Technological developments Flashcards
What factors influence technological developments?
Population increase Transport and travel Preservation methods Media Environmental factors Economic understanding and trade Scientific advancements Consumer demand Changes in work/leisure time Wider understanding of nutrition, diet and health
What three factors affect a country’s ability to feed itself?
Land available
Accessible water
Population
How are foods often stored during travel?
Frozen
Chilled
What developments have there been in transport and travel of foods?
More economic ‘greener’
Biofuels
Drones
What does MAP mean in relation to packaging?
Modified atmosphere packaging
What is MAP packaging?
Removes air in food packets and replacing with oxygen or nitrogen to slow down how quickly food decays
What does HPP stand for?
High pressure processing
What is HPP (high pressure processing)?
Cold pasteurisation of sealed packets via water
How has the media affected food choice?
Use of apps e.g. tripadvisor, sugarsmart, justeat and deliveroo
What are organic foods?
Foods produced without the use of artificial chemicals
What is hydroponics?
Growing plants in a water based environment rather than soil
What are the advantages to hydroponics?
Higher crop yields than traditional methods
Eliminates the need for large scale pesticide use
What are GM foods?
Foods that have specifically had their DNA modified
Why have products been genetically modified (GM)?
Improved nutritional value Non-allergenic foods Cheaper foods Improved crop yields Longer shelf life
What concerns are linked to GM foods?
Moral issues e.g. religion - is it right to manipulate course of nature?
Harm to the environment
Poses a danger to humans
Damage to the natural food chain
What cheap, protein are we being encouraged to try?
Insects
What are functional foods?
Foods that had an additional benefit beyond normal nutrition
Probiotics are an example of a functional food. What are they?
Live bacteria and yeasts that have proven health benefits
Prebiotics are an example of a functional food. What are they?
Fibres which cannot be broken down by the body so provide food for probiotics
Stanols and sterols are examples of functional foods. What are they?
They work to reduce cholesterol absorption so lowers blood cholesterol
What types of foods are fortified with stanols and sterols?
Dairy products e.g. benecol
What does fortification mean?
Adding nutrients to foods that have been lost through processing
What benefits are there to using robots in food processing?
Faster work
More reliable
Improved efficiency
Improved consistency
What percentage of food produced is wasted?
33%
What are the four categories of factors that influence food choice?
Cooking skills
Food budget
Lifestyle
Time
How have cooking skills influenced the trend for increased convenience foods?
Lack of culinary skills
Children cooking more
How has lifestyle influenced the trend for increased convenience foods?
Fewer formal eating occasions
Rise of one-person households
Work-life balance
More women working outside the home
How had time influenced the trend for increased convenience foods?
More women working outside the home
Higher levels of disposable income
How has food budget influenced the trend for increased convenience foods?
Higher levels of disposable income
Improvements in packaging
Younger consumers with disposable incomes more likely to try new foods
What are the benefits to people using convenience foods?
Less time cooking Less time planning meals Less time shopping Fewer leftovers Easier to clean up
What are the disadvantages to people using convenience foods?
Low nutritional quality
More expensive
What government healthy eating guidelines are there?
Eatwell Guide Change 4 Life Be food smart 5 a day Healthy school meals Live well Eat Better Feel Better
What does the term climate change mean?
A large scale, long term shift in the planets weather patterns or average temperatures
What does the term sustainability mean?
Human activity which is not harmful to the environment and does not deplete natural resources
What does the term preservation mean?
Keeping something in its present state or preventing it from being damaged
What does the term food miles mean?
The distance food has traveled between production and consumption
What is vacuum packaging?
A preservation method that removes all the air from a food container or package before sealing
What is pasteurisation?
Heating food to a specific temperature for a specific amount of time to kill microorganisms
What is TVP?
Textured vegetable protein
A vegetarian protein made from soya beans
What is mycoprotein?
A fungi that is processed to make quorn
What is molecular gastronomy?
Scientific study of the physical and chemical processes that occur during cooking
