The food industry although very commercial is full of friendly people, who if asked and if they have the time will help you out. There are two types of food companies, the people that make the final product and the people that make the ingredients that go in the final product. Between these two types there are thousands of food business in the UK.

If your project requires it, or if you need help. Your teacher might help identify a food company to help with the course. This is something that should be encouraged and I suggest you ask your teacher about local food businesses.

Once you find a local business, you need to write your questions to either the R&D-Product Development Manager or the Technical manager. Ask you teacher for help with the letter.

Within the letter, make sure you are clear about how the company can help you. Make sure you leave an email that people can respond to. Address’s are good as are phone numbers, but it takes 2 mins to answer an email question where it takes time and money to phone someone and as for the student or to make a letter. So include an email.

How can a company help, if nothing else they can look at your idea and give feedback. at most, they could help provide ideas for your project, help with the packaging, could send you examples of their haccp systems and specifications. If your really lucky you might get a tour to understand how the food factory works.

Even if the product they make isn’t the same as your product, I would still suggest you contact them as they can provide help you haven’t thought of. Or they might have contacts in a factory that does make a product similar to your project.

If your unfortunate to live in an area which doesn’t have a local food factory, my suggestion is to go to the supermarket look at 5 packs of similar products to your project. On the packs there will be an address either for complaints or for info. Send your letters to these, with the information mentioned above.

Lastly do not be nervous or shy about asking for help, the food industry is calling out for smart intelligent students. So people will be happy to get your letter and should be willing to help at least a little.

If you want help or advice on this topic please comment below and I will see if I can help with my contacts in the industry.

I liked this video mainly for its simplicity, as we get more into the Design section of the GCSE FOOD TECHNOLOGY course. I will keep saying keep it simple.

Kirsty’s idea is great, you only have to worry about properties of aeration and gelatinization. The product looks great.

This also allows you to modify Kirstys idea and do different products, do 2 layers and add chocolate sauce. Do 1 Layer but add a biscuit base. Angel delight is a great basic component of any idea.

Please enjoy Kirstys Video below

AS level and A2 level, these each provide 50% of the total Award.

AS Course – GCSE FOOD

Within the AS Level Course are three Units.

Unit 1 - 1.5 hr Exam comprising of multiple choice questions – Primarily based on Materials and components. Worth 30%

Unit 2 – Course Work  40hrs, – based on project work of industrial or Commercial practice. Worth 40%

Unit 3 – 1.5 hr exam comprising of questions based on a theme – Primarily targeting design and market influences Worth 30%

A2 COURSE – GCSE FOOD

Continuing from the AS course the second half of the award has another 3 units.

Unit 4 - Course work 20 hrs Design and make a food product Worth 15%

Unit 5 – Coursework 50 hrs single project based on a material or combination of materials Worth 15%

Unit 6 - 3hr exam Questions based on the course content – Worth 20%

The Major nutrients are lipids, proteins and carbohydrates, Micro nutrients are the smaller components of food. Vitamins and minerals are the two key sections.

Vitamins.

the word vitamin originally comes from the two words Vital and Minerals. Vitamins are typically split into two categories, fat soluble (A,D,E and K) and water soluble (B and C). There are 13 vitamins in total.

Fat Soluble Vitamins

Vitamin A,  is needed for good skin, health eye sight, and growth. It is often found in carotene. Which is why the say carrots are good for the eye sight.

Vitamin D, is critical for strong bones and healthy teeth, it supports the absorption of calcium into the body. It isn’t common in food and is mainly made by exposure to sunlight.

Vitamin E, is mainly for healthy skin but also acts as an antioxidant in the body. mainly found in eggs.

Vitamin K, Is involved in the clotting of blood, it is found in foods such as green vegetables and meats.

Water Soluble Vitamins

Vitamin B’s, there are 8 vitamin B’s in total. most of which you will see on the back of breakfast boxes as they are mainly found in cereals.

Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) Helps the body convert carbohydrates and fat into energy; essential for normal growth and development; helps to maintain proper functioning of the heart and the nervous and digestive systems Green peas, spinach, liver, beef, pork, navy beans, pinto beans, soybeans, nuts, bananas, whole grain and enriched cereals, and breads 1.4 mg/day

Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) Required by the body for the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins; helps with cellular processes Asparagus, okra, chard, almonds, leafy greens, cottage cheese, milk, yogurt, meat, eggs, and fish 1.2 mg/day

Vitamin B3 (Niacin) Necessary for energy metabolism in cells; DNA repair; produces several sex and stress-related hormones that are produced by the adrenal gland; helps remove toxins and chemicals from the body Chicken, beef, tuna, salmon, milk, eggs, broccoli, tomatoes, carrots, dates, sweet potatoes, asparagus, avocados, nuts, whole grains, beans, mushrooms, nutritional yeast 14 mg/day

Vitamin B5 (Pantothenic acid) Required to sustain life; is critical in the metabolism of fats, carbohydrates, and proteins Whole grain cereals, beans, eggs, meat, some energy drinks 5 mg/day
Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine and Pyridoxamine) Help enzymes do their job in the body; helps the nervous and immune systems function properly; necessary for overall good health Nuts, liver, chicken, fish, green beans, salad greens, wheat germ, nutritional yeast, sea vegetables, and bananas 1.3 mg/day

Vitamin B7 (Biotin or Vitamin H) Used in cell growth; the production of fatty acid; metabolism of fat; plays a role in the Krebs Cycle in which energy is released from food; helps with the transfer of carbon dioxide; helps maintain a steady blood sugar level; found in many cosmetic products to help with your skin and hair Beans, nutritional yeast, cauliflower, chocolate, egg yolks, fish, liver, meat, molasses, dairy products, nuts, oatmeal, oysters, peanut butter, bananas, soy products, mushrooms, wheat germ, and whole grains 300 mcg/day

Vitamin B9 (Folic acid) Helps the body make healthy new cells; taken before and during pregnancy can help prevent major birth defects of the baby’s brain and spine Leafy greens such as spinach, dried beans and peas, sunflower seeds, oranges, asparagus, broccoli, liver, enriched cereal 400 mcg/day

Vitamin B12 (Cobalamin) Necessary for the synthesis of red blood cells, the maintenance of the nervous system, and the growth and development of children Animal products such as meat, eggs, dairy products, nutritional yeast, and fortified cereals 6 mcg/day

Vitamin C,  is often known for defending against colds and illness’s it also helps maintain good skin.  Typically it is found in fruit and vegetables.

Minerals.

The two minerals in the GCSE Food Technology course are Calcium and Iron. Minerals are critical for the human body, but for them to be fully utilised they often require vitamins.

Calcium, is a key requirement for growth and for health bones and teeth. Calcium is found in Milk and cheese.

For the body to utilise Calcium, it requires vitamin D.

Iron, is the key nutrient required for red blood cells, the iron helps to bind oxygen. It is found in red meats and Green vegetables such as spinach. Too little Iron Causes blood diseases such as anemia.

Iron requires the vitamin C to be fully utilised.

First off a quick way to remember that “Lipids” means Fat.  LIPOSUCTION REMOVES FAT. Lipo, Lipid = Fat.

FAT

is required by the body as a source of energy, it also required to insulate the body from the cold. Fat is also required to carry vitamins within the body.

There are multiple forms of Fat the two main ones in GCSE Food Technology are Saturated Fats and Polyunsaturated Fats.

Saturated Fats

Saturated Fats typically come from animals, although can be found in some vegetables (coconut and palm oil). It tends to be hard when cold, so if it is very hard  (unspreadable) when in the fridge it is typically saturated. Examples of saturated Fat products are , butter , lard. There is still an argument over the health benefits of saturated Fats, as earlier studies that suggested it leads to heart problems are now being challenged. Typically a Diet high in Saturated Fat is unhealthy leading to high levels of cholesterol.

Polyunsaturated Fat.

Poly unsaturated fat typically comes from vegetables and grains. It is easily recognisable as it is liquid at room temperature, i.e. vegetable oil, olive oil, sesame oil etc. In recent years Food technology has changed the properties of these oils to harden them at room temperature. This process is called Hydrogenation, the most common example of this is margarine. The main reason for doing this is the price of vegetable oil vs the price of butter. Hence the reason margarine was cheaper than butter.

Properties of Fat/Lipids

1. one of the biggest uses of Fat is for flavour, as it Carry’s flavour molecules better than water

2. it allows air to be trapped into cells (the best example of this are mousse or ice cream)

3. Succulence or moistness to food products, without fat food tends to become dry. (compare low fat foods to normal)

Carbohydrates fall into two categories Sugars and Starch.

Sugars

The sugar we are all used to is called sucrose and is a white crystal material. it is the most preferred of the sugars because of its sweetness level. Typically the chemical name for sugar ends in -ose, there are many sugars other the sucrose, fructose found in fruit, lactose found in milk.

Types of Sugar

There are two key types of sugar.

Mono-saccharides and Di saccharides.

Mono Saccharides, are simple sugars, such as fruits and vegetables. Glucose is an example of a monosaccharide and is the key sugar in the blood chemistry.

Di saccharides, are more complex sugars and are more commonly found, examples are sucrose (common sugar), lactose from milk,.

Properties of sugar, are that they sweeten products, can cause caramelisation (browning),  Sugar can also act as a preservative, often seen in jam making.

STARCH

Starches are longer chains of sugar molecules, monosaccharide = 1 molecule, disaccharide = 2 molecules. starches many molecules.

Starch is commonly found in foods such as potatoes, pasta rice and flour.

The Properties of starch are one of the most important in Food Technology, without these properties most food couldn’t be made.

Starch has a property call GELATINISATION this means the starch absorbs water and swells forming a Gel. This is best scene with cornflour and water, mixed together cold it forms a suspensions in a liquid, heat it up and it forms a thick sauce. Add yellow food colouring and flavouring and you have custard.

This gelatinisation is also seen in bread making and lots of other sections.

Protein is the building block of all food materials.

I would suggest a read of the wiki on Protein for an overall understanding of Protein Click Here

Protein is predominantly found in animal based foods, such as meat, milk, eggs etc. but some can be found in vegetable products such as beans and nuts.

Protein when digested dissolves into smaller components called Amino Acids. It is these amino acids that the body needs to repair itself.  Your body is constantly repairing itself, replacing old cells with new, a good example is hair and nails. Without protein the body cannot survive.

It is recommended that a person consumes around 50g of protein a day.

Protein Food Groups

Food Types can be split into 2 groups HBV – High Biological Value and LBV- Low Biological Value.

Foods in the HBV group tend to contain the Majority of the 10 amino acids the body needs. Typical foods in this group are Meat, Fish, Milk, Eggs and Soya Beans. These food items should play a man part in a diet.

Foods in the LBV group tend to contain only a few of the amino acids needed. The foods in this group are, typically Pulses (bean, lentils) and nuts. LBV group is important as certain diets can only consume these proteins i.e. Vegan.

Properties

Proteins have a unique property, upon heating they denature. This means the protein hardens, a prime example is egg white which has 10% protein. When cooked the clear runny egg white will change to a white firm rubbery consistency.

This property is used heavily in the food industry to make products such as cakes , bread  etc.

As part of the GCSE Food course you will need to know the 5 key components of food.

These are, Protein, Lipids/fats, Carbohydrates, Vitamins and Minerals.

The correct balance of these ingredients lead to a healthy lifestyle, however an unbalanced mix will end in Obesity, diabetes and other health issues. You see information on these key items each day on the nutritional panels of food.

Different Levels of the above components also have an effect on how the product processes in a factory or reacts to preserving.

In the later posts on the specific components you will learn why they are important.

This Subject matter refers to the science part of GCSE Food Technology, fundamentally the composition of food, the properties of food and the effect that processing has on food.

It contains 2 sub sections

1. Classification Of Materials
2. Manipulation and Combining

1. Classification Of materials

This section Focus’s on the working properties and function, the nutritional, physical and sensory aspects of the Macro Nutrients involved in Food. And How the Micro Nutrients behave.

The Main Macro Nutrients are:

Protein - the GCSE Food course will focus on Milk, eggs, soya and cheese. You will need  a basic understanding of the structure, As well as the nutritional properties. Then the effect of Mechanical action, Heat, Alkali’s and acids on the sensory, nutritional and physical properties i.e. denaturation and coagulation. Please See Post on this Topic.

Lipids/Fats - Similar to proteins, the chemical composition, nutritional properties and there working characteristics. The working characteristics will cover aeration, emulsification, shortening, lubrication, plasticity and cooking medium.

Carbohydrate – Again Checmical structure, nutritional properties. The working characteristics for sugar will focus on the effects of heat on starch, sugar and Non Soluble Protein (NSP)

The micro nutrients being focused on are – Vitamins A, B, C, D and Minerals Calcium, Phosphorus and iron

For Micro nutrients you will learn their properties and sources, as well as the impact on processing.

2. Manipulation and Combining

In Manipulation you will be review the Food Additives and their affect on food.

THE SITE

There are two key things this site aims to deliver.

1. You getting good grades in your GCSE Food Technology Course
2. A better understanding of the amazing industry that is Food Manufacture.

Within this website I aim to provide you with a website that has information to help you study
for your GCSE FOOD course.

Full of information for the areas of the GCSE FOOD Course.
Links to the most usefull information both on the web and in books
A Forum for students to ask questions and discuss GCSE Food.
Industry experts to help with your questions about GCSE Food Technology.
student reviews of the websites and books available as study guides.
the Site will also offer support to the teachers of GCSE Food, the industry is fast changing
and it is difficult to stay on top of the latest trends.
Supporting Information and Documentation to aid in preparing for classes.
Industrial experts to help with technical questions.

THE AUTHOR

My name is Dan Jensen, I have been working in the Uk Food Industry for the last 20 years.
I hold both Diploma and Degrees in Food science and Technology.

My main area of expertise over the last 20 years has been Product Design, as such i have
developed over 500 products. It is likely you have eaten one of my products at some point.

During this time I have spoken to students on the food technology course, as well as providing,
industry support to students that have written to me.