Health & Food TechnologyQ&A by dot point

Manufacturing technology and quality: production systems (job, batch and continuous-flow production); the use of technology and automation in manufacturing; quality control and quality assurance; and food-safety management, including hazard analysis (HACCP) and critical control points.

Food product development: the stages of developing a new food product (identifying a market need, generating and screening ideas, writing a product specification, prototyping and modification, sensory and consumer testing, scaling up to production, and launch); the reasons companies develop new products; and the role of market research and the product life cycle.

Ethical and environmental issues: sustainability and food miles; food waste and packaging; ethical labelling and assurance schemes (Fairtrade, organic, free-range, animal welfare); food security; and genetically modified and novel foods, and how these issues influence consumer choice and manufacturing.

Factors affecting food choice: physiological, psychological and lifestyle factors (income and budget, time and convenience, lifestyle and occupation, culture and religion, peer and family influence, advertising and marketing, health concerns, and the influence of technology and food trends) and how they interact to influence what consumers buy and eat.

Food labelling and consumer protection: the mandatory and voluntary information on food labels (name, ingredients, allergens, nutrition declaration, date marking, storage and origin); front-of-pack labelling; the purpose of consumer-protection and food-safety legislation; and how labelling helps consumers make informed choices.

Diet-related conditions: the relationship between diet and coronary heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, some cancers, dental caries, iron-deficiency anaemia, osteoporosis, hypertension and bowel disorders; the dietary changes that reduce risk and the dietary management of each condition.

Dietary reference values and changing needs: dietary reference values (RNI, EAR, LRNI and safe intake); how nutritional needs change across the life stages; the dietary needs of specific groups, including pregnancy, infancy, adolescence, older adults, athletes, and those with allergies, intolerances or medical conditions.

Nutrient functions and energy balance: the functions and sources of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, fibre and water; energy balance, basal metabolic rate, physical activity level and total energy expenditure; the consequences of positive and negative energy balance.

Food additives and fortification: the functions of additives (preservatives, antioxidants, colours, flavourings, emulsifiers and stabilisers, sweeteners); the E-number system and the control of additives; and the fortification and enrichment of foods, including the reasons for adding nutrients and examples of fortified foods.

Food deterioration and preservation: the causes of food spoilage (micro-organisms, enzymes, oxidation and physical damage); the conditions micro-organisms need to grow; and the scientific principles behind preservation methods (temperature control, dehydration, acidity, sugar and salt, vacuum and modified atmosphere, and heat treatment).

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); how these properties are used and controlled in food preparation and manufacture.

The course assessment project (60 marks): investigating a current food issue relevant to the course through three stages - project proposal, research, and analysis and evaluation; how the project is marked externally by SQA; and the research, analysis and evaluation skills it assesses, alongside the 50-mark question paper that completes the 110-mark course assessment.