Versatility has made cashew an asset for the plant-based food industry in Brazil. From the peduncle to the almond, the use is complete to produce vegetable versions with a similar flavor to foods such as meat, cheese, milk, curd and butter.

Among the differentials are the richness of proteins, neutral flavor, attractive price in relation to imported ingredients and sustainability, since production, concentrated in the Northeast, mixes environmental care with the generation of work and income for small producers.

“The cashew nut goes well with everything, it is very versatile, from sweet to salty, from drink to dish”, says Rodrigo Carvalho, partner at A Tal da Castanha, a plant-based company created in 2015 and which sells 6 million liters per year of vegetable drinks.

“We project double-digit growth in the coming years, with the consolidation of the plant-based market and people wanting to consume less animal products”, highlights Carvalho, revealing that the goal is to launch 12 products in 2021.

Optimism also hovers over Vida Veg, from Minas Gerais, where 11 of the 28 products in the portfolio contain cashew nuts, including similar cheeses, milk, curd cheese and butter. “We exchanged cassava for nut because it delivers 18 times more protein, in addition to contributing to texture. All products have been selling very well”, says director Anderson Rodrigues.

In addition to the taste, the shelf life and the price are worth it – the cost of cashews is cheaper than almonds (-34.4%) and coconut (-10%). A year, the industry consumes 50 tons of nuts, but the expectation is to grow more. For 2021, 10 new products will enter the portfolio, half of them based on chestnuts.

The success of the plant-based company has a direct effect on the northeastern hinterland. After all, that’s where the nut used by Vida Veg comes from. The supplier is the NGO Amigos do Bem, which has been operating for over 25 years in needy regions, serves 75,000 people and generates more than 1,000 jobs.

“Cashew is the flagship of the agricultural sector. The first plantation was in 2004 and, today, there are 630 hectares between Pernambuco and Ceará. We still have two processing plants, which generate 600 jobs”, says Andre de Luca, director of the NGO, noting that the demand for industries has increased.

He highlights the social role of cashew farming as one more reason to value the sector. So much so that the project encourages planting in the Northeast – almost 1,000 families have already received seedlings and have had access to technical guidance, with a guarantee of purchase at a fair price.

“The idea is that they can grow. Cashew is the seedling of hope, transformation and change for these people”, says Luca, highlighting the serious effects of the pandemic in the sertão and the NGO’s permanent search for more support and donations.

Opportunities and challenges

Industry interest comes at a positive time in the field. The most recent analysis by the National Supply Company (Conab), from November 2020, points out that, in one year, the price paid to the producer for raw cashew nuts rose 32% in Ceará, the main producer, with 61%.

In addition, Brazilian production grew 8.1% compared to 2019 and had the highest volume since 2015. Despite the cultivated area having dropped 1.8%, productivity jumped 10.1%. The situation, however, could be better, says Vitor Hugo de Oliveira, an agronomist and advisor to the Instituto Caju Brasil (ICB), a non-profit NGO that represents the sector.

He notes that Brazil currently accounts for 3.85% of world production, with 138,700 tons of cashew nuts in 2020. “Due to our low production, we have often imported – there were 15,400 tons last year. So the big challenge is to produce more, as this is a growing market,” he notes.

Last year, according to Oliveira, the harvested area of ​​cashew nuts was 425,700 hectares. For 2021, the IBGE estimates an increase of less than 1%. “There is a lack of more aggressive public policies for the sector, which plays a very important role in terms of employment and income in the Northeast”, he analyzes, stressing that, today, 45% of production is consumed in the domestic market.

Among the necessary incentives, Oliveira mentions a guarantee of a minimum price to the producer, regular and quality technical assistance, support to implement new areas and renew orchards and a better organization of the chain.

In this sense, he says, the expansion of the plant-based sector is an opportunity. “For every kilo of nuts, there are eight kilos of cashews. Therefore, it is important to renew orchards and deepen research to make the most of it in food”, he suggests.

Proven potential

The versatility of cashew is already the subject of studies in Brazil, such as those carried out by researchers Ana Paula Dionísio and Nedio Wurlitzer, from Embrapa Agroindústria Tropical. According to them, the focus is on reusing broken nuts – of lower market value, but still nutritious – and residues rich in protein for by-products such as, for example, oil and vegetable cheese.

Another ongoing project looks at the use of stalk fiber as an ingredient for products such as vegetable meat. “We are optimizing processes to see how to maximize extraction and have economic gains”, says Ana Paula.

Janice Ribeiro Lima, a researcher and food engineer at Embrapa Agroindústria de Alimentos, notes that cashew nut has 42% to 45% fat or oil, high nutritional value, and almonds have a protein content above 20%. “It is very versatile, it is easy to emulsify and has interesting characteristics to be applied to foods”, she emphasizes.

There is also research using a technique called “biorefinery”. According to Fernando Abreu, food engineer at Embrapa, the process results in the extraction of fiber (for use in plant-based meats), clarified juice (cajuína, already sold in supermarkets) and a yellow food coloring.
“From each ton of stalk, I extract 30 kg of dye, enough to color 1,000 liters of juice”, says Abreu, noting that the by-product can be used in juices, yogurts and vegetable cheeses, among others.

He points out, however, that larger-scale production has run into the technological delay of the industry – juice production, for example, does not support parallel lines to extract dye and fibers. “We need to organize ourselves to take more advantage of the raw material”, he says.

Good for the heart

The urgency is justified by the growing search for healthy food, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic. After all, the health benefits of chestnuts include, for example, high protein content and balanced fat content.

“The cashew nut fat is very rich in omega 9, which has a direct correlation with cardiovascular health”, observes Alessandra Luglio, director of the health and nutrition department of the Brazilian Vegetarian Society (SVB).

Yet another reason for the industry to accelerate. “There is a need for greater communication between producers, industry and commerce, in addition to unity to attract investment and implement small and medium-sized companies producing products made from cashew”, concludes Oliveira.

More chestnuts on the radar

Other nuts, in addition to cashew, are on the radar of the plant-based industry in Brazil. This is what the mapping carried out by the GFI in search of new ingredients indicated, which indicated six priorities: Brazil nuts, babassu and cupuaçu, in the Amazon biome, and baru, pequi and macaúba, in the Cerrado.

“The idea is to look for ways to add value to the products, since they are national and come from trees native to Brazil”, says Cristiana Ambiel, coordinator of science and technology at GFI.

A public notice will be opened to finance research, which should start in September and last for one year. The movement is already closely observed by the Brazilian Association of Nuts, Nuts and Dried Fruit Producers (ABNC).

“The more research there is, the more opportunities will arise”, evaluates José Eduardo Mendes Camargo, president of the entity, noting that the sector works to add more value, better map production and create a seal that certifies quality, safety and fair and sustainable production.

Font: https://revistagloborural.globo.com/Noticias/Empresas-e-Negocios/noticia/2021/06/versatil-caju-vira-ingrediente-coringa-para-industria-de-alimentos-base-de-plantas.html