Convenience Foods Flashcards
What is a convenience food?
It is a food product where SOME or ALL of the preparation is already done - hence the word ‘convenient’.
Give FOUR reasons why caterers may choose to use convenience foods when creating dishes.
- Saves time which would be spent preparing alternatives.
- May save money - foods out of seasons are often cheaper in convenience form than fresh foods.
- May generate fewer food miles.
- Have a long shelf life so can be stored until ready to use. This will lead to less food wastage in the long run.
- Often quick to prepare and cook.
- Always taste the same so quality will be consistent.
- Easy to use even for inexperience chefs.
- Are good as ‘stand-by’ in case of emergencies.
- Consistent portion control.
Describe FOUR negatives of using convenience foods.
- Often contain a lot more salt than if the product was made fresh.
- Often contain a lot more sugar than if the product was made fresh.
- Often contain additives to improve the colour, flavour and texture of the food.
- Often contain preservatives to increase the shelf life of the product.
- Chefs can become de-skilled if used regularly.
- Customers may expect chefs to have prepared all the food themselves.
- Can be more expensive if making large quantities of food.
What is a full convenience food product and give an example.
- It is where the food is fully prepared and ready to eat e.g. butter portions, sliced bread etc.
What is a pre-service convenience food product and give an example.
It is where the food is fully prepared but something needs to be done to it prior to service e.g. tea bags, canned soup etc.
What is a pre-cooking convenience food product and give an example.
It is where the food product has been prepared but simply needs cooking but no assembly required e.g. frozen fish fingers, sausage rolls etc.
What is a pre-assembly convenience food product and give an example.
It is where the foods has been part-prepared but it requires assembly also e.g. enchilada and fajita dinner kits, stir fry kits etc.
Explain the term “short shelf life”.
It means that the product, once prepared will not last very long and needs to be consumed almost straight away. They often have to be eaten within 5 days of manufacturer (including the date it was made.
What is a cook-chill meal?
It is basically a ready meal which has been part cooked by the manufacturer then chilled immediately. It must be chilled by the customer until ready to be reheated.
