← Food Preparation & Nutrition syllabus

EnglandFood Preparation & Nutrition

Section B: Food (food provenance and food choice)

7 dot points across 7 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What makes a cuisine distinctive, and what are the features of British and international cuisines?

Culinary traditions, British and international cuisines: the characteristic ingredients, cooking methods, equipment and presentation of different cuisines, and the factors that shape a cuisine.
A focused answer on British and international cuisines for OCR GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition (J309), covering culinary traditions, the characteristic ingredients, cooking methods, equipment and presentation of cuisines, and the factors that shape them.
8 min answer →

What influences the food choices people make?

Factors affecting food choice: cost, availability, time, lifestyle, preferences, health, religion, culture, ethical and moral beliefs, and medical conditions and allergies.
A focused answer on the factors affecting food choice for OCR GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition (J309), covering cost, availability, time, lifestyle, health, religion, culture, ethical beliefs and medical conditions such as allergies and intolerances.
9 min answer →

How does the food we eat affect the environment?

Food and the environment: food miles and carbon footprint, the environmental impact of packaging, transport and food production, seasonal and local food, and the effects of food waste.
A focused answer on food and the environment for OCR GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition (J309), covering food miles, carbon footprint, packaging, seasonal and local food, the impact of food production, and reducing environmental harm.
9 min answer →

What must a food label show, and how does marketing influence what we buy?

Food labelling and marketing: the mandatory information required by law, allergen labelling, traffic-light and reference-intake nutrition labelling, date marks, and how marketing influences food choice.
A focused answer on food labelling and marketing for OCR GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition (J309), covering mandatory label information, allergen and nutrition labelling (traffic lights and reference intakes), date marks, and how marketing influences food choice.
9 min answer →

Where does food come from, and how is it grown, reared, caught and processed?

Food provenance and production: where food comes from (grown, reared, caught), primary and secondary processing, intensive, organic and free-range farming, sustainable fishing, and the meaning of food miles and seasonality.
A focused answer on food provenance and production for OCR GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition (J309), covering where food comes from, primary and secondary processing, intensive, organic and free-range farming, sustainable fishing, and food miles and seasonality.
9 min answer →

How do we test and describe how food looks, smells, tastes and feels?

Sensory evaluation: the senses used to judge food, sensory descriptors, the main sensory testing methods (preference, discrimination and ranking tests), and how to set up a fair, valid sensory test.
A focused answer on sensory evaluation for OCR GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition (J309), covering the senses and descriptors used to judge food, the main sensory testing methods (preference, discrimination, ranking), and how to run a fair, valid test.
8 min answer →

What does sustainability of food mean, and why is food security important?

Sustainability of food and food security: sustainable food production, the 3 Rs of waste, food security and the factors that threaten it, food poverty and food banks, and reducing and recycling food waste.
A focused answer on sustainability and food security for OCR GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition (J309), covering sustainable food production, the 3 Rs, food security and what threatens it, food poverty and food banks, and reducing food waste.
9 min answer →