Eduqas GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition (C560): Cooking and food preparation and the NEA (Area 6) overview

Area 6 of Eduqas GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition (specification C560) is cooking and food preparation: food safety, micro-organisms, spoilage and preservation, practical skills and cooking methods, food choice and labelling, and the two non-exam assessment tasks. This page maps the area and links to a focused answer page for each part.

The cooking and food preparation content

Bacterial contamination and food safety

The food-poisoning bacteria, cross-contamination, the conditions bacteria need and the key temperatures. See Bacterial contamination and food safety.

Micro-organisms and food production

The useful roles of yeast, bacteria and mould in bread, yoghurt and cheese, fermentation, and enzymes. See Micro-organisms and food production.

Food spoilage and preservation

The causes and signs of spoilage, date marks, and preservation methods. See Food spoilage and preservation.

Cooking and preparation skills

Knife and preparation skills, cooking methods and how cooking affects nutrients. See Cooking and preparation skills.

Food choice, sensory evaluation and labelling

The factors affecting food choice, sensory testing, food labelling law and marketing. See Food choice and labelling.

The NEA

Assessment 1, the Food Investigation (15%), and Assessment 2, the Food Preparation Assessment (35%). See The NEA: Food Investigation and Food Preparation.

This area applies the science of food in the kitchen.

How this topic is examined

Food safety, cooking and food choice are assessed on the written paper (Component 1), which is 1 hour 45 minutes, worth 100 marks and 50% of the GCSE. The practical skills, investigation and dishes are assessed in the NEA (Component 2), worth 50%. So this area is examined both on the written paper and through the coursework.

How to study cooking and food preparation

1. Learn the safety facts cold. The bacteria, the key temperatures and the cross-contamination rules.
2. Know the useful micro-organisms. Yeast for bread, bacteria for yoghurt, bacteria and rennet for cheese.
3. Link cooking method to nutrition. Know how to keep vitamins and choose a healthy method.
4. Read labels. Practise what the law requires and using the nutrition panel and traffic lights.
5. Master the NEA. Fair testing for the investigation; planning and time management for the three-dish assessment.

For the official specification

Eduqas publishes the full specification (C560), past papers, mark schemes and NEA materials at eduqas.co.uk. Always revise from the current specification and Eduqas's own past papers and tasks, because question and task style is board-specific.