Food Science and Nutrition

Course summary

Students will gain an understanding of the science of food safety, nutrition and nutritional needs in a wide range of contexts, through on-going practical sessions. They will gain practical skills to produce quality food items to meet the needs of individuals. The course is designed to offer exciting, interesting experiences that focus on the learning through applied learning i.e. through the acquisition of knowledge and understanding in purposeful, work related contexts, linked to the food production industry. This course explores the relationship between food, nutrition and health, and offers the opportunity for creative, investigative and analytical study. Course content Year 12 Unit 1: Meeting nutritional needs of specific groups Part 1: Theory exam. 90 minutes. Looks at nutrition in detail and developing practical skills. Exam marked externally. There will be a mixture of short and long response questions on hygiene and nutrition and a section analysing a person’s diet. Part 2: Coursework. 9.5 hours. This includes a practical exam based on a scenario given by the exam board. It will need to be planned for creating a time plan and justifying choice of dishes and why they are suitable to the task, showing a detailed understanding of nutrition and hygiene. Year 13 Unit 2: Ensuring food is safe to eat (external assessment) This is assessed by a written assignment which has eight hours for completion. It will include a risk assessment/HACCP charts for a set of given recipes and training materials for staff at a food-based event for example a food festival or a burger van. Either Unit 3: Experimenting to solve food production problems (12 hours) Internally assessed. The aim of this unit is to use understand the properties of food in order to plan and carry out experiments.