Section Revision: Food Choice and Provenance
This lesson provides a comprehensive revision of food choice and food provenance content for the AQA GCSE Food Preparation and Nutrition exam (8585), covering factors affecting choice, religion, labelling, sensory evaluation, sustainability, and processing.
Factors Affecting Food Choice
Remember the key factors using this framework:
| Category | Factors |
|---|
| Physical | PAL (Physical Activity Level), health conditions, allergies/intolerances |
| Psychological | Preferences, enjoyment, mood, habits |
| Social | Culture, celebration, family/peer influence, religion, media |
| Economic | Cost, income, special offers, availability |
| Practical | Time available, time of day, cooking skills, equipment, lifestyle, seasonality |
Religious Food Choices: Key Rules
| Religion | Key Rules |
|---|
| Islam | Halal meat (prayer, sharp knife, blood drained); NO pork; NO alcohol; Ramadan fasting; haram gelatine |
| Judaism | Kosher meat (shochet); NO pork; NO shellfish; meat and dairy NEVER mixed; separate utensils; Passover (no leaven) |
| Hinduism | Cow sacred — NO beef; many vegetarian; ghee important |
| Sikhism | Langar (free vegetarian kitchen); jhatka meat (NOT halal); food sharing |
| Buddhism | Non-violence (ahimsa); many vegetarian; moderation; avoid alcohol |
| Christianity | Few restrictions; Lent (fasting/giving up foods); Fish Friday |
| Rastafarianism | I-tal (natural) food; many vegetarian/vegan; NO pork; NO shellfish; NO alcohol |
Allergies and Intolerances
| Feature | Allergy | Intolerance |
|---|
| System | Immune system | Digestive system |
| Severity | Life-threatening (anaphylaxis) | Unpleasant, NOT life-threatening |
| Amount | Tiny traces trigger reaction | Usually needs larger amount |
| Speed | Rapid (minutes to 2 hours) | Delayed (hours to days) |
| Examples | Nut, milk, egg allergy | Lactose intolerance |
Coeliac disease = autoimmune condition triggered by gluten (wheat, barley, rye). NOT an allergy or simple intolerance. Treatment: lifelong gluten-free diet.
14 allergens must be declared on food labels. Most common: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, fish, shellfish, soya.
Natasha's Law (2021): Pre-packed food made on premises must carry full ingredients list with allergens emphasised.
Food Labelling
Mandatory Information
| Information | Key Point |
|---|
| Name | Accurate description of the food |
| Ingredients | Listed in descending order of weight |
| Allergens | Highlighted in bold within ingredients |
| Net quantity | Weight or volume |
| Date mark | Use-by (safety) or best-before (quality) |
| Storage | How to store (e.g., "Keep refrigerated") |
| Nutrition | Energy, fat, saturates, carbs, sugars, protein, salt per 100g |
| Manufacturer | Name and address |
Traffic Light System (Voluntary)
| Colour | Meaning | Fat (per 100g) | Sugars | Salt |
|---|
| 🟢 Green | Low | ≤3g | ≤5g | ≤0.3g |
| 🟡 Amber | Medium | 3.1–17.5g | 5.1–22.5g | 0.31–1.5g |
| 🔴 Red | High | >17.5g | >22.5g | >1.5g |
Always compare products using per 100g figures, not per portion.
Sensory Evaluation
| Test | Purpose | Samples | Key Feature |
|---|
| Paired preference | Which of two is preferred? | 2 | Simple; subjective |
| Hedonic scale | How much do you like it? (1–5 or 1–9) | 1+ | Degree of liking; numerical data |
| Triangle test | Can you tell the difference? | 3 (2 same, 1 different) | Objective; 1 in 3 chance of guessing |
| Ranking | Put in order (e.g., sweetest to least sweet) | 3–6 | Relative positions; ordinal data |
| Rating | Score specific qualities on a scale | 1+ | Detailed; numerical data |
| Sensory profiling | Star diagram showing multiple characteristics | 1+ | Visual profile; comparison tool |
Controlled Conditions
- Testing booths (prevent influence)
- Random 3-digit codes (prevent bias; NOT A, B, C)
- Palate cleansers (water, crackers between samples)
- Neutral lighting (prevent colour bias)
- Same containers, portions, temperature
Food Provenance: Key Topics
Farming Systems
| System | Welfare | Cost | Yield |
|---|
| Intensive | Lowest | Cheapest | Highest |
| Free-range | Good | Higher | Lower |
| Organic | Highest | Most expensive | Lowest |
Sustainable Fishing
| Method | Detail |
|---|
| Quotas | Limit total catch to sustainable levels |
| Net sizes | Minimum mesh sizes let juveniles escape |
| Closed seasons | Protect breeding periods |
| MSC certification | Blue label = sustainably caught |
| Fish farming | Reduces pressure on wild stocks (but pollution and disease risks) |
Food Miles and Environment
| Concept | Key Point |
|---|
| Food miles | Distance from production to consumption |
| Air freight | Highest carbon footprint per kg |
| Sea shipping | Lowest carbon footprint per unit |
| Local and seasonal | Lower food miles; fresher; cheaper; supports local economy |
| Carbon footprint | Beef = highest of any common food (methane, land, feed) |
| Food waste | 9.5 million tonnes/year UK; households = ~65%; methane in landfill |
| Packaging hierarchy | Reduce → Reuse → Recycle → Recover → Landfill |
Food Security
| Threat | Impact |
|---|
| Climate change | Drought, flooding, changing seasons, extreme weather |
| Population growth | 9.7 billion by 2050; 60–70% more food needed |
| Water scarcity | Agriculture uses 70% of global freshwater |
| Soil degradation | Erosion, nutrient loss, desertification |
Solutions: GM crops, Fairtrade, sustainable farming, reducing waste, improved storage, urban farming, technology.
Processing
Primary Processing
| Raw Material | Process | Basic Ingredient |
|---|
| Wheat | Milling | Flour |
| Raw milk | Heat treatment | Pasteurised milk |
| Sugar cane | Extraction | Sugar |
White flour fortification (mandatory): Calcium, iron, thiamin (B1), niacin (B3), folic acid.
Heat Treatment of Milk
| Method | Temperature | Time | Shelf Life |
|---|
| Pasteurised | 72°C | 15 seconds | 7–10 days (fridge) |
| UHT | 135°C | 1–4 seconds | 6–9 months (ambient) |
| Sterilised | 115–130°C | 10–30 minutes | Several months (ambient) |
Secondary Processing
| Ingredient | Process | Product |
|---|
| Flour | Kneading, proving, baking | Bread |
| Flour | Mixing, shaping, drying | Pasta |
| Milk | Starter culture, rennet, ageing | Cheese |
| Milk | Starter culture, incubation | Yoghurt |
| Fruit | Cooking with sugar and pectin | Jam |
Food Additives
| Type | Purpose | Example |
|---|
| Colourings | Add/restore colour | Tartrazine (E102) |
| Preservatives | Extend shelf life | Sodium nitrite (E250) |
| Emulsifiers | Prevent oil/water separation | Lecithin (E322) |
| Flavourings | Enhance flavour | Vanilla, MSG |
| Antioxidants | Prevent rancidity | Vitamin C (E300) |
| Sweeteners | Replace sugar | Aspartame (E951) |
Ethical Food Choices
| Choice | What It Means |
|---|
| Fairtrade | Fair prices for producers in developing countries; Fairtrade Premium for community |
| Free-range | Outdoor access; better welfare |
| RSPCA Assured | RSPCA-monitored welfare standards |
| Red Tractor | British farm standards (safety, welfare, environment) |
| Organic | No synthetic chemicals; certified (Soil Association) |
| MSC | Sustainable fishing |
| Local produce | Reduced food miles; supports local economy; fresher |
Common Exam Mistakes