day. Furthermore, with the gradual opening of public sites, there was an increase in the supply of hardwoods, decrease in monotony, foods rich in sulfur and sweets, and even so, preparations in natura or minimally processed + processed foods were present every day. Conclusions: In addition, it is important to emphasize that through the QEMP method it is possible to identify adjustments to offer quality to diners. We observed the need for changes in the research universe to be more emphatic in its principle.