Food Provence Flashcards
What is traceability and why does all food need to be traceable from field to fork?
- Traceability means the ability to track any food, feed, food- producing animal or substance that will be used for consumption, through all stages of production, processing and distribution.
- This is so that when a risk is identified it can be traced back to its source in order to swiftly isolate the problem and prevent contaminated products from reaching consumers.
What is modern intensive farming and what has the policy resulted in?
- After the Second World War, farmers were offered subsidies to farm intensively to produce large scale, low cost products.
- This policy has resulted in:
-fewer small farm communities
-a greater number of larger business farms
-large numbers of animals and poultry being kept in
–massive buildings and fed on high nutrient feeds in a
-short period of time, which is designed to maximise growth
-the widespread use of antibiotics, growth enhancers,
–fertilisers and pesticides - small farm fields being opened up - woodland destroyed - to make room for large machinery access.
- These methods are also employed all over the world, resulting in large surpluses of food being produced.
What are barn-reared animals?
- Barn-reared animals live in an environment similar to intensively-reared animals.
- They have access to natural light from windows.
- They live in a lower density of animals per square metre.
- They have access to environment enrichment such as fresh straw.
What are organic foods?
- Organic foods are grown naturally without help from any chemical or synthetic treatments.
- They rely on natural compost and manure as fertilisers.
- Organic foods are not Genetically Modified - they are GM-free.
- There is is no proof that organic food is more nutritious - buying organic food is a lifestyle choice.
What is free - range farming?
- Free-range farming allows animals or poultry access to outdoor areas for part of their lives. Hens that are free-range produce eggs that are more nutritious and tasty.
- Animals reared this way also have better meat quality.
- Organic and free-range farming are more ethical and have a lower negative environmental impact.
What is hydroponic farming?
- Hydroponic farming is the production of food using specially developed nutrient-rich liquids rather than soil.
- Hydroponic farming takes place in vast polytunnels or greenhouses in carefully controlled conditions.
- It is an expensive method, so is only used for high-value crops.
What is fish farming?
- Increasing demand for fish has seen stocks diminishing in the wild through overfishing.
- The reduction of fish stocks may be due to lack of controls or the 6 use of factory ships that strip the sea of every type of creature.
- Hatcheries release young fish into the wild. Some fish farms are on land, with the fish never exposed to natural resources.
- Fish farm tanks may be giant nets in fresh or seawater, where the fish are controlled, but still in a semi-natural environment.
What is genetically modified (GM) foods?
- This form of intensive farming is widely used in agriculture and the food processing industry. It is carefully controlled and regulated.
- GM foods are produced to be more resistant to plant disease, insect pesticides and viruses.
- The DNA in the product can be changed in order for the product to display particular characteristics, e.g. cattle with a higher milk yield, or sheep with a higher meat yield.
- As a result of higher yield, food products are cheaper and harvested in a shorter period of time.
- There are concerns about the use of GM in food production:
-it is altering and playing with nature - possibilities for new strains of microorganisms to develop
-there are potential risks to long term human (and animal) health and allergic reactions
-pollen from GM and non-GM crops may potentially be mixed
What does the carbon emissions cause and how does this affect food?
- As our Green House Gas (GHG) emissions increase, the planet traps more energy from the Sun.
- This damages the Earth’s ozone layer.
- This in turn causes changes to climate, and ultimately food and water supplies throughout the world.
- Livestock, especially cows, produce methane gas, which is 20 times more harmful than CO,
What are ways that the sustainability of food sources can be addressed?
- Prevent soil erosion from winds, high rainfall and flooding.
- Look to improve crop varieties to match climate change, e.g. in drier climates grow crops that require less moisture.
- Look at crop rotation to reduce soil erosion, and the general health of crops.
- Put in irrigation systems in drier areas.
- Increase crop diversity
- Improve soil organics by using animal waste
- Develop wind breaks.
- Change the dependence on fossil fuels for transporting foods.
- Tackle deforestation issues - trees remove CO, from the atmosphere. Large areas of forest are being cut down in order to graze animals or grow crops. As a result, CO, builds up, contributing to global warming, e.g. palm oil producers in Asia have cut down rainforest, which has also affected the habitat of many animals now in danger of extinction.
What are issues that arising from climate change?
There are several issues arising from global climate change:
* Air temperature and rainfall levels rising and falling have an effect on soil. Crops can easily fail as a result.
* Flooding of areas of land, both coastal and inland.
* CFCs have depleted the atmosphere’s ozone layer and this can have a reduction in yield in some crops with ultraviolet radiation affecting them.
* Photosynthesis of plants relies on carbon dioxide; increased cloud cover as a result of global warming restricts this from being as efficient.
* Changes in climate can affect the pests that attack crops, and can change the foods that some helpful bugs use, e.g. bees dying and so not pollinating plants.
How should sustainable food be produced, processed, distributed and disposed?
Sustainable food is food that should be produced, processed, distributed and disposed of in ways that:
-contribute to thriving local economies and sustainable livelihoods - both in the UK and, in the case of imported products, in producer countries
-protect the diversity of both plants and animals and the welfare of farmed and wild species
-avoid damaging or wasting natural resources or ye contributing to climate change.
What is red tractor and what does it assure?
**Red Tractor is a logo that tells the consumer that the food ha been produced, processed and packed to Red Tractor standards The flag on the logo shows the country of origin of the food.
Red Tractor assures:
* standards of food hygiene and safety
* standards of equipment used in production animal health and welfare
* environmental issues and responsible use of pesticides.
* Red Tractor is controlled and monitored by Assured Food Standards (AFS).
* Any product with this logo can be traced from farm to fork.
What are food assurance schemes?
These are guaranteed standards of animal welfare or food safety that the consumer can rely upon.
What is fairtrade?
- Fairtrade is a foundation that pays a realistic income to farmers in developing countries.
- It ensures a fair price for the goods, giving a steady income, and covers the cost of sustainable production.
- It invests in the locality and in better working conditions.
- Many products now display the Fairtrade mark, e.g. bananas, tea, chocolate and coffee.
