Food Technology

Examinations

Food Technology overview

The Food Technology HSC course consists of:

Core strands:

The Australian Food Industry: 25%
Food Manufacture: 25%
Food Product Development: 25%
Contemporary Nutrition Issues: 25%

Examination Structure

The paper consists of four sections. There will be approximately equal weighting of each of the core strands across the examination as a whole.

Section I consists of objective response questions to the value of 20 marks.

Section II consists of approximately six short-answer questions, which may contain parts. There will be aproximately 14 items in total. At least four items will be worth from 4 to 6 marks.

Section III will be one extended response questions and will be worth at least 15 marks. A response of approximately 600 words is expected.

Section IV will also be an extended response question and will be worth at least 15 marks. A response of approximately 600 words is expected.

Information from Assessment and Reporting in Food Technology Document, Stage 6 BOS, 2009

The Australian Food Industry

This core strand requires students to examine the nature and extent of the Australian Food Industry and investigate the operations of one organisation within this industry. This strand will most likely have been completed in the early part of the HSC course and will therefore require thorough revision.

Most students will have completed an assessment task related to this strand, and this should also be revised carefully, as it provides the evidence of your investigation into the operations of one organisation within the Australian Food Industry.

An important topic within this strand is government policy and legislation and how these impact on the Australian Food Industry. Students could revise this by constructing a mind map of the various local, state, and federal policies and explain in summary their role in, and impact on the Australian Food Industry.

Food Manufacture

This core strand asks students to explain the manufacturing processes and technologies used in food production and evaluate the impact food manufacture has on individuals society and the environment. Students should also be able to apply the principles of food preservation to maintaining food quality and safety.

Essential core knowledge in this strand includes: quality and quality control; role of additives; production systems and the equipment used; industrial practices used to achieve safe foods (HACCP); causes of food deterioration and the principles behind preservation techniques; preservation processes; packaging; and the storage and distribution of food products.

The practical food preparation tasks completed in class are a valuable part of this strand, particularly those associated with food presentation. Students should revise these activities and any practical assessment tasks carried out in this strand to provide food examples, which are so important to providing quality answers m this part of the course.

Food Product Development

This core strand requires students to develop, prepare and present food using product development processes, and to justify these processes of development and manufacture in terms of market, technological and environmental considerations. The food product development process applies knowledge and skills developed through the study of nutrition and food properties in Preliminary HSC course and food manufacture from the HSC course.

Essential core knowledge in this strand includes the external and internal factors which impact on food product development, drivers of the development of food products (market and consumer demands, technological developments and company profitability), types of food product development, marketing plans and the development of a food product based on a specific design brief.

Students are expected to have an understanding of how food companies respond to a changing marketplace, and how they analyse strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats to maintain profitability and market share. Students will have developed a food product (possibly as an assessment task) and this should be revised to give the practical food examples needed for quality examination answers.

Contemporary Nutrition Issues

This core strand requires students to evaluate the relationship between food, its production, consumption, promotion and health. Students are given the opportunity to independently investigate contemporary nutrition issues and develop, produce and evaluate solutions for a range of food situations. Students are expected to debate nutrition and health issues and be able to make informed decisions and responses on diet and health

Essential knowledge in this option strand includes: consequences of malnutrition and diet related disorders; nutrition for specific groups; nutritionally modified foods; the role of active non-nutrients and supplements; agencies which promote health; relationships between nutrient intake and dietary disorders and the impact of media; lifestyle and the effect of cultural and social practices on nutritional status.

Students are expected to have planned and prepared food meals to address the dietary requirements of specific groups and will have independently, investigated and reported on the health of a group in Australia (most likely an assessment task).