Purchase of food from the new staple food basket in low-income Brazilian households.

OBJECTIVE

To describe the purchase of foods included in the new staple food basket by low-income households in Brazil, from 2017 to 2018.

METHODS

Data on household food purchases were obtained from the 2017-2018 Household Budget Survey, conducted by the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics). Data from 13,706 low-income households (< ½ minimum wage per capita) were analyzed. Foods were identified based on an ordinance issued by the Ministry of Social Development and Fight Against Hunger, which specifies the composition of the new staple food basket. Estimates were expressed as a percentage of caloric intake.

RESULTS

Foods introduced into the new staple food basket accounted for 84.1% of the total calories purchased by low-income households in Brazil, from 2017 to 2018, with significant participation in rural areas (88.0%) and in the North (88.2%) and Northeast (85.9%) regions. Among food groups, cereals (33.5%), sugars and oils/fats (21.3%), and meats and eggs (11.6%) presented the highest contributions. Rice, corn, and other grains contributed 19.7%, whereas beans accounted for 4.7% of calories. Poultry meat and beef were the most purchased foods in the meat and egg group, representing 5.0% and 4.0% of calories, respectively. Fruits contributed 1.9% and vegetables 0.7% of calories. We observed no major differences in food purchase regarding the race/skin color of the head of the household.

CONCLUSION

Analysis shows that in the 2017-2018 period, the foods included in the new staple food basket became the basis of low-income households' diet, reinforcing the cultural viability of its implementation.