Food Technology

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Food Technology

Examinations

Food Technology overview

The Food Technology HSC course consists of:

Core strands:

The Australian Food Industry: 15%
Food Manufacture: 30%
Food Product Development: 30%

and a choice of one Option strand: 25%

Contemporary Food Issues: Nutrition
Contemporary Food Issues: Marketplace

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.

This strand is examined by multiple-choice questions in Section I of the examination paper, and short answer questions in Section II.

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; storage and distribution of food products and the impact food manufacturing technologies have on nutritional content of products, lifestyle and the environment.

This strand is examined by multiple-choice questions in Section I of the examination paper, short answer questions in Section II, and an opportunity to choose an extended response question in Section 3. This means that this strand can possibly be worth almost a third of your total marks.

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.

This strand is examined by multiple-choice questions in Section I of the examination paper, short answer questions in Section II and an opportunity to choose an extended response question in Section III. This means that this strand can possibly be worth almost a third of your total marks. You will need to make a choice in Section III of the paper between answering the question on Food Manufacture or Food Product Development.

Option strand: Contemporary Food Issues: Nutrition

This option strand requires students to evaluate the relationship between food, its production, consumption, promotion and health; to independently investigate contemporary food issues; and to provide 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 in Australia.

Essential knowledge in this option strand includes: consequences of malnutrition; 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 disorder and the impact of media; lifestyle; 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).

This option strand is examined in Section II in a short answer question, and in Section IV in an extended response (choice between two questions). Altogether the option strand is worth 25% of your total mark.

Option strand: Contemporary Food Issue: Marketplace

Essential knowledge in this option strand includes trends in the marketplace (emerging technology; ecologically sustainable production; functional foods; food marketing practices; multinational food companies; globalisation of the food trade; and the
implications of these trends environmentally, economically, socially and ethically. Students will have planned and prepared food and meals reflecting the trend towards value adding, identified factors contributing to inequitable access to the global food supply and debated the issue of social justice related to food consumption.

Students must also have completed an investigation and report on a trend in the marketplace (most likely an assessment task). This option strand is examined in Section II in a short answer question, and in Section IV in an extended response (choice between two questions). Altogether the option strand is worth 25% of your total mark.