food provenance Flashcards
What is a GM crop?
a genetically modified crop that has has its genes altered to give it useful characteristics
What are the advantages of GM crops?
crops can have higher yields, crops can be modified to contain extra nutrients, production costs may be cheaper, food may be cheaper for the consumer
What are 2 EU regulations for GM crops?
- GM food has to pass strict safety tests before they can be sold
- Food that contains GM ingredients (more than 1%) have to be clearly labelled
What are the disadvantages of GM crops?
long-term health effects are unknown, could effect the wider environment (lose diversity)
Why is primary processing important?
ensures food is safe, easier to transport, doesn’t spoil as easily, looks nicer for consumer
How are vegetables primary processed?
washed to remove dirt, insects and chemical sprays
How is meat primary processed?
e.g. beef is hung and dried to make it more tender and to improve flavour
Milk is…
heat treated to remove pathogenic bacteria
What is the process of pasteurisation?
milk is quickly heated to 72C for 15 seconds and then rapidly cooled
What is the process of Ultra Heat Treatment?
milk is heated to at least 135C for 1-4 seconds and packed into a sterile container
What are the advantages of UHT milk?
can last at an ambient temp for several months
What are the disadvantages of UHT milk?
slightly less nutritional value and less taste than pasteurised
What is food miles?
distance food travels from farm to fork
How is a food’s carbon footprint calculated?
amount of fuel used during growing and production, transportation and the miles consumers travel to buy their food
How can CONSUMERS reduce their carbon footprint when shopping?
walk/ cycle to supermarket, shop locally and seasonally, grow your own fruit and veg
Why is shopping locally a good thing?
better for environment and local economy, generally fresher, less packaging
Why is shopping locally potentially negative?
can be more expensive, seasonal food is not always available, food can spoil quicker with no packaging
What is Fair Trade?
ensuring a set of standards are met in production and supply of a product or ingredient
How does Fair Trade support low income countries?
provides clean water and good sanity, building of hospitals and schools for education, higher income for farmers
Give 3 sweet food examples that are fair trade and what country they are from.
banana - Colombia
chocolate - Dominican Republic
sugar - Guyana
Give 3 savoury food examples that are fair trade and what country they are from.
rice - Thailand
nuts - Brazil
coffee - Colombia
What are the disadvantages of fair trade?
high carbon footprint/ food miles, not supporting local economy
What are the advantages of organic food?
kinder to environment, better animal welfare, less preservatives and pesticides
What are the disadvantages of organic food?
expensive (land, lower yields), more vulnerable to disease (lack of pesticides to fight away bacteria)
Why is global food poverty increasing?
climate change (floods, droughts), crop failure, lack of resources, economic problems (unemployment, war)
How can we help global food insecurity?
sustainable farming, cut down on greenhouse gases, protect welfare of plants and animals
Why is packaging needed for food manufacturers?
preserves, prevents contamination and protects damage
How can we be more sustainable with our use of packaging?
reuse - glass and jars for home storage, bags for life
reduce - manufacturers avoid excess packaging, use natural fibre wraps/ bags
recycle - sort waste, take to recycling banks
What is the primary processing of milk?
milking and heat treatment
