Food science: overview of SQA Advanced Higher Health and Food Technology Area 2
An overview of the food science area of SQA Advanced Higher Health and Food Technology, covering the functional properties of ingredients, food deterioration and preservation, and food additives and fortification, with study tips and links to each key area.
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Food science is the second area of SQA Advanced Higher Health and Food Technology. It explains, at the level of the ingredient, why food behaves as it does when it is prepared, why it deteriorates, and why manufacturers add substances and nutrients to it. The science here underpins the practical and manufacturing decisions made throughout the course. This page maps the three key areas and shows how they connect.
The three key areas
- Functional properties of ingredients
- The functional properties of proteins (denaturation, coagulation, gluten formation, foam formation), carbohydrates (gelatinisation, dextrinisation, caramelisation, crystallisation) and fats (shortening, aeration, plasticity, emulsification), and how each is used and controlled in cooking and manufacture.
- Food deterioration and preservation
- The causes of spoilage (micro-organisms, enzymes, oxidation, physical damage), the conditions micro-organisms need to grow, and the scientific principle behind each preservation method, from temperature control and drying to acidity, sugar, salt, oxygen removal and heat treatment.
- Food additives and fortification
- The functions of preservatives, antioxidants, colours, flavourings, emulsifiers, stabilisers and sweeteners; the E-number system and the control of additives; and the fortification and enrichment of foods, with the reasons and examples.
How to study Area 2
- Tie each property to a cause and an outcome. Do not just name "gelatinisation": say starch granules swell and burst in hot liquid, thickening it. The cause and effect score the marks.
- Use the conditions for growth as a checklist. Every preservation method removes one of warmth, moisture, food, time, oxygen or a suitable pH; explain which one.
- Connect food science to the rest of the course. Functional properties feed into product development; preservation and additives feed into manufacturing and labelling.
- Practise applied questions. Many marks come from explaining the science behind a real product or process you are given.
The key areas in detail
Each key area has its own answer page with worked questions and cross-links. Use the quiz below to check your recall across the whole area, then work through the individual key areas.
For the official course specification
The SQA publishes the full Advanced Higher Health and Food Technology course specification and past papers at sqa.org.uk. Always revise from the current specification and SQA past papers.