A Level Food Studies CAIE

This subject is broken down into 40 topics in 4 modules:

  1. Food Science and Nutrition 10 topics
  2. Food Preparation and Cooking Techniques 10 topics
  3. Socio-cultural Influences on Food 10 topics
  4. Food Industry and Marketing 10 topics
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  • 4
    modules
  • 40
    topics
  • 16,084
    words of revision content
  • 2+
    hours of audio lessons

This page was last modified on 28 September 2024.

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Food Studies

Food Science and Nutrition

Fundamentals of Nutrition and Nutritional Analysis

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Fundamentals of Nutrition and Nutritional Analysis

Fundamentals of Nutrition

- Nutrition is the process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health, growth, and overall body maintenance.

  • Foods requiring attention in nutritional assessments include carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals, fibre and water.

  • Macronutrients such as carbohydrates, proteins, and fats contribute significantly to energy production within the body.

  • Carbohydrates are the body's main energy source, contributing about 60% of total daily energy requirements. They can be classified as simple or complex.

  • Protein is an essential macronutrient involved in building, repairing, and maintaining body tissues. It can be of animal or plant origin.

  • Fats play a crucial role in maintaining healthy skin and hair, insulating body organs, and supporting cell growth.

  • Micronutrients include vitamins and minerals which are needed in smaller quantities but play a crucial role in body processes such as disease prevention and management.

  • Vitamins can be fat-soluble (vitamin A, D, E, K) or water-soluble (vitamin C, B group). They are essential for efficient energy production, immune function, and blood clotting.

  • Minerals like calcium, iron, and magnesium play a key role in several body functions including bone structure, heartbeat, and synthesizing DNA and RNA.

  • Fibre besides being a non-digestible carbohydrate, it aids in bowel movement regularity, reducing the risk of constipation, and could contribute towards maintaining healthy weight.

  • Water is fundamental to our lives. It is vital for digestion, absorption, transportation of nutrients, and body temperature regulation.

Nutritional Analysis

  • Nutritional Analysis covers the determination of nutrients present in food substances. It involves the use of different methodologies to determine the caloric content as well as the amount and type of nutrients contained in food samples.

  • It often assesses nutrients such as proteins, carbohydrates, fat, fibre, naturally occurring sugars, vitamins, and minerals.

  • Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) serve as the fundamental guide in nutritional evaluation. They provide important data like the Recommended Daily Allowances (RDAs) and Acceptable Upper Intake Levels (ULs).

  • Comprehensive nutritional analysis utilises methodologies like Spectrophotometry, Chromatography and Mass Spectrometry. These provide specific details about nutrient levels in food samples.

  • Nutritional analysis also informs the production of food labels. These labels provide vital information regarding nutrient content to guide informed food choices among consumers.

  • Accurate nutritional analysis is critical in food formulation and fortification, ensuring the development of food products that meet specific nutritional requirements or targets. It is also key in addressing malnutrition and nutritional deficiencies.

  • Finally, nutritional analysis serves as a vital tool for dietary planning and management of nutritional-related conditions, helping healthcare professionals to tailor dietary needs to individual patient requirements.

Course material for Food Studies, module Food Science and Nutrition, topic Fundamentals of Nutrition and Nutritional Analysis

Food Studies

Socio-cultural Influences on Food

The influence of social and cultural factors on food choices

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The influence of social and cultural factors on food choices

Section 1: Social Factors

  • Social factors involve the influence of family, friends and peer group, and their impact on an individual's food selection.
  • Family traditions and ways of living greatly influence food habits and preferences. Family meals may involve traditional or heritage recipes that have been passed down through generations.
  • Peer pressure can also play a strong role, especially in adolescent food choices, where the need for acceptance may result in following similar dietary habits as friends.
  • Maternal employment can influence the time available for meal preparation, which might lead to an increase in convenience and fast food consumption.
  • The social media’s influence on promoting certain types of food, diets, or eating habits can significantly impact food choices. This includes trendy diets or food aesthetics.

Section 2: Cultural Factors

  • Cultural factors include the influence of ethnicity, religion, and certain traditional practices that shape food choices.
  • Religious beliefs may dictate specific dietary practices. For example, Hinduism encourages vegetarianism while Islam and Judaism have specific restrictions and food preparation methods (Halal, Kosher).
  • Ethnicity can shape food habits, for example, staple foods differ across cultures – rice is predominant in Asian cultures while wheat-based products are common in European cultures.
  • Certain cultures use food as part of rituals, celebrations, or ceremonies which can influence the types of food consumed.
  • The concept of ‘comfort food’ can also be linked to cultural influence as these are often foods associated with childhood or cultural tradition.

Section 3: Socio-economic Factors

  • Socio-economic class includes income level, education level, and occupation, which can influence food choices.
  • Income level can determine access to a variety of quality food. Higher income levels usually have better access to fresh produce and high-quality proteins, while low income might result in reliance on cheap, processed food, high in sugar and fat.
  • Education level can impact the understanding of nutrition, thus affecting food choices. Those with more education might have a broader understanding of nutritional requirements and make food choices accordingly.
  • Acceptance and knowledge of foreign foods is often higher in higher socio-economic groups, this is known as ‘culinary capital’.

Section 4: Environmental and Geographical Factors

  • Food choices can be influenced by availability and accessibility of food. This varies based on geographical location, seasons, climate, and the proximity to supermarkets or farmers markets.
  • Regions with a predominantly agricultural economy might have more consumption of plant-based diets.
  • Coastal areas or islands would traditionally rely heavily on seafood as part of their diet.
  • Climate and seasons also dictate food choices, for example, warm weather encourages the production and consumption of light vegetables, salads, and fruits while cold weather might increase the intake of heavy, hearty meals.

These societal, cultural, economic, and environmental factors are interrelated and together they shape an individual’s food preferences and habits.

Course material for Food Studies, module Socio-cultural Influences on Food, topic The influence of social and cultural factors on food choices

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