Viabilidade da introdução do mel na merenda escolar: oportunidade e desafio para o agronegócio apícola

Tends as backdrop the destabilization of the apiculture market due to the European blockade to the Brazilian exports of honey and growing need of promoting that important product of the Brazilian agribusiness, this study was accomplished looking for to evaluate the viability of the introduction of the honey in the school snack, as a marketing opportunity in the theory of Local Agrifood System (SIAL). The acceptability of the honey was evaluated, compared to other two equivalent already used in the school snack: the sugar-cane molasses and the jelly of fruits. It was identified a smaller acceptability of the honey in relation to the jelly for all the analyzed variables (color, aroma, flavor and texture) and larger in relation to the molasses (except in the variable texture). The cost of a preparation portion with honey (R$ 0,26) was 18% above the per capita value reviewed by FNDE (R$ 0,26). The conclusion is that the challenges for the apiculture agribusiness constitute: works of alimentary education and promotion of the product honey close to the society in order to increase the acceptability, besides a politics of prices differentiated for the school feeding and a logistics of supply of the product registered well distributed in the country.