How is food processed and made, what is the difference between primary and secondary processing, and why are foods fortified?
Food processing and production: primary and secondary processing, the effect of processing on nutritional value, fortification and additives, and how staple foods such as flour, cheese and yoghurt are produced.
A focused answer to the WJEC Food Preparation and Nutrition topic on food processing and production, covering primary and secondary processing, the effect on nutritional value, fortification and additives, and how staple foods such as flour, cheese and yoghurt are made.
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What this dot point is asking
You need to know the difference between primary and secondary processing, how processing affects nutritional value, what fortification and additives are, and how some staple foods are produced.
Primary and secondary processing
Examples:
- Primary: milling wheat into flour; pasteurising milk; cutting and bagging salad; filleting fish.
- Secondary: making bread or pasta from flour; making cheese or yoghurt from milk; making ready meals.
How processing affects nutritional value
Processing can improve, keep or reduce the value of food:
- Refining wheat into white flour removes the bran and germ, lowering fibre and some vitamins and minerals.
- Freezing vegetables soon after harvest keeps vitamins well.
- Heavy processing of some foods can add salt, sugar and fat, which is why highly processed foods are often eaten less often.
Fortification
Other fortified foods: breakfast cereals (vitamins and iron), margarine (vitamins A and D), and many plant milks (calcium and vitamin B12, useful for vegans).
Additives
Additives are substances added to food for a purpose:
- preservatives (keep food safe for longer),
- colours (improve appearance),
- flavourings and flavour enhancers (improve taste),
- emulsifiers and stabilisers (improve texture and stop separation).
Approved additives are tested for safety and shown on the label, sometimes as E numbers. Some people prefer foods with fewer additives or with natural rather than artificial ones, and manufacturers increasingly offer "no artificial colours or preservatives" products in response.
Genetically modified (GM) food
Genetically modified (GM) food has had its genes changed, for example to resist pests, survive drought or grow larger. Supporters argue GM crops could increase yields and help food security, while critics raise concerns about safety, the environment and control by large companies. GM ingredients must be labelled so people can choose. This is another topic where the exam expects a balanced discussion of benefits and concerns.
How some staple foods are made
- Flour: wheat grains are milled (crushed); white flour removes the bran and germ.
- Cheese: milk is coagulated (clotted) with rennet, the curds are separated from the whey, then pressed and ripened.
- Yoghurt: warm milk is fermented with bacteria, which thicken it and give a sour taste.
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of WJEC exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
WJEC style6 marksExplain the difference between primary and secondary food processing, using flour and bread as examples, and describe how processing can affect nutritional value.Show worked answer →
A 6-mark question. Mark it for the distinction with examples plus the effect on nutrition.
Primary processing is the first step that turns a raw food into a form that can be used or eaten, for example milling wheat grains into flour, or washing and cutting vegetables. Secondary processing turns processed (primary) ingredients into a different product, for example using flour to make bread, or milk to make cheese. Processing can change nutritional value: refining wheat into white flour removes the bran and germ, lowering the fibre and some vitamins and minerals, although in the UK white flour is fortified to add some back. Some processing keeps nutrients well, such as freezing vegetables soon after harvest, while heavy processing can add salt, sugar and fat.
A top answer defines primary and secondary processing with correct examples, and explains an effect on nutrition such as the loss of fibre and micronutrients in refining, ideally noting fortification.
WJEC style3 marksExplain what fortification means and give two examples of fortified foods.Show worked answer →
A 3-mark question on fortification.
Fortification means adding nutrients to a food, either to replace those lost in processing or to improve the diet of the population. In the UK, white and brown flour is fortified by law with calcium, iron and some B vitamins; breakfast cereals are often fortified with vitamins and iron; margarine is fortified with vitamins A and D; and many plant milks are fortified with calcium and vitamin B12.
Markers reward a correct definition of fortification (adding nutrients) and two correct examples such as fortified flour, breakfast cereals, margarine or plant milks.
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Sources & how we know this
- WJEC Eduqas GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition specification (from 2016) — WJEC Eduqas (2016)