Food Technology Essay

Let’s remember 1The key stages of the technology process are designing, producing and evaluating. 2A design situation is a scenario, situation or context. It sets the scene for a designer. A design brief is a statement that presents a task or problem to be solved as it relates to the design situation. 3It is important to analyse the design brief to ensure that the designer understands what is required of them and so that they can develop a criteria for success. 4It is essential to know the criteria for success before undertaking a design process so that a designer can refer back to these criteria during the design process and ensure that they are on track and making correct decisions. It is essential to know the constraints before undertaking a design project so that a designer stays within the boundaries of the project, particularly in terms of cost and schedule. 5Some methods of research and investigation that designers use may include: inspiration boards, interviews, the Internet, surveys, experiments, observations, textbooks, encyclopaedias, magazines and TV programs. 6Primary sources of information are original documents. Some examples of primary sources are interview responses, survey responses, observations or original documents. Secondary sources of information are collected from existing documents and might include textbooks, magazines, TV programs and Internet searches. 7Designers sometimes produce simple sketches of their ideas to ensure that they remember all of the details that they generated during the research and exploration stages. Their diagrams might be accompanied by labels that list materials, colours, size and other details. 8Designers will usually come up with more than one option for the design solution to ensure that the most creative and innovative solution possible is found, rather than just the first and most obvious idea. 9The best design option is selected by evaluating each idea against the original brief, the criteria for success and any constraints. 10Evaluation is an important part of the technology process as it helps the designer to make decisions about the design and the development of the solution. Evaluation also helps the designer to judge the success of the final result. 11Food designers may evaluate their food product solutions by performing a sensory evaluation with a panel of taste-testers. 1. 2 Factors influencing design Case study: Red Lantern 1The two factors that Mark Jensen of Red Lantern considers important when judging the success of a restaurant are limiting the restaurant’s impact on the environment and using organic and ethically sound produce. 2Some of the produce chosen for the menu at Red Lantern includes organic vegetables and herbs, line-caught fish, organic and free-range poultry, free-range pork. 3According to Mark, some benefits of using organic and free-range products include that they are free from pesticides and taste better. 4Pesticides used in farming contaminate the soil and the water table and are therefore harmful to the environment. 5Net fishing is a problem for marine ecology because of the amount of bycatch. Bycatch is a term given to the tonnes of marine animals caught in nets and killed every year. The bycatch is then discarded into the ocean because they are perceived to have no economic value. 6Energy use is being reduced at Red Lantern by using sustainable technologies such as energy-efficient equipment and light globes. Water consumption is reduced by replacing common wok stations that rely on a constant flow of water with a new type of wok system which stops water from being lost down the drain. 7Waste is managed at Red Lantern by using specially marked glass, plastic, cardboard and paper recycling bins. Vegetable waste is placed in compost bins. Let’s remember. 1The factors that may influence the development and production of a solution to a brief include: function, aesthetics, human form, scale, ergonomics, ethics, environmental issues, legislation, cost, sociocultural sensitivity, resource availability, physical and material properties and safety. 2Ergonomics relates to the human form. An ergonomic solution must be comfortable and safe to use without causing strain or injury to the user. 3The word sustainable means renewable or maintainable. A sustainable resource can be maintained at a certain level without causing damage to the environment. 4Organic foods are grown without the use of chemical fertilisers or pesticides. 1. 3 Innovation and emerging technologies Case study: Molecular gastronomy 1Molecular gastronomy is a term used to describe the application of science and technology to cooking. 2Some methods used to change ingredients into new foods are: drying, liquefying, gassing and freezing. 3Chefs of molecular gastronomy are successful in creating new food combinations and textures by first understanding the chemistry of food and flavour. 4Answers will vary. Let’s remember 1Some advantages of having an Internet refrigerator are: keeping track of what is stored in it, recording how long food has been in the fridge, having a built in video camera to leave video memos, being able to watch television or listen to online music while cooking. 2Reasons for putting a computer in a refrigerator may include: the kitchen is the source of action in many homes and is therefore a logical place for a computer; the refrigerator is always plugged in and switched on so it makes sense to include a computer. 3Nanotechnology is a new or emerging technology that refers to substances at the atomic and molecular level (that is, very, very small things). 4Nanotechnology will make the following possible: aIncrease the nutritional claims of particular foods by fortifying foods with hidden nutrients and vitamins. bIncrease the shelf-life of food by creating an invisible, edible, nano-wrapper that will cover foods, preventing gas and moisture exchange. cReduce allergic reactions in individuals by blocking the ingredient that causes the allergy. dReduce diet related diseases by programming smart packaging to release extra nutrients to people with deficiencies. eReduce food spoilage by allowing the development of special ‘smart packaging’ that releases nano-anti-microbes when it detects food spoilage. 1. 4 Design this! Case study: Urban Graze Cooking School 1Tarrah Laidman and Joel Owen started Urban Graze cooking school in August 2006. 2Students experience a range of high-quality food experiences in a fun and relaxed environment during an Urban Graze cooking lesson. Students are taught with a hands-on approach and work towards making dishes for the end-of-class group meal, which is eaten together at the dining table. 3Ingredients are selected for a class by considering what is in season and what is available. Local produce is used where possible and Tarrah and Joel try to include new food trends in their ingredient selection. 4At Urban Graze, each class begins with a brief occupational health and safety talk and an orientation of the equipment and facilities. A description of the class is given with an overview of each recipe. Demonstrations are given to the whole class as well as individual attention. At the completion of the class, food is shared around the dining table. 5Tarrah and Joel try to always use locally sourced ingredients and equipment. They grow some of their own vegetables and herbs. Case study: Veronica Cuskelly – recipe designer 1Veronica Cuskelly had had many roles: home economist, food consultant, recipe developer and cookbook author. 2The team creating a recipe may include a client, recipe developer, nutritionist, food stylist and photographer. 3A team approach refers to working together and sharing ideas. It requires clear and positive communication. It is important so that the recipe developer has a good understanding of the various elements of the brief. 4The essential elements included in a brief to create a new recipe may include: target market, specific produce to be used, maximum or minimum number of ingredients, steps or utensils to be used, preparation time allowed, cooking times, cost per serve, style in which the recipe is to be written and dietary requirements. 5The reason for establishing clear and positive communication between the client and the recipe developer is to ensure that all essential information is given and any difficulties or problems that may arise can be resolved easily. 6At the beginning of a project, the type of pre-work that Veronica undertakes may include research and information gathering, tasting food samples, looking at other similar recipes, speaking with a nutritionist and looking at current dietary guidelines. 7Recipe progress is checked and evaluated in different ways: submitting concepts to the client for approval; developing the approved recipe; testing three times; taste-testing sessions; modification as necessary and writing up the final, approved recipe. 8The essential components of a recipe that need to be tested and recorded are as follows: ingredients, quantities, steps or methods used, temperatures, equipment, timings. Let’s remember 1The three key areas of study in the Technology course are: built environments, products, information and communications. 2Ideas for a design project come from real-life situations. 3The steps for solving a design project are: a. Design (design situation, design brief, analysis, research, ideas) b. Produce c. Evaluate 4The success of a design project is decided by evaluating it against the design brief and the criteria for success. 5Ways of gathering information to help solve a brief may include: conducting surveys, interviewing relevant people, reading books, magazines or articles on the Internet, conducting focus groups or taste-tests.