Nutrition: Topic 3 - Sustainable food systems

Why do we process food

• extend the shelf life of food

• Make the food safe

• increase the range of food available ( good for people in remote communities)

• Save time on food preparation

• Reduce shopping frequency

• Reduce the cost of food

How does food packaging prevent spoilage

Spoilage occurs due to exposure to oxygen, so by preventing this using packaged food would not go off as quickly

what are the techniques for preservation

• removal of water

• heat treatment

• temperature reduction

• reduce oxygen

• Acid/alcohol preserving

what does removing moisture mean for food preservation

Bacteria needs moisture to reproduce, as most enzyme reactions that cause spoilage occur in the water composition of food

What are the methods or removing moisture

• evaporation

• Dehydration

• freezing (water is trapped within food cells)

• Freeze-drying ( water is removed in a vacuum process)

• Adding an excess amount of salt and sugar can draw water out of foods and prevent them from being used by bacteria

• Spray drying (powdered milk)

What is Heat treatment

Heating products to certain temperatures for set amount of times to kill off any bacteria and deactivate enzymes

what are the methods for Heat treatment

• Boiling

• Canning

• Pasteurisation

• Ultra high temperature (UHT)

• Blanching ( heat briefly and then immediate submerge in cold water done with frozen veg)

what is pasteurization and what does it include

It is for a heat treatment required by law to be done on cow’s milk

• milk is heated to 72C and held their for 15 seconds before being immediately cool to 4C or less

What is UHT and what does it include

a more powerful version of Pasteurisation

• heated to 135-150 °C for a few seconds and then immediately cooled down to 4C

• Produces long-term milk that can be stored unrefrigerated

• Must be packed in sterile containers

what is temperature reduction and how is it done

Reducing the temperature of food to 4 °C or below

• Refrigeration (0-4C °C) slows the growth of bacteria

• Freezing below -18 °C stops growth and extends storage time

What is reduced Oxygen conditions

bacteria need oxygen to reproduce so by reducing it spoilage decreases

What are the methods for reducing oxygen in packaging

• Active packaging (MAP or CAP)

• UHT and canning

• Antioxidant in foods

• Gas packaging

What are the types of active packaging

MAP (Modified Atmosphere Packaging) Includes Barriers, valves, vacuum sealing, gas packaging, oxygen scavengers and emitters

CAP ( Controlled Atmosphere Packaging) is used to control the composition of Gases in larger storage areas

What is Gas packaging with examples

The use of different gas combinations to extend food’s shelf life and slow spoilage

• Bread -70% CO2, 30% nitrogen

• Soft cheese -30% CO2, 70% nitrogen

• Hard cheese - 100% CO2

• Fruit and veg - 2-5% oxygen, 3-15% CO2, 80-97% nitrogen

How does canning work and why is it good for food preservation

Food is sealed in an airtight container alongside a syrup or brine that is high in sugar or salt. The food is then cooked in the can, which kills off bacteria present in the food

• reduces oxygen exposure through the use of an airtight container filled with a liquid

• Reduce moisture content as the salt and sugar in the brine absorb moisture and prevent it from being used by bacteria

• the heat treatment kills bacteria but can also kill off certain mineral and water-soluble vitamins

How does adding acids and Alcohols help preservation and what are the methods

Altering the acidity by adding acids and alcohol disrupts the PH and kills off any bacteria while preventing any from growing again

• Fermenting (yogurt- lactic acid)

• Pickling in vinegar

• canning in natural fruit juices

• Acidulants can be added

What is Dry land / irrigation salinity

The accumulation of salts in the soil and water impacts land and water quality

• affects plants, animals, aquatic ecosystem, water supplies, agriculture and infrastructure

how does dry land / irrigation salinity occur

Dry land salinity occurs in unirrigated landscapes due to widespread removal of native trees that usually regulate water movement, causing the water table to rise brining salt to the surface where is dries and leaves deposits

what is erosion

the process of natural or man made forces wears away and moves soil and rock from one location to another

How can erosion effect the environment how can this be provented

• can reduce land mass and widen rivers that destroy ecosystems

• can transport pollutants found in the soil of one area into another

• Top soil contains essential nutrients that can be taken away but erosion, making it difficult to grow crops

• makes it difficult for the remaining soil to hold water and nutrients

can be prevented through the use of a cover crop, which prevents the topsoil from being moved and locks in nutrients.

what is monoculture cropping

The agricultural practice of cultivating a single crop over a wide area at a time

• Advantage: only one kind of machinery is needed

• Disdavtanages: often causes a lack of biodiversity which effects soil health (depleats nutrients)

• Growing one crop is a bad idea financially as it is doesn’t go well yo have nothing to sell

what is Eutrophication

excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or body of water , frequently due to runoff from farms ( nitrogen an phosphurous)

• promotes the growth of algae, which block sunlight from reaching plants

• Plants die release more nutrients and depleting the oxygen supply in the water

• Fish die

what is soil acidification

The process where the pH of the soil decreases over time and becomes more acidic

• kills plants and animals

• can be worsened by the leeching of chemicals from farms

• Can also be a result of monoculture and other nutrients are depleted

what is ground water pollution

occurs when harmful substances contaminate underground water supplies, making it unsafe for drinking or agricultural use

• leeching of chemical from farms

what is crop rotation

a sustainable farming practice where different crops are planted in specific sequences on the same land over the years

• some plants will bring nutrients back that the previous plant decreases creating a cycle

What is intercropping

any practice where two or more crops are grown simultaneously in the same field during the same season

• ensure a variety of foods can be sold if another fails

• plants can be planted to bring in bees or protect against other pests

• Some crops can replenish depleted nutrients

what are pest/herbicides

chemicals used on plants to kill off any pest or weeds that attempt to eat the food or draw nutrients from the soil

what is Aquaculture

The farming of aquatic creatures like fish, shellfish and aquatic plants, under controlled or semi-controlled conditions in larger tanks

• not a lot of room for fish ; leading to a buildup of waste

• better than comercial fishing, where they drag a net along the ground that destroys ecosystems and picks up other animals

What is mixed farming

When crops and animals are raised on the same farm, often with the waste from one contributing to the care of another

• poop - fertiliser

• food waste- livestock food

what is organic farming

a system that avoids or minimises the use of synthetic inputs like pesticides, herbicides and fertilisers and instead relies on the natural process and ecological principals

what is livestock farming

the practice of breeding, raising and managing animals for various purposes like food or fibre

what is crop yield

how much of a crop a farm can produce in one season

What are antibiotics and what are the concerns around it

medication used to treat animals and humans that encourages growth

• You can build immunity to antibiotics and scientists are worried that eating animals products that contain antibiotics will quicken this process

what are food miles

the time and distance food has to travel to reach your plate

• transportation means the emission of greenhouse gases through planes and boats

how can you reduce your food miles

Eat locally produced food: labelled with “Product of Australia” or Made in Australia”

Buy local: independent co-op shops and not supermarkets

Eat and buy food in season

Grow your own food

What does packaging protect food against

• impact or mechanical damage

• Pests( insects or rodents)

• moisture

• oxygen

• Light

• chemical contamination

• Micro-organisms

What are the other function of packaging

• improve efficiency on the production line and increase shelf life

• divides food into easily handled portions ( better for transportation, storage and sale)

• Provides customer convenience

• Proved surface for labelling (consumer info, brand, food type, marketing)

what is primary packaging

packaging that is in direct contact with food and what the consumer sees when they buy it (surface for labelling)

what is secondary packaging

What holds individual items together

• the cardboard box they are transported in

what is Tertiary Packaging

Pallets or shrink wrap used to protect food in transportation

How does FSANZ regulate packaging

Packaging must prevent chemical substances from leaching into food

• investigates chemicals from packaging found in food

• requires packaging use to be food safe with a set maximum amount of contaminants that are allowed to be present

What is FSANZ’s criteria for food safe packaging

Non-reactive (inert): uses non-toxic chemicals

Hygienic, clean and able to be sterilised if required

A suitable barrier for food type ( prevents absorption of oxygen, moisture, light)

sealable ( provides air tight protection for food

string and durable to breakage and spilling

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Glass as a packaging material + uses

Advantages

• Inert

• String and durable

• can withstand high temperatures and can be cleaned and sterilised

• Can see product inside

Disadvantages

• Heavy

• Breaks easily

• Light and heat can penetrate

uses: bottles and jars

What are the advantages and disadvantages of paper/cardboard as a packaging material + uses

Advantages

• cheap

• lightweight

• can be produced in a variety of thicknesses, shapes and strengths

• good printable surface

• protection from light

Disadvantages

• not waterproof

• breaks down if left too long

• can’t see contents

• Paper cannot be in direct contact with food

uses: boxes

What are the advantages and disadvantages of Metal as a packaging material + uses

Advantages

• Light

• durable

• Excludes light

• recyclable (aluminium)

• inexpensive (tin)

disadvantages

• can’t see contents

• can have sharp edges

• needs a can opener

• not for re-use (tin)

• made from non-renewables

uses: cans

What are the advantages and disadvantages of plastics as a packaging material + uses

Advantages

• Large range with a variety of properties for specific uses (different kinds, shapes, transparencies)

• Cheap to manufacture

• Waterproof and inert

Disadvantages

• non-renewable resource

• huge landfill issues

• does not biodegrade

• microplastics

what is aseptic packaging

When food containers are sterilised separately (jars/cans) and the container is filled in a sterile environment

what impact does packaging have on the environment

• chemicals from dyed and inks of labels can leech into soil and groundwater

• packaging that doesn’t go to landfill ends up in oceans or other habitats, where they are eaten by the wildlife

What are microplastics and what are the concerns surrounding them

small pieces of plastic between 0.1µm and 5mm

• they find their way in wildlife and humans through consumption

• Some will never biodegrade

• concerns of long-term effects on our health

how does the production of glass impact the environment

Raw materials (sand) are melted using fossil fuels (natural gas, light + heavy fuel oils and petrol) which is non-renewable and produced green houses gasses

how does the production of metal impact the environment

include the mining of a finite resource and smelting it using fossil fuels

how does the production of paper/cardboard impact the environment

uses wood that is miled into a pulp used mechanical or chemical processes (deforestation)

• also uses plant fibres like cotton, linen, hemp, and grasses like straw or wheat ( renewable but require lots of land to grow)

how does the production of plastic impact the environment

require the use of a finite resource like natural gasses, which is derived from natural gas processing or from crude oil refining

What are some forms of innovative packaging that have been produced

• compostable packaging ( made from plant fibres)

• Vacuum sealing (at home)

• Edible packaging

• refillable packaging

how mush food do australis watse per year on average

298kg

what is the distribution of food waste from homes farms and industry

1/3 from each

What are some reasons why consumers waste food and how much do they waste

Consumers throw out 20% of the food they buy because:

• expiration

• leftovers

• don’t use the whole thing

• not hungry

• Can’t cook it

• dislikes new food

• Damaged (bruising or a little old)

• buying more than they need

What are some reasons why producers waste food

• cosmetic standards ( too big, small, curvy)

• disease

• pests

• contamination

• natural disasters

• damaging during production or transportation

What are some reasons why retailers waste food

• Unpopular foods that don’t sell

• expiration

• damaged

• overstocking

how can producers reduce food wastage

• lowering cosmetic standards

• donating unfit fruits to charities

• organic farming

• crop rotation

how can retailers reduce food wastage

• using algorithms to predict trends and buy stock that reflects that

• selling older or weird-looking products for cheaper

• better protection for food in transportation

how can consumers reduce food wastage

• meal planning

• pets and gardens( feed scraps and source of food)

• organisation and time management

How is food from the organics bin recycled

what is the difference between compostable and biodegradable

Compostable: Can be broken down into soil

Biodegradable: will break down quicker than regular plastic but will leave microplastics behind

what are some future versions of packaging

Bagasse packaging: made of plant fibres or sugar cane

Polylactic acid: a bioplastic made from starchy plants or fermentation (sugar)

cellulose packaging

mushroom packaging

what is vertical farming

a version of farming that utilises vertical surfaces instead of horizontal ones to minimise the space it takes up.

• aims to grow food in a controlled environment tailored to each plant

• reduces the chance of natural event effect crop yield

• includes: aeroponic, aquaponics, hydroponics

what is aeroponics

involves the growing of plants without soil and utilising a mist that contains nutrients like nitrogen or potassium to grow plants

• roots are kept in a controlled environment where there a spray with high or low-pressure water

• suitable for leafy greens, herbs or vine vegetables

what are the advantages and disadvantages of aeroponics

Advantages

• food grows 3 x faster due to controlled air quality, water and humidity

• utilises 95% less water than is recycled

• allows for easy pest control

• crops are able to be grown year-round

Disadvantage

• expensive as it requires specialised equipment

• needs a lot of power and maintaining

• very easy for things to break (bacteria growth, system breaking)

what is aquaponics

When the water used to hydrate plants is inhabited by fish, which produce waste that is packed with the nutrients needed for plant growth

• water cycle from plants to fish, with the plants cleaning the water for the fish

• bacteria convert fish waste (ammonia) into nirtrates that feed roots

what are the advantages and disadvantages of aquaponics

advantages

• does require need for chemical fertilisers

• uses 90% less water

• grows clean pest-free crops

Disadvantages

• costly and require specific equipment

what is hydroponics

The method of growing crops in water instead of soil

• roots are slightly submerged in water with some left open to absorb oxygen

• water will contain essentail nutrients for plant growth

what are some advantages of hydroponics

• uses 90% less water than traditional farming

• not affected by natural disasters or pests/disease

what is 3D pronted food and how does it work

The process of making food from a paste expelled through syringes into particular formations

• paste is pushed out layer by layer

• can make a variety of foods

why is 3D-printed food good for the environment

can reuse food waste to create the pastes

• reduce food wastage and stops food from going to landfill and producing excess methane

• reduces watsage due to cosmetic standards

what are the benefits and limitations of 3D printing food

benefits

• nutrient content can be customised to include more or less of certain micro or macronutrients

• food can be tailored to the individual’s dietary needs ( prevents dietary disorders)

limitations

• not very appetising

• slow in production for large-scale foods

• expensive

• food safety concerns due to cleaning requirements

what is algae and what are the nutritional benefits of eating it

A diverse group of mostly aquatic photosynthetic organisms include single-celled microbes and plants like seaweed

• provides high protein content ( all essential amino acids) and a range of vitamins, minerals and omega-3

What are the environmental and economic benefits of algae

• grows 10x faster than traditional crops - enhances food security

• increases the removal of CO2 from atmosphere (photosynthesis)

• more efficient fertilisers for other plants, which prevent chemical run-off

• growing in water = no need for soil, irrigation, vast amounts of land, which reduces deforestation and increases unused arable land

what are the limitation of eating algae

If contaminated can contain toxins that lead to illness or organ damage

• needs to be test often to ensure safety

what are lab grown meats and how are they made

meat grown using the stem cells of their corresponding animal.

• cells are taken from animals, placed into bioreactor, where they are grown with a nutrient-rich growth medium

• cell multiply and for muscle fibres that are biologically identical to meat

what are the economic and environmental benefits to lab grown meats

• less land usage and deforestation

• saves water and food needed to grow livestock

• reduce methane production as one cell can make 800 million muscle strands

• meets customer demands

• reduce the food miles as they are made in cities

what is a GMO and how is it done

genetically modified organism: when the genes of crops or livestock are altered to promote the presentation of desirable traits

• Machines like CRISPR allow for the removal, deleting or replacing of genes in a strand of DNA

what are the benefits to GMOs

• reducing food allergen potential

• improves the efficiency of growth time and size

• increases crop yield ( food security)

• improves tolerance to weather ( easier to grown in third world countries)

what are the limitations of GMOs

• reduction in biodiversity

• unintentional toxic effects

• development of antibiotic resistance

• limited knowledge of long-term effects

give an example of a GMO

Golden rice which contains more vitamin A to address the wide spread deficiency

featherless chickens that reduce production time and cost

what is digital farming

The use of technology to maximise the efficiency of farms in terms of quality and yield, and reduce the disturbance of the soil

allows for better recognition of individual crop needs and way to address them

what are some examples of digital farming

sensors: recognise the water or nutrient needs of certain areas on a farm

agrobots: can replace large tractors that compact soil and make it hard for crops to grow

drones: can track and monitor livestock to detect signs of pest and disease on crops

what is entomophagy

The practice of consuming insects as a food source has recently spiked in popularity

bugs you can eat are:

• crickets

• mealworms

• ants

• cockroaches

• worms

what are the nutritional benefits of eating insects

• high composition of protein ( 75g per 100g of bugs)

• rich in essential amino acids, iron, zinc and vitamin B12

• contain omega 3 and 6

what are the economic and environmental benefits of eating bugs

• Insects need less food and water than other animals

• costs less to maintain

• can be fed with organic food scraps ( food waste reduction)

• grows quicker

• needs less land