Food Studies (A)
This course offers students a range of practical and theoretical learning experiences related to food preparation, food presentation and strategies for achieving a healthy lifestyle through good nutritional practices.
The following units can be used to make up a Food Studies course.
Food and Health
In this unit, students develop skills in the selection and use of food, equipment and techniques to produce a variety of food items. They select and use appropriate ingredients, equipment and techniques to produce quality food items, and use hygienic and safe practices in the selection, handling and storage of food. Students demonstrate safe practices in the use of equipment and appliances.
Students develop an understanding of the nature of food, nutrition and the relationship of food to health. They learn to recognize the aesthetic and nutritional value of a variety of foods, apply knowledge of the aesthetic and nutritional value of foods to meet a range of dietary and cultural needs, and understand and be informed about the impact of food on health.
Food Choices
In this unit students develop knowledge and understanding of the functional properties and sensory characteristics and processes applied to a range of foods in different applications. They evaluate the sustainability of food packaging. Students learn about the factors that influence food choices and food production. They use a problem-solving approach to explore and apply a range of techniques and processes for producing food products.
Students investigate the influence of a range of factors on the selection of food available to consumers. They consider the challenges people face in accessing healthy food, including seasonal availability, and propose solutions.
Food Communities
In this unit students explore the cultural experience of food from a variety of local and global communities to understand the cultural significance of the food and its role in customs and traditions. They develop intercultural understanding through the medium of food. Students account for the prevalence and significance of food types and practices. Students develop an understanding of worldwide consumption patterns and food practices that responds to their ecological and economic context. They apply their cultural knowledge and authentic production techniques to prepare and deliver a food based cultural experience.
Contemporary Food
In this unit, students develop an appreciation of the strengths and weaknesses of emerging and contemporary food and food products in society and make informed and ethical decisions as consumers. They explore factors that contribute to innovations in the quality, styles, forms and availability of food. Innovations and contemporary trends are explored in the preparation and presentation of foods, such as advertising and consumer demand, sustainable food production, the desire for novelty, food styling and the impact of social media.