In September 2003, the Graduate Program in Nutrition Sciences (PPGCN) – CAPES score 4, linked to the Health Sciences Center (CCS) of the Federal University of Paraíba (UFPB) was recommended by the Scientific Technical Council of the Coordination for Improvement of Higher Level Personnel (CAPES), being inserted in the National Graduation System. In 2003, the PPGCN started its activities with the Master Course in Nutrition Sciences, and in the year of 2013 the activities of the PhD Course in Nutrition Sciences of the UFPB started. The historical origins of the PPGCN go back to the actions of the Department of Nutrition/UFPB, although throughout its course the PPGCN has taken priority by the autonomy in its actions through its researchers from diferente acadeic departments of the institution, making possible the development of studies with multi and transdisciplinary approaches, resulting in an increased quality of the generated products. The máster and PhD students formed by PPGCN have worked in institutions of higher education, research institutions, health and nutrition managing services, as well as health and nutrition assistance institutions, revealing a social dimension of the program and a collaboration for scientific development and regional and national technology. It is also worth noting that, throughout its history, the PPGCN has been dedicated to contribute to the social and economic advancement of the Northeast of Brazil, so that a considerable part of the studies of basic and applied research developed by its researchers and students has related to the resolution of specific problems of the region.

The Stricto Sensu Graduate Program in Nutrition Sciences, also called the Postgraduate Program in Nutrition Sciences - PPGCN, at the Master and PhD level, linked to the Health Sciences Center - CCS of the Federal University of Paraíba, have the general objective to enable students to act in teaching, research, technological innovation, diffusion and application of knowledge in Nutrition Sciences and related areas. The PPGCN has a single area of ​​Concentration, called Nutrition Sciences, with two reserach fields, to cite: a) Clinic and epidemiology applied to Nutrition; b) Analysis and quality control of food.

_________________________

The area of ​​concentration "Nutrition Sciences" is a multi and transdisciplinary area that encompasses possibilities of developing studies with approaches to ideologies and theories of education in health and nutrition, evaluation of public policy on nutrition, health and nutrition, determination of social aspects of nutritional status, clinical diagnoses, nutritional intervention trials, as well as diagnostic and prospective approaches related to food safety, food functionalities, analysis, processing and quality control of food, raw materials and environments of food production.

Research fields:

 1) Food Quality Analysis and Control: This research field aims to perform studies with a focus on the evaluation of the quality aspects and functionalities of conventional and non-conventional foods and raw materials, as well as the investigation and design of intervention strategies that guarantee safety of food and food production environments.

2) Clinic and Epidemiology Applied to Nutrition: This research field aims to analyze relationships between nutrition and health and food consumption, socioeconomic factors and occurrence of morbidities, by carrying out population observation and intervention studies, as well as promoting the training to perform clinical analysis and interventions with an emphasis on diet therapy for individuals and community.