Exam Review I Flashcards
Dietetic principles and the three dietary approaches
- Different approaches to nutrition all share the belief that proper nutrition is needed to achieve optimal health
western dietetics
- Dietetics contributes to the promotion of health and the prevention and treatment of illness
- Uses scientific principles and mathods
eastern dietetics
- eg. traditional chinese medicine and ayurveda
- Holistic approach to restoring balance
- individual diets must be made taking in to consideration lifestyle, environment, climate and season
Nutrional medicine
- involves a holistic approach
- Considers physical, psychological, social, economic and cultural factors
- Applies the therapeutic and preventative potential of food
Dietetic principles that underpin western nutrition prac
- Adequacy
- Balance
- Energy control
- Nutrient density
- Moderation
- Variety
Naturopathic principles that underpin holistic nutrition practices
- the healing power of nature
- first do no harm
- treat the cause not the symptoms
- treat the whole person
- prevention is better than cure
Reductionism
- views a complex system as being nother but the sum of its parts
- This approach has led to the association of a food with only one single nutrient e.g. dairy products with calcium
Origins of food as medicine
- ancient systems such as traditional chinese medicine, ayurvedic medicine and ancient greek medicine
Farming methods affect the safety and quality of food.
In regards to farming, what is the difference between primary and secondary resources
- Primary refers to the resources which support plant growth and therefore support food production
- eg land, soil, air, warmth
- Secondary is the resources we apply to the environment
- eg labour, capital, fertilizers, machinery
soil quality depends on three components
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biological fertility
- organisms that live in the soil perform many functions such as degrading pesticides, controlling pathogens and fixing atmospheric nitrogen
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chemical fertility
- availability of elements for plant uptake
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physical fertility
- physical properties and processes of soil affect soil fertility
Methods to improve soil biological fertility
- increase organic matter of the soil
- crop rotations and management practices that decrease the suitability of soil for plant pathogens
- minimise erosion as soil organisms are often in the surface layers
Traditional farming techniques include… subsistence farming, recycling nutrients, water conservation and management, control of succession and crop rotation
What is crop rotation and its adv/disadvan.
- planned order of specific crops planted on the same field
- individual crops deplete particular nutrients from soils, therefore rotating salvages nutrients thus decreasing the need for fertiliser
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Advantages
- prevent soil depletion/erosion
- helps to control weeds
- reduce reliance on synthetic chemicals
No disadvan noted
Modern conventional farming
- based on high yields of plant and animal produce with use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides
- Benefits include high produce and profits and reduced labour requirements
- Disadvantages are that soil quality is not looked after
Fertilizers
- Defined as sources of plant nutrients
- Plants require lots of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium
- Before fertilisers traditional methods like crop rotations was used
- Higher crop yield means that more nutrients must be replaced within the soil
What are the disadvantages of intensive modern conventional farming practices?
- chemical residues affecting plant and animal life on land and in the sea
- soil degredation
- erosion
- soil acidification
- loss of fertility
- animal welfare issues
Alternative farming practices
What are there purpose?
Examples
- They are based on sustainable agriculture and farming techniques
- For example
- low input farming systems
- biodynamic systems
- organic systems
- hydroponics
- For example
Hydroponics
- cultivation of plants in nutrient solutions without use of soil
- “soilless growth”
- Nutrients provided in liquid solutions or porous material such as sand or gravel
- Culture techniques include sub irrigation, water culture and slop method
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Advantages
- increase productivity
- control of environmental conditions
- production of plants out of season
Edible crops being grown hydroponically in Australia include lettuces, tomatoes, cucumbers and strawberries.
Organic farming
- excludes the use of synthetic pesticides, growth hormones, antibiotics, genetically modified seeds and animal breeds, and irradiation
- rely on ecosystem management, including the use of pesticides and fertilizers derived from plants, animal wastes, and minerals
- It is believed that organic foods have greater health benefits though it is hard to say certainly
- There is evidence to show the lower amounts of pesticide residue, cadmium and other chemicals on the crops and also from bodily fluids after consumption
Biodynamic farming
- Regenerative agriculture (holistic approach)
- the farmer and gardener brings the substances and forces of nature into a quality and sustainable production
Organic food certification
- Foods that are marketed as being organic must be certified
- australian certifiers include NASAA and australian certificed organic
Free range eggs
- New information standard was set in 2016 - free range eggs must have been laid by hens that had meaningful and regular access to an outdoor range, and were subject to an outdoor stocking density of 10,000 hens per hectare or less
- Prior to this, free range meant different things depending on the producer
chemical residues in food
- Residue means small amounts of agricultural or veterinary chemicals or chemical products that remain in or on an agricultural product
- e.g. antibiotics used to control animal bacterial diseases
- insecticides
- herbicides
- hormonal growth promotants used as veterinary medicines to improve livestock growth
- Maximum Residue Levels are governed by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA)
- these food standards are then enforced by states and territories
Desprite levels of residues being controlled, we are exposed to a large variety of them
Pesticides
- protect crops from attack from pests, both before and after harvest
- eg insects, slugs, worms
- Health risks
- possible increased parkinsons risk
- possible increased risk of cancers
- possible increased risk of neuropsychiatric disorders eg ADHD
- To reduce pesticide ingestion
- trim fat from meat and skin from poultry and fish
- wash produce in warm running water
- do not bite into the peel of things such as oranges
- discard outer leaves of leafy vegetables
- peel waxed fruit
- buy organic
antibiotics
- used for treatment and prevention of diseae in livestock
- Concerns for antibiotic use are
- development of antibiotic resistant bacteria which may be transmitted to the human
- antibiotic residues in food
Hormonal growth promotants
- HGPs improve the growth rate of cattle and help them convert feed to meat more efficiently (more beef, less feed)
- The European Union has banned use of HGPs and the import of products given HGPs as they are deemed potentially unsafe for consumers
- HGPs are not permitted for use in chickens in Australia
Food Labelling Regulations:
What is the role and responsibilities of FSANZ (Food Standards Australia New Zealand)
- develop and administer the “australia new zealand food standards code”
- this code includes requirements for foods such as additives, food safety, labelling and GM foods
- Responsibilities include
- Developing standards for food manufacturing, labelling, processing and primary production
- Providing info to consumers
- conducting consumer and industry research
Food labelling
- Helps consumers to be well informed about the foods they are consuming
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Food labelling: Nutrition information panel
- most packaged foods must have
- exceptions include very small packages, foods with no significant nutritional value ie tea, foods sold unpackaged, food made and packaged at point of sale eg bread
- must be presented in standard format showing amount per serve and per 100g
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Food labelling: percentage labelling
- packaged foods have to carry labels showing the percentage of the key or characterising ingredient
- a characterising ingredient is an ingredient or category of ingredients that is mentioned in the name of a food, associated with the name of the food by a consumer or is emphasised by words or pictures
- Foods must be labelled with an accurate name or description, for example fruit yoghurt must contain fruit ortherwise is fruit flavoured yoghurt
food labelling :
Food recall information
- food labels need the name and business address in Aus or NZ of the manufacturer or importer and the lot identification of the food
- This makes food recalls efficient and effective
food labelling:
information for allergy sufferers
- common allergenic foods eg peanuts, shellfish etc must be declared on the label however small the amount
- gluten must also be declared
food labelling:
date marking
- foods with shelf life of less than 2 yrs must have a best before date
- past this date, the food may still be safe to eat but may have lost quality and some nutritional value
- foods with “Use by” dates must be consumed before the date
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exception being bread
- labelled as baked on or baked for
food labelling:
ingredient list
- ingredients must be listed in descending order (by ingoing weight)
Food labelling:
truthful labelling
- suppliers must label food products with accurate weights and measures information
- This is regulated by Australian state and territory and new zealand government fair trading agencies
food labelling:
food additives
- all food additives must have a specific use, must have been assessed and approved by FSANZ for safety and be used in the lowest possible quantity that will achieve their purpose
food labelling:
direction for use and storage
- when specific storage conditions are required it must be included in the food label
- eg refrigerate after opening
food labelling:
country of origin COO
- Australian consumer law introduced a system to label where products were produced, grown, made or packed
- Includes food in stores, online or in vending machine
- does not apply to food sold in places such as restaurant, cafe, schools etc
- Due to the 2 yr transition period from when the law was introduced, it becomes mandatory from 1 July 2018
- Australian made/grown foods must show the kangaroo symbol and the proportion of australian ingredients

food labelling:
country of origin terms
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product of australia
- often for processed foods
- each significant ingredient of the product originated in the country and all, or almost all, of production and manufacturing processes occured in the country
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grown in australia
- usually for fresh foods
- same as product of
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made in
- the product was made, or ‘substantially transformed’, in the country claimed, and at least 50 per cent of the cost to produce the product was incurred in that country
Food labelling:
australian owned
- 51% of the company ownership is held in australia
- If the company claims full local ownership, it must be 100% australian owned
Food labelling:
legibility requirements
- food labelling must be distinct from the background, legible and prominent
- must be at least 3mm high, except on small packages
Food labelling:
food endorsement logos
- Two types of logos
- quality assurance programs eg heart foundation tick, GI symbol
- sponsorship deals eg sporting organisation
Food labelling:
nutrient content claims
- Nutrient content and health claims are voluntary statements
- These claims are about the nutrients of substances in a food eg good source of calcium, low in fat etc
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General level health claims
- a nutrient or substance in a food and its effect on health function eg calcium good for teeth
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High level health claims
- a nutrient or substance in a food and its relationship to a serious disease or to a biomarker of a serious disease
- eg high calcium diets reduce osteoporosis risk in people 65 yrs or older
Food labelling:
health star rating
- The health star rating system is a voluntary system
- Gives packaged foods and drink a rating out of 5 to help consumers make healthier choices
- Takes into account energy, saturated fat, sodium and total sugar content as well as fruit and veg content, dietaty fibre and protein content
Genetically modified foods:
Biotechnology
- Biotechnology involves the use of microorganisms, cell cultures or enzymes to produce foods, plants or animals or to develop microorganisms for specific uses
- includes recombinant DNA and genetic engineering
- Genetically modified organisms (GMO) are plants, animals or microorganisms that have been genetically modified
Genetically modified foods:
traditional cross breeding
- involves selecting plants and animals with desired characteristics for breeding the next generation
- eg drought tolerance
- This is a slow and imprecise technique

Regulation and safety assessment of GM foods
- Office of the Gene Technology Regulator regulates GM foods
- Safety assessment is important to identify hazards of GM foods
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Labelling of GM foods
- if introduced genetic material or protein is present in the final food, the food must be identified as “genetically modified”
- Labelling also required when genetic modification results in an altered characteristics in food
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Exemptions
- flavours containing no more than 0.1% GM
- food prepared and sold from premises and vending machines
- animal products derived from animals consuming GM foods
Advantages of GM foods
- contributes to a sustainable food supply as the population grows and climate change brings new challenges
- eg higher yield
- potential to improve nutrient and/or phytochemical composition of plants
Issues with GM foods
- we don’t fully understand the environmental and health consequences of genetic modification - particularly in the long term
- current benefits have been for the organisations selling GM seeds and the producers of GM foods - not the consumer
- may disrupt ecosystems and biodiversity
- may introduce new diseaes, allergens and toxins
- cross contamination of non GM crops with GM genes
- ethically -> how many human genes does an organism need to be considered human?
- antibiotic resistance