Topic 4 Consumers: Food and Nutrition Key idea 1: ‘Consumers’ knowledge and skills in the selection and preparation of food vary, influencing their nutritional choices and status

A safe and nutritionally sound food supply In our supermarkets there are over 100,000 products available With an ever changing supply it is essential: Consumers are more knowledgeable and alert about the foods they purchase and eat; There is more information on labels to inform consumers of what they are eating and; The food industry informs and educates consumers about the products it develops.

A safe and nutritionally sound food supply Q1. How have our eating habits changed in the last in the last 50 years? More people eating out or purchasing takeaway foods Less time available for preparation and cooking Houses with smaller kitchens Less cooking taught at home and in schools Thus, precautions must be taken to ensure the safety of our food.

A safe and nutritionally sound food supply Q2. Where do we get our information about Nutrition from: Magazines Food labels TV Radio Health food shops Internet ‘It is imperative consumers are able to interpret and analyse messages from the media, and to communicate sound nutrition information to others to improve nutritional outcomes.’ (Magee 2010, p117) Australian Dietary Guidelines: ‘Care for your food: prepare and store it safely.’

A safe and nutritionally sound food supply All food deteriorates or decays; however, the rate at which this occurs depends on the food and where it is stored. While purchased foods may have additives or undergone methods to delay decay rates, preservation techniques are also applied at home. These include: Smoking Drying Freezing Preservation techniques aim to: Extend shelf life Retain freshness and delay decay

A safe and nutritionally sound food supply Food goes through many changes from production to consumption. These changes influence food in many ways including taste, safety, appearance, cost and nutritional value Intentional Changes Unintentional Changes Food colourings Additives Canning Preservatives Packaging Pesticide contamination Chemical contamination Bacterial contamination Incorrect preparation, cooking or storage ‘Preservatives are natural or man-made chemicals that are added to foods to stop them from spoiling. We actually 'preserve' fresh foods ourselves every day, by storing foods in the fridge or freezer. Natural preservatives that can be added to foods include salt and sugar.’ Food preservatives work by preventing spoilage of foods by moulds, yeast and bacteria. Preservatives have an acidic nature that makes the organisms unable to grow in the food. ‘A food additive is a substance intentionally added to food to achieve one or more technological functions. Colours are added to improve or restore colour. For example, carotene is added to margarine to make it look more like butter.’ FSANZ ensures safe food by developing effective food standards for Australia and New Zealand. ‘Regulations state ‘all additives used in food must be listed on the ingredients list on the food label. Food additives must be listed under their functional name followed by the additive’s specific name or code number in brackets.’ (HEIA 2008)