food 3

What is food waste?

Food waste is food that is thrown away even though it could have been eaten or used.

Why do households waste food?

Food is wasted at home because it spoils, is overcooked or burnt, is not stored correctly, is kept at the wrong temperature, goes past its use-by date, people confuse best-before dates with use-by dates, too much food is cooked, or food is prepared badly such as peeling vegetables too thickly.

How can households reduce food waste?

Plan meals, write shopping lists, buy only what is needed, store food correctly, check use-by dates, use leftovers, freeze extra food, use edible parts of food, compost peelings, and donate suitable unwanted food.

Why do producers and retailers waste food?

Retailers may reject food if it is damaged, spoiled or imperfect-looking. Shops may overstock to avoid empty shelves, and unsold food may be thrown away even if it is still safe to eat.

How can supermarkets reduce food waste?

They can sell imperfect food, reduce prices near use-by dates, donate unsold food, improve stock control, and encourage consumers to buy only what they need.

Why is food packaging used?

Packaging protects food, preserves it, prevents contamination, prevents damage during transport/storage/display, provides information, and can extend shelf life.

What are common food packaging materials?

Plastic, glass, metal, paper and cardboard.

Advantages of plastic packaging?

Plastic is lightweight, transparent, flexible, can be shaped around food, and can help protect food from contamination and damage.

Disadvantages of plastic packaging?

Plastic is often made from non-renewable resources, can take a long time to biodegrade, can end up in landfill or oceans, and can harm wildlife.

Advantages of glass packaging?

Glass is transparent, heat-resistant, reusable, recyclable and can help give food a long shelf life.

Disadvantages of glass packaging?

Glass is heavy, breakable and needs more energy to transport than lighter packaging.

Advantages of metal packaging?

Metal is heat-resistant, strong and can give food a long shelf life, especially in tins.

Advantages of paper/cardboard packaging?

Paper and cardboard are lightweight, can be printed on, biodegradable and often recyclable.

How can packaging damage the environment?

Packaging uses energy and natural resources to make, creates greenhouse gases, adds to landfill, may not biodegrade, increases transport emissions if heavy, and can harm animals if it becomes litter.

How can consumers reduce packaging impact?

Recycle, reuse bags, choose products with less packaging, buy biodegradable/recycled packaging, avoid excess packaging, and check recycling labels.

What are food miles?

Food miles are the distance food travels from where it is produced to where it is consumed.

Why are high food miles bad for the environment?

Transporting food long distances uses fossil fuels and releases carbon dioxide, contributing to greenhouse gases and climate change.

Why do we import food from other countries?

Some foods cannot be grown in the UK climate, some are cheaper abroad, consumers want foods all year round, and some foods have short UK seasons.

Benefits of buying local food?

Local food often has fewer food miles, may be fresher, supports local farmers/businesses, may use less packaging, and can reduce environmental impact.

Disadvantages of buying local food?

Seasonal foods may not be available all year, the choice may be smaller, and unpackaged foods may spoil faster.

What is a carbon footprint?

A carbon footprint is the total amount of greenhouse gases produced directly or indirectly by a product, person or lifestyle.

What contributes to a food product’s carbon footprint?

Growing/rearing ingredients, processing, packaging, storing, refrigeration, cooking, transporting and wasting food.

How can someone reduce their food carbon footprint?

Buy local and seasonal food, choose less packaging, reduce food waste, eat fewer highly processed foods, use public transport/walking/cycling, and save energy at home.

How does food production contribute to climate change?

Processing, transporting and wasting food release greenhouse gases. Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide, which traps heat in the atmosphere and contributes to global warming.

What is the greenhouse effect?

The greenhouse effect is when greenhouse gases trap heat in the atmosphere, preventing some heat escaping into space and warming the Earth.

How can climate change affect food production?

Climate change can cause rising temperatures, droughts, flooding, pests, crop failure, lower yields, food shortages and malnutrition.

How does drought affect food production?

Drought means lack of rainfall. Crops can struggle to grow or fail completely, rivers and lakes may dry up, fish/wildlife can die, and wildfires may destroy fields.

How does flooding affect food production?

Floods can damage crops, wash away soil and nutrients, pollute fields with sewage, spread disease, drown animals and destroy farmland.

What is food security?

Food security means having reliable access to enough safe, nutritious food to stay healthy and active.

What causes food insecurity?

Poor climate, extreme weather, insufficient land, poverty, lack of money to import food, population growth, and land being used for non-food crops such as biofuels.

How can food supply be increased?

Use new technology, grow GM crops, improve farming methods, eat less meat, reduce food waste, and use sustainable techniques that protect resources for future generations.

What is Fairtrade?

Fairtrade supports farmers and workers by giving them better prices, fairer working conditions and more stable incomes, especially in lower-income countries.

Why are Fairtrade products often more expensive?

More money goes to producers to ensure fair prices and better working conditions, so production costs can be higher.

What is primary food processing?

Primary food processing prepares raw foods so they are ready to eat, cooked or used as ingredients in other food products.

Examples of primary processing for fruit and vegetables?

Removing stones/pips, squeezing fruit into juice, drying grapes into raisins, washing to remove dirt/insects/chemicals, sorting by size/shape, and peeling.

Examples of primary processing for meat and poultry?

Hanging meat to tenderise and improve flavour, removing feathers/internal organs, tying poultry so it cooks evenly, and chopping/slicing meat.

How is flour made from wheat?

Wheat grains are harvested and cleaned, stored dry, put into a hopper, crushed between rollers, and sieved to separate parts of the grain.

What are the parts of a wheat grain?

Bran, endosperm and germ.

What is wholemeal flour?

Wholemeal flour uses 100% of the grain, including bran, endosperm and germ, so it contains more fibre and nutrients.

What is white flour?

White flour uses mainly the endosperm, with bran and germ removed, so some fibre and nutrients are lost.

Why is white flour fortified?

Nutrients lost during milling, such as iron, thiamin, niacin and calcium, are added back to improve nutritional value.

Why is milk heat treated?

Milk is heat treated to destroy pathogenic bacteria while keeping it safe to drink.

What is pasteurisation?

Pasteurisation heats milk quickly to about 72°C for 15 seconds and then rapidly cools it. This kills harmful bacteria with little effect on taste and nutrition.

What is UHT milk?

UHT milk is heated to at least 135°C for 1–4 seconds and sealed in sterile containers, giving it a long shelf life.

What is sterilised milk?

Sterilised milk is heated in a steam chamber at about 110°C for 10–30 minutes. It kills bacteria but changes taste and loses some vitamins.

What is microfiltration?

Microfiltration passes milk through a membrane to separate bacteria, extending shelf life with little effect on flavour or nutrition.

What is secondary food processing?

Secondary processing turns primary processed foods into other products by altering them or combining them with other ingredients.

How is pasta made?

Water or eggs are mixed with semolina flour to form dough. The dough is kneaded, shaped, and sold fresh or dried.

How is jam made?

Fruit is crushed and boiled with sugar and pectin. Pectin helps the jam set, and sugar draws water out of fruit. The jam is sealed in jars to extend shelf life.

Why can jam-making reduce nutrients?

Boiling and drying can remove or destroy heat-sensitive nutrients such as vitamin C.

How is cheese made from milk?

Milk is pasteurised, bacteria are added to sour and thicken it, rennet coagulates the milk into curds and whey, whey is removed, curds are pressed into cheese, then cheese is matured.

What are curds and whey?

Curds are the solid part formed when milk coagulates. Whey is the remaining liquid.

What does rennet do in cheese making?

Rennet causes milk proteins to coagulate, separating milk into curds and whey.

Why is cheese matured?

Maturing allows bacteria or moulds to develop flavour, smell and texture.

What is food fortification?

Fortification is when nutrients are added to food to improve its nutritional value.

Why are foods fortified?

To replace nutrients lost during processing, add extra nutrients, prevent deficiencies and improve public health.

Examples of fortified foods?

White flour with calcium, iron, thiamin and niacin; breakfast cereals with iron/folic acid; margarine with vitamins A and D; cholesterol-lowering spreads with plant sterols.

Why are breakfast cereals fortified?

They may be fortified with vitamins and minerals to help people meet recommended nutrient intakes.

Why are butter alternatives fortified?

Margarine and low-fat spreads may be fortified with vitamins A and D so consumers do not miss out on important vitamins.

Why can fortification be misleading?

Fortified foods can still be high in sugar, salt or fat, so adding vitamins does not automatically make them healthy.

What are food additives?

Food additives are substances added to food to improve properties such as shelf life, colour, flavour, texture or stability.

What are preservatives?

Preservatives prevent bacteria or mould growth, helping food last longer.

Examples of preservatives?

Vinegar, lemon juice, salt, sugar, nitrites and sulphites.

What are colourings?

Colourings make food look more attractive or restore colour lost during processing.

What are flavourings?

Flavourings improve taste or aroma. Examples include herbs, spices, vanilla, sweeteners and MSG.

What are emulsifiers?

Emulsifiers help oil and water stay mixed in foods such as mayonnaise, margarine and sauces.

What are stabilisers?

Stabilisers help preserve the shape and texture of food by stopping mixtures from separating.

What is pectin used for?

Pectin is a natural stabiliser found in fruits and used to help jam set.

Disadvantages of additives?

Some additives can cause allergic reactions or worsen asthma, disguise poor-quality ingredients, make food appear healthier than it is, and some artificial colours may be linked to hyperactivity in children.

Grade 9 answer: explain why reducing food waste is important.

Reducing food waste saves money and reduces environmental impact because less food has to be produced, transported, stored and thrown away. This lowers greenhouse gas emissions and reduces pressure on landfill.

Grade 9 answer: explain why packaging can be useful but harmful.

Packaging protects food from damage and contamination, provides information and extends shelf life, reducing food waste. However, excess packaging uses energy and resources, increases transport weight, adds to landfill and can harm wildlife if it does not biodegrade.

Grade 9 answer: explain the benefits of buying local food.

Buying local food can reduce food miles, lower transport emissions, support local farmers and provide fresher produce. However, it may be seasonal, offer less choice and sometimes spoil faster if unpackaged.

Grade 9 answer: explain food security.

Food security means people have access to enough safe, nutritious food. It can be reduced by poverty, poor climate, drought, flooding, lack of land, population growth and poor food distribution.

Grade 9 answer: explain pasteurisation.

Pasteurisation heats milk to about 72°C for 15 seconds then cools it quickly. This kills pathogenic bacteria while keeping the taste and nutritional value mostly unchanged, making milk safer to drink.

Grade 9 answer: explain cheese making.

Milk is pasteurised, then bacteria are added to sour and thicken it. Rennet causes milk proteins to coagulate into curds and whey. The whey is removed, curds are pressed, and the cheese is matured to develop flavour and texture.