Studies carried out by Embrapa Florestas (PR) and partners resulted in the first quality and traceability protocol for pine nuts – the edible and nutritious seed of the Paraná pine or araucaria (Araucaria angustifolia). This solution paves the way for the creation of the species' Geographical Indication (GI) seal in Brazil, in order to guarantee greater quality to consumers. These are differences provided by agricultural research in order to add more and more value to this regional food, which has grown in importance in the national market, with potential for growth in the international market.
The new protocol covers the stages from collection to consumption and represents a milestone for advancing the qualification of the production chain towards greater appreciation of this Brazilian food product of forest origin, typical of the South and Southeast regions.
In the same line of strengthening araucaria as a potentially profitable species, kept standing or planted, generating a sustainable non-timber product, the preliminary study on the creation of Geographical Indication (GI) stamps for pine nuts based on local characteristics also stands out. and sensory attributes.
The protocol is the first step towards having classified pine nuts with traceability on the market. Two cooperatives in Paraná already plan to adopt what is recommended from 2025, applying improvements in the collection, separation, storage and sale of natural seed. “It will not be a requirement, but, certainly, as producers, technicians and consumers see the positive results of the recommended practices, the adoption of the protocol will tend to occur spontaneously”, explains the researcher at Embrapa Florestas and one of the authors of the document, Rossana Godoy.
As it is a first initiative, the technical team emphasizes that the protocol may, over time, be adjusted according to the demands of the actors involved. “It is important now to take the first step”, highlights the researcher, remembering that the standardization of the supply of pine nuts in the Paraná consumer market should inspire similar initiatives in other producing states, such as Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul, São Paulo and Minas Gerais. According to the most recent official data made available by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), there was little left for the value of Brazilian pine nut production in 2022 to reach R$52 million reais (R$51,798 million) with a total of 13.376 tons. With the organization of the market, production and consumption tend to consolidate and expand.
The protocol offers technical guidelines that are of interest to all agents involved in the production and marketing of pine nuts, by informing the prerequisites so that the path taken by the seed to the points of sale is carried out with quality. The collection, transportation, processing, packaging and storage of pine nuts are detailed in the protocol, also including recommendations for labeling and batch identification, based on state regulations. Furthermore, the document emphasizes the importance of product traceability, allowing consumers to know the origin and harvest date of the pine nuts, thus guaranteeing their freshness and quality.
The research carried out at Embrapa Florestas by researcher Rossana Godoy technically supported the preparation of the protocol. One of them gave rise to the article “Pinhão consumer: habits, attributes of importance and perception”, published by the magazine Pesquisa Florestal Brasileira in 2018. Another resulted in the study with pine nut consumers, entitled “Exploratory study for identification and separation of pine nuts (Araucaria angustifolia) intended for consumption”, published by Revista Agrária Acadômica in 2022. There is also the publication “Changes in the physical-chemical composition of pine nuts (Araucaria angustifolia) stored in different packaging and environments”, published by Pesquisa Florestal Brasileira in 2023.
Based on these studies, the researcher highlights the need to improve different aspects, aiming to offer a higher quality product to consumers. “The pine nut, as it is a seed that loses a lot of moisture, right after the cone opens, tends to have a reduced useful life, requiring technical strategies to extend its consumption period. Therefore, we identified the urgent need to improve the quality and traceability of pine nuts sold”, says Godoy.
It also reinforces the large mix of pine nuts from different collections available in the product sold in bulk. “Nowadays, it is common to find low quality pine nuts mixed with those of good origin, which ends up harming the acceptance of the product. Not only that, but there is also devaluation of a raw material that has the potential to obtain greater added value. With the protocol, we hope to offer a clear and reliable guide for both producers and consumers", adds the researcher.
According to Nivaldo Guimaraes Vasconcellos, agricultural engineer at the Curitiba Food and Nutrition Security Secretariat (SMSAN), the protocol is a relevant technical document, which will greatly help in structuring and developing the pine nut production chain. “With this instrument, cooperatives together with their producers will be able to present a quality product with guaranteed traceability. It is an innovative solution for a product that is a symbol of our Region and we hope that it will leverage the entire production chain, generate income and sustainable development for producers”, he states.
Traceability is a process that, in principle, allows the entire journey of a raw material to be tracked, from origin to consumption. In the case of tracked pine nuts, after selecting the seeds, the Schenkel test is applied, in which the pine nuts are covered with water in a 3:1 ratio (three parts of water for one part of pine nuts). Pine nuts must be packaged, “generally, in reinforced plastic nets that are closed with a metal seal” and labeled according to rules observed in State Resolution No. 748 of 15/12/2014 and RDC Resolution No. 259/2002 of Anvisa/MS. The label must indicate the product, batch number, supplier identification, weight and, in the case of cooperatives, the CNPJ, date of entry and phytosanitary treatment.
“Traceability is important because the duration of the pine nut is linked to the moment of harvest. From the moment the pine cone is opened, the pine nuts begin to lose moisture and take on an aged appearance. That pine nut that you buy on the market shelf, in bulk, has been exposed for a long time and is drying out. It may even be good, but its appearance is being lost”, explains Jonas Eduardo Bianchin, extensionist at the Institute of Rural Development of Paraná (IDR), and one of the authors of the protocol. In addition to knowing the origin of the pine nut, the producer will know when it was harvested and, therefore, how long, on average, it should last with quality. “After harvest, healthy pine nuts maintain their quality for 10 days in the environment, then they must be refrigerated, where they last another 20 days, then they must be frozen”, explains Godoy.
Alexandre Marra, supervisor of the Faep/Senar-PR System, highlights the transparency and trust that traceability will bring to the consumer, from origin to table, as well as the availability of a product with higher quality than that currently found on the market. “And for society in general, we also see benefits, as we are aligned with important global goals, such as some of the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on the search for food security, consumption and sustainable production, as well as prospecting partnerships and public-private integration for the development of important production chains, not only here for the metropolitan region of Curitiba, but also for the entire state of Paraná”, he adds.
The “new product” suitable for the protocol will have greater added value, as it provides greater quality to the seed, and as a consequence, will be able to serve more demanding customers who are concerned about origin and harvest time. “The adoption of practices that focus on offering better quality products naturally promotes impactful changes in the production chain with consequent consumer loyalty”, points out the Embrapa researcher
The first cooperatives (consolidation units) planned to adopt the practices recommended in the protocol are Nascente (Campina Grande do Sul, PR) and Provale (Rio Branco do Sul, PR) which, since the beginning of the work of the Pinhão Group, have been following the discussions. According to Fernanda Arcie, producer and member of the Executive Board of Cooperativa Nascente, although many farmers already make some type of selection of the best pine nuts, destined for school meals in the municipality of Campina Grande do Sul and for commercialization, the protocol brings the criteria of how to do the process.
“We intend to start with the appropriate baskets and labels containing our brand for next year’s harvest. This initiative brings great importance to pine nuts, as today they are sold in any way, without any criteria and, sometimes, they have flaws. With the new requirements, we believe that we will be able to increase sales, offering better quality products to consumers, in addition to generating greater income for us, producers”, he argues.
According to Bruno Guimarães, managing partner and President of Cooperativa Provale, compliance with the guidelines should also happen in 2025. “The initiative is very good. We are organizing ourselves so that, next year, we can sell it. We are currently in conversation with producers, seeking to guide processes that comply with the protocol,” he notes.
The document, in folder format, was developed by Embrapa Florestas, in collaboration with several partners, including: the Institute for Rural Development of Paraná (IDR), Sistema Faep/Senar-PR, Municipal Secretariat of Food and Nutritional Security of Curitiba ( SMSAN) and educational institutions such as the Instituto Federal do Paraná-Campus Colombo. The publication is the result of the initiatives of the Pinhão Agro-Food Working Group (GT Pinhão), which was established within Pró Metropole – Integrated Development Program for the Metropolitan region of Curitiba. The protocol was launched in mid-June, at the Curitiba Municipal Market, a hub for valuing Paraná culture and the scene of major pine nut sales in the capital.
Traceability is an important step in the process of obtaining a Geographical Indication (GI). Environmental characterization and product characterization, with sensory analysis, are items that contribute to making it possible to request the seal from the National Institute of Intellectual Property (Inpi).
“This study shows producers how to obtain and what benefits the Geographical Indication seal brings, a process that depends on the environmental characterization of the region and the product, in this case pine nuts. The geographical indication seal and traceability create a regional identity, adding value to the product and benefiting producers and consumers”, says Elenice Fritzsons, researcher at Embrapa Florestas and author of the publication.
“Traceability helps because it tells you when and where the product was harvested. There are two processes that, together, enhance the value of the pine nut product. This study in particular seeks to show producers how to obtain the seal and its benefits, in addition to detailing how the procedure was in the four regions studied”, comments the author.
The locations evaluated in the work were Lagoa Vermelha (RS); Panel (SC); Inácio Martins (PR); and Cunha (SP). In these municipalities, where the pine nuts used for analysis came from, there are already rural communities organized or in the process of being organized that have an alternative and complementary source in pine nuts. The panel already has three products with a Geographical Indication seal.
With the pine cone open, after separating the full pine nuts (30%) from the failed ones (70% of the pine cone), it is also possible to use the Schenkel test, a simple test to assess the health of the pine nuts. The test consists of placing them in a bowl with plenty of water and those that float are defective pinions, probably due to the presence of a drill, and these must be discarded. Pine nuts that have sunk can be cooked for about 45 minutes in the pressure cooker. To be removed from the shell, many people simply bite at the base of the seed and push the seed out of the shell. But there are some pine nut opener options on the market, which speed up the process by cutting the seed lengthwise or pressing its base and making it easier to remove the shell.
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