Foods

At Year 7 and 8 Food Technology is accessed as a core subject.

At Year 9 and 10 there will be a total of four different units offered as electives over a 2 year period. Students can choose to undertake one, two, three or four of the foods units. In 2014 Food Design & Creativity A will be offered semester 1 and Food Design & Creativity B will be offered semester 2.

FOOD DESIGN & CREATIVITY A

The focus of this elective is Food for Special Occasions. Throughout the semester, students will extend production skills working individually or in teams by preparing, baking and decorating a range of savoury and sweet food suitable for different celebrations. Students will be required to develop design briefs and analyse and evaluate their work. A range of investigation and design activities catering for students individual interests will include a calendar of special events and a project on an occasion to celebrate.

FOOD DESIGN & CREATIVITY B

The focus of this elective is Café Culture. Students will extend production skills by preparing baking and decorating a range of savoury and sweet delights suitable for a light lunch, morning or afternoon tea. Throughout the course students will work individually and as a team. Students will be required to develop design briefs and analyse and evaluate their work. A range of investigation and design activities catering for students individual interests will include investigations on a café appliance, a café menu, and designing a café recipe book.

FOOD DESIGN & CREATIVITY C

The focus of this elective is International Foods. Students will extend production skills and knowledge of different ingredients and cultures. Throughout the course students complete either individual or team based productions, analyse and evaluate their work and undertake a range of investigation and design activities including the implementation of a multi-cultural afternoon tea.

FOOD DESIGN & CREATIVITY D

The focus of this elective is Entertaining. Students will extend production skills and knowledge of food through the preparation, cooking and presentation of the different courses of a menu. Throughout the course students complete either individual or team based productions and analyse and evaluate their work. Students also undertake a range of investigation and design activities including the development and production of a menu for a special occasion.

Food Technology can also be taken at VCE.

VCE FOOD AND TECHNOLOGY

The study enables students to apply their theoretical understanding of the relationship between food and technology as they develop skills in food preparation.

It may provide a foundation for pathways to food science and technology, consumer science, home economics, child care, and education, community services and aged care, the hospitality and food manufacturing industries, and nutrition and health studies.

The study is made up of four units, each unit deals with specific content contained in areas of study and is designed to enable students to achieve a set of outcomes for that unit. Each outcome is described in terms of key knowledge and key skills.

UNIT 1: FOOD SAFETY & PROPERTIES OF FOOD

In this unit students study safe and hygienic food-handling and storage practices to prevent food spoilage and food poisoning, and apply these practices in the preparation of food. They consider food preparation practices suitable for use in small-scale food operation, such as in the home, a school setting or in a small food business. Students consider the selection and use of a range of tools and equipment suitable for use in food preparation.

Outcome 1: Explain and apply safe and hygienic work practices when storing, preparing and processing food.
Outcome 2: Analyse the physical, sensory, chemical and functional properties of key foods, and select, prepare and process foods safely and hygienically to optimise these properties using the design process.

UNIT 2: PLANNING & PREPARATION OF FOOD

In this unit students investigate the most appropriate tools and equipment to produce optimum results, including the latest developments in food technology. Students research, analyse and apply the most suitable food preparation, processing and cooking techniques to optimise the physical, sensory and chemical properties of food.

Students work both independently and as members of a team to research and implement solutions to a design brief.

Outcome 1: Use a range of tools and equipment to demonstrate skills and implement processes in the preparation, processing, cooking and presentation of key foods to maximise their properties.
Outcome 2: Individually and as a member of a team use the design process to plan, safely and hygienically prepare and evaluate meals for a range of contexts.

UNIT 3: PREPARATION, PROCESSING & FOOD CONTROLS

In this unit students develop an understanding of food safety in Australia and the relevant national, state and local authorities and their regulations, including the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) system. They investigate the causes of food spoilage and food poisoning and apply safe work practices while preparing food. They investigate cooking techniques, primary and secondary processes and food processing techniques to prevent spoilage. Students devise a design brief from which they develop a detailed design plan.

Outcome 1: Explain the roles and responsibilities of and the relationship between national, state and local authorities in ensuring and maintaining food safety within Australia.
Outcome 2: Analyse preparation, processing and preservation techniques for key foods and prepare foods safely and hygienically using these techniques.
Outcome 3: Develop a design brief, evaluation criteria and design plan for the development of a food product.

UNIT 4: FOOD PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT & EMERGING TRENDS

In this unit students develop individual production plans and implement the design plan they established in Unit 3. Students examine food product development, and research and analyse driving forces that have contributed to product development. Students also investigate food packaging, packaging systems and marketing.

Outcome 1: Safely and hygienically implement the production plans for a set of four to six food items that comprise the product, evaluate the sensory properties of the food items, evaluate the product using the evaluation criteria, and evaluate the efficiency and effectiveness of production activities.
Outcome 2: Analyse driving forces related to food product development, analyse new and emerging food products, and explain processes involved in the development and marketing of food products.