Challenges and possible paths in the relationship between Gastronomy and health promotion: teachers' perception on the role of the gastronomer graduate in Brazilian federal universities

Abstract

This article presents the results of a master's research that aims to analyze the perceptions of federal university faculty members about the relationships between higher education in gastronomy and health promotion. A qualitative approach was adopted, with a two-step method: documental analysis of the political-pedagogical projects (PPPs) of the bachelor degrees in Gastronomy of the Universidade Federal Do Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) and Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA) and semi-structured interviews with teachers (N=14). Data analysis followed the technique of content analysis by Bardin (1977). The results were grouped in the analysis categories: i. Teacher training, challenges in the construction of PPPs and their real development in practice; ii. Relationships between Gastronomy, expanded concept of health and health promotion. When investigating how Health Promotion is worked in the bachelor's programs, it was found that part of the teachers still have a vision of health linked to the biomedical concept. It lacks the understanding that it is in the aspects of taste, appearance, enhancement of food culture and respect for land and producers that the gastronome can promote health.