Assessment of the Provitamin A Contents of Foods— The Brazilian Experience

Vitamin A deficiency is a public health problem in some areas of Brazil. Ironically, this country is richly endowed with carotenogenic foods, a good part of which has been studied. This article integrates the data obtained during 17 years of intense investigations. The vitamin A values of vegetables, fruits, palm oils, root crops, and processed foods are presented and discussed. The influence of stage of maturity, cultivar or variety, climate or geographic location, and portion analyzed and the effects of home preparation, processing, and storage on the provitamin composition are quantitatively demonstrated. Evaluation of the analytical methods is described in detail. The wealth of information gathered can serve as a solid basis for a food-based program to cope with the vitamin A problem of Brasil and can also be an incentive for other developing countries to pursue a similar goal.