How has food technology changed what we eat, and what are the benefits and drawbacks?
Technological developments in food and their effects on the consumer - food additives, preservation and processing methods (cook-chill, UHT, modified atmosphere packaging), functional and fortified foods, alternative proteins, and genetically modified food.
An SQA Higher Health and Food Technology answer on technological developments in food, covering additives, preservation and processing (cook-chill, UHT, modified atmosphere packaging), functional and fortified foods, alternative proteins and GM food.
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What this dot point is asking
The SQA wants you to describe technological developments in food and evaluate their effects on the consumer - the benefits and the drawbacks. This is a contemporary-issues topic, so a balanced judgement matters more than recall alone.
Food additives
The main types and their jobs:
- Preservatives slow the growth of microorganisms to extend shelf life and keep food safe (for example nitrites in cured meat).
- Colours restore or add colour to make food attractive.
- Flavourings and flavour enhancers improve taste (for example monosodium glutamate, MSG).
- Emulsifiers and stabilisers stop ingredients separating and improve texture (for example lecithin).
- Antioxidants stop fats going rancid and prevent browning.
- Sweeteners add sweetness with few or no calories (for example aspartame).
Benefits: better safety, longer shelf life, less waste, and a wider range of convenient, consistent products. Drawbacks: some people are sensitive to certain additives (some colours have been linked to hyperactivity in children), and a long additive list can mark a highly processed food; there is also general consumer distrust of E numbers.
Preservation and processing methods
These methods give consumers convenience, longer shelf life and less waste, but rely on correct storage and can change texture or flavour.
Functional and fortified foods
These respond to health concerns and dietary advice, letting consumers improve their diet through everyday foods - though claims must be truthful and regulated.
Alternative proteins
As concern grows about the cost, health and environmental impact of meat, the food industry has developed alternative proteins:
- Mycoprotein (Quorn), grown from a fungus, high in protein and fibre and low in saturated fat.
- Soya products (tofu, soya mince) - high biological value plant protein.
- Pulses (beans, lentils, chickpeas) - cheap, sustainable LBV protein.
- Insect protein and cultured (lab-grown) meat - emerging, low-impact sources.
These offer sustainable, often healthier choices, but acceptance depends on taste, cost and consumer attitudes.
Genetically modified (GM) food
Benefits: higher yields, less pesticide use, improved nutrition, and crops that grow in poor conditions, which can support food security. Drawbacks: consumer concern about safety and unknown long-term and environmental effects, ethical objections, and the dominance of large agri-businesses. GM food must be labelled so consumers can choose.
Examples in context
Example 1. Folic-acid-fortified flour. Adding folic acid to flour is a technological response to a population health need (reducing neural tube defects), showing fortification used as public-health policy.
Example 2. The rise of Quorn and plant-based meat. Mycoprotein and plant-based "meat" products grew rapidly as consumers sought lower-impact, lower-saturated-fat proteins - alternative-protein technology meeting ethical and health-driven demand.
Try this
Q1. Name two types of food additive and state the purpose of each. [2 marks]
- Cue. Preservative (extends shelf life/safety); colour (improves appearance); flavour enhancer (improves taste); emulsifier (stops separation) - any two.
Q2. State one benefit and one drawback of genetically modified food to the consumer. [2 marks]
- Cue. Benefit: higher yield, less pesticide or better nutrition. Drawback: safety/environmental concern or ethical objection.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA Higher (specimen)6 marksDescribe the purpose of food additives, giving examples of four different types, and evaluate one benefit and one drawback of using them.Show worked answer →
A 6-mark answer needs the purpose, four named types with examples, and a balanced evaluation.
Additives are substances added to food to perform a specific job. Four types:
- Preservatives extend shelf life and keep food safe by slowing the growth of microorganisms (for example nitrites in cured meat).
- Colours restore or add colour to make food more attractive (for example caramel colour).
- Flavourings and flavour enhancers improve taste (for example monosodium glutamate, MSG).
- Emulsifiers and stabilisers stop ingredients separating and improve texture (for example lecithin in mayonnaise).
Benefit: additives improve safety, shelf life, appearance and consistency, reduce waste and allow a wider range of convenient products. Drawback: some consumers are sensitive to certain additives (for example some colours linked to hyperactivity in children), and a long ingredient list can signal a highly processed food; there is also consumer distrust of "E numbers".
Markers reward the purpose, four correct additive types with examples, and a genuine benefit and drawback.
SQA Higher (past paper style)5 marksExplain what functional foods and fortified foods are, and evaluate the value of genetically modified (GM) food to the consumer.Show worked answer →
A 5-mark answer should define both food types and weigh GM food.
Functional foods are foods given an added health benefit beyond basic nutrition, for example a spread with added plant stanols to lower cholesterol, or a yoghurt drink with probiotics for gut health. Fortified foods have nutrients added to replace those lost in processing or to address a population shortage, for example breakfast cereal fortified with iron and B vitamins, or flour fortified with folic acid.
GM food has had its genes altered, for example to resist pests, tolerate drought or improve nutrition (such as golden rice with added vitamin A). Benefits: higher yields, less pesticide, better nutrition, and crops that grow in poor conditions, which can help food security. Drawbacks: consumer concern about safety and the unknown long-term and environmental effects, ethical objections, and the dominance of large companies; GM food must be labelled so consumers can choose.
Markers reward correct definitions of functional and fortified foods, and a balanced evaluation of GM food.
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