Food Manufacture: production, processing and preservation.

It is interesting to keep a food diary, even if for a few days. What patterns so you notice in your eating? What proportion of your diet is based on raw foods, convenience foods and processed foods?  For the majority of us, a vast percentage of our diet IS in fact, processed.  From our breakfast cereals, bread, snacks, coffee, tea, beverages and yoghurts to our stir fries, roasts  and vegetables we have for dinner.  

All these foods have come into contact with the manufacturing process. 

It is fascinating to watch how raw materials are processed in order to create a product for consumers. Have we become immune to the degree to which our food is processed?
Should we be wary of how much processed foods we are consuming?
Are we passing on enough home skills such as bread, pasta and jam making to future generations?
How much trust do we place upon food manufactures, food policy, standards, enforcement and surveillance?
Read more about Australia's safe food plan here.

Take a look at the videos below and take note of the equipment, production systems and additives used.

How hot dogs are made.

Focaccia processes.

Making Strawberry Jam the easy way.

Food Additives: 

Additives are used in food processing to:

• Improve the taste or appearance of a processed food. For example, beeswax - glazing agent (901) may be used to coat apples to improve their appearance.
• Improve the keeping quality or stability of a food. For example, sorbitol - humectant (420) - may be added to mixed dried fruit to maintain the moisture level and softness of the fruit.
• Preserve food when this is the most practical way of extending its storage life. For example, sulphur dioxide - preservative (220) - is added to some meat products such as sausage meat to limit microbial growth. (via http://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumerinformation/additives/)

Food additives by VEA Australia.

This video will not embed. You can search for it on You tube.

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Better Health Victoria additives Link

CHOICE Australia food additives guide

Foodwatch additives and labels: 4 step guide to avoiding additives

Food additives ensure the consumer is able to purchase foods that are safe, nutritious and convenient. In our world, many cannot afford the time to home process the majority of their food.  Are you able to make home made bread every day and source all your fruits, vegetables, meats and grains?  It is wonderful to see those that can contribute some home made basic foods to the household diet.  Making home made bread, preserves such as Jam and pasta is humbling and satisfying. It is a comforting to be very aware of what is in the foods we eat. 

We would love for you to share links to your recipes/blogs in the comments below.

Manufactures must ensure their product is of sound quality to ensure brand loyalty, maintain business profits and meet the mission of their organisation. Quality control is integral.

We are interested in your stories of food additive allergies or reactions and any recipes or blogs you care to share re Food manufacture, food production, processing and preservation.

6 month update! QR codes, minecraft and PIP

It has been a long while since out last post (August, 2012).  So, what prompted this post now? I stumbled upon the 2nd day of the #CSXII twitter handle today (12th Home Econonics Canadian Symposium. It's held every 2nd year) My twitter and instagram pals Melissa @MelissaEdstrom, Denise @dnembhard43 and Joesph @teachertong were tweeting away using #CSXII.  They were in Vancouver Canada and I was enjoying a late breakfast at home in Sydney, Australia. You gotta love twitter for these handy insights into PD all across the world!  Free, easy and enjoyable! What's not to love; really!

These teachers immensely love Home Economics. H.E was the subject I fell in love with as a student, as it was about life; food, sociology, psychology and physiology. Many countries around the world have retained Home Economics as a subject area. Victoria, Australia have also retained the HE title. However, in the early 1990's NSW changed the title of this KLA (key learning area) into a few different subject areas: Food Technology, Design and Technology, Textiles Technology and Textiles and Design.  They all fall under the KLA of Technological and applied studies (TAS). Hospitality sits under the VET (vocational education training) courses amongst Automotive services, Retail services and Construction.

Interesting read:
Home economics: ACARA Submission/National curriculumn2009.pdf

At the school I am currently teaching in, we offer Mandatory TAS in Year 7 and 8 and Food Technology and Hospitality in Years 11 and 12. As we only have one kitchen, we cannot offer classes in Years 9-10 (much to the disappointment of many boys). I enjoy integrating technology into the classroom as it not only engages students but can assist in their processing and understanding of the course outcomes. Allowing the students to engage in authentic learning experiences and reach out to others beyond the classroom is a most powerful learning opportunity.

Since August 2012, we have run a Masterchef Challenge for the Year 7 students using either Chicken or egg as their main ingredient. Students only had an hour to prepare, cook, present their finished dish and clean up. Below are some photos we posted on our Instagram account.  The year 7 students were able to design their own dish, order food and create individual dishes. They were so proud of their creations!

See more images on our instagram account: @foodatoakhill

Since August 2012, we have also:

• recorded vodcasts using their Android Acer iconia 500a tablets (1:1 across Years 7 and 9 in 2012 and in 2013 across 7-11 with a whizz bang Acer iconia 700 tablet) using the movie studio app.
• continued enjoying QR (quick response codes) for SP (study prep)
• built our networks around the world with our instagram challenge (see here)
• won a competition via ink361 for our layering photo below using iphones.

• trialled food safety online games for Home Ec connect teachers network
• Experimented with food photography
• After the formal assessment was recorded and feedback given for the #masterchef challenge, I gave the students another project. 

This time, the project was not a formal ATB (across the board assessment). Students were told this assessment would not be marked in the traditional way. No marks would be given. Only teacher, student and global feedback. This project would not appear on their reports.

I had introduced the PIP (personal interest project) the year before to the 2011 cohort. Students were given TTT (think tank time). Triple T time. Similar to the google 80/20 idea.  I gave the students 20% of their class time to create something they were interested in. This was most successful, so I decided to share this idea. I explained the PIP concept to the 2012 semester 2 group. They were sold!  Only 4 groups across 3 classes didn't manage to submit. (8/60 students).  Remember, this was optional.

In a nutshell, this was the PIP proposal:

1. PIP stands for Personal Interest Project. The students could choose anything to research, plan and create, as long as it was aligned to the TAS syllabus.
2. Ideas were tossed around in class and students sampled researching some projects before deciding on a theme and presentation model.
3. Students submitted a goal, question or challenge. These included building a kitchen design out of lego and filming the process, creating an international food market place in Minecraft, food photography, mastering a tricky dessert, Planning and making a 3 course meal for both families and obtaining feedback, writing a report on our school @foodatoakhill instagram account and preparing a meal given a theme to work around.
4. Students were given 2 classes to work together in groups of two. Some students, asked to work across different classes as their best mate was in another of my classes. I was cool with that.
5. Any extra time needed to complete the task was to found my the group members.
6. Present your PIP to the class (via You tube, powerpoint, podcast, vodcast, oral presentation or poster)

The buzz amongst students was something to marvel at. As a teacher, I love seeing this natural drive to learn and showcase what one has learnt. Affirmations were aplenty and talents were admired. It was a positive way to end the semester. The beauty? Student choice and student voice. 

In our next post, student PIPs will be showcased. Students are aware and proud to present their PIPS (Personal interest projects) via this class blog. Here is one of the very first PIPs to be presented by Cameron L and Dylan B. They designed a restaurant using minecraft. 

Thanks for stopping by and enjoy what life has to offer. Keep learning, sharing and reaching out to others in order to build a sense of community amongst wider global educators and learners; young and more experienced :)

The benefits of Instagram

The instagram app is available on ios and Android #free

Read about our challenge here.   

(if you are not sure what Instagram is all about, or need some extra ideas read this post first)

Link to view our Instagram page on a PC here:   http://instagram.com/foodatoakhill 

Instagram is a photo sharing site app available on smart phones. Here is the link to the itunes store to download instagram for FREE and the link to the Android googleplay store can be found here.

This year we established both a twitter account and instagram account. 

We encourage you to follow us at:

@foodatoakhill

 

Perhaps you have heard about Instagram and not really sure what all the fuss is about?

 Instagram 101:

• allows you to share photos with your followers 
• you can make your account public or private
• people can "like" an image or leave a comment
• you can follow other instagram users and hashtags
• hashtags are a way of grouping topics or subjects together eg #foodpresentation, #curries, #foodtech, #glutenfree. When you select a hashtag, instagram will display all the photos "tagged" with that hashtag.

                 

• great way to glimpse into the world of followers or areas that interest you via # hashtags

• uses filters to enhance the look of your image                        (see some student examples here)
• use other apps such as snapseed, picsay (android) or coloursplash to edit your image prior to uploading to instagram. Assists students food photography skills, developing creative skills and an eye for detail, perspective, tone and clarity amongst others.

Taken by @foodatoakhill

• effective way to provide a visual message to others. You can also take a screenshot of a note or use apps such as Versagram on ios or Textcutie on Android 

• record of adventures and experiences that can be shared eg parents, relatives far and near.
• can be used as photo prompts for story writing, source of discussion starters and to provide direction or interest in a certain topic.
• could be used to keep track of progress (gardens, sport skills, science experiments)

How do you use Instagram in your learning space?  We encourage any school across the world or homeschoolers to share their learning journey with us by adding your instagram account in the comment section below. 

Have you seen our instagram challenge? Read about it here.

Instagram challenge

#foodat challenge

Are you up for a challenge? Have you read about the benefits of instagram here and would like to have a go?

We are @foodatoakhill and we encourage your school to set up an account and share your learning journey with your community, us and the world.

1. Ask your teachers to set up an instagram account starting with @foodat......    and insert your school name at the end eg @foodatmarian (the first school to jump on board! Great initiative guys!) @foodatstmarks @foodatgleeson How to set up an account? Easy. INSTALL the FREE app from itunes (click here for link)  or google play (click here for ANDROID link). You cannot do this on a PC, however you can link your account to ink361 to view on a PC (see our link above @foodatoakhill or here)  If you are unsure how to sign up, see these Simple steps by wikihow. 
2. Upload your school logo onto the profile pic and complete the bio. You can link the account with a school twitter or facebook page by configuring this in settings. You need to select this sharing option each time you post a photo.  If you do not have a twitter account etc, just leave that section blank.
3. Comment below with the instagram account name so others can follow.
4. Post your first photo by pressing the middle camera icon. Camera again to take a photo and two squares to choose an image from your library. Select "choose" (to add photo), then a select a filter. The best way to learn is to experiment. Play. It is fun! 
5. If you are not happy with the photo, press the X on the top RHS.  Have another go. Once posted, you can also delete an image by pressing the three little dots under the image (RHS)
6. Interact by liking and commenting on photos from Food technology classes around the world.
7. You can use hashtags such as #foodat #foodtech #homeec #homeeconomics #food #foodphotography #foodpresentation #instafood to tag your photos to these photofeeds.
8. Follow other schools using the comment back below.

Go on!  Get on board. Give it a go.  Share your instagram account with your class, mates, parents, extended family...and the rest of the world!  #unitedbyfood

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, 

 but by the moments that take our breath away”

Social networks and mobile technology

Image by Taylor S

 This term we are studying core strand 2: Food Quality. This unit of the syllabus investigates hygienic food handling, safe storage of food, food presentation, sensory characteristics of food as well as the functional properties of food. How does one safely handle a protein product or store a perishable food item? For how long? What is the difference between use-by-dates and best before dates? How do certain factors such as oxygen, temperature and acidity affect food? Does effective food presentation appeal to you? What is effective food preparation?  The answers to these and many more questions are investigated throughout the term.

Image by Jacob B

Using Jacob's image we applied Aquarell on Autopainter ap

Image by Mrs James

Mobile technology has increasingly become part of our daily lives; especially for youth. They live and interact in a densely connected world.  These online connections are occurring more and more via mobile devices. Experiences are captured in a photo and shared instantly on Facebook, tumbler or instagram in a blink of an eyelid. There has been negative views regarding social networking in the media, which can often overshadow the positive elements of these communities.  Immersing yourself in these worlds one can find a great sense of belonging and affirmation. It is a place to reflect and start conversations. For some, it offers a haven from challenging face to face relationships. One can obtain an avatar and experiment with a person they hope to one day become. For others, opportunities exist to foster hobbies and interests. Gaining support and guidance from a wide variety of friends can be very beneficial. Feedback is timely and immediate. Of course, our youth must be supported in developing their digital identity and it is pleasing to see more schools taking an active and more importantly, proactive position towards digital education!  The majority of kids are good at heart and will give things a go; if they see value in it.

Social networking, used in education is where the kids want to be. 

They are already there socially, 

so let's embrace it!

Image by Mrs James

Image by Julian S

Image by Jordan S

Using a photo sharing app such as Instagram, enables the user to tap into other peoples worlds. It also allows others to tap into ours.  This sense of connection is wonderful! Instagram blends beautifully, the world of sharing photos with the world of appreciation.  Photographers have always had a eye for that special moment, accompanied with just the right angle to elicit certain emotions and memories.  Using instagram allows the student to start thinking about the way in which they view the world. As others "like" and "comment" on their image they begin to gain confidence and experiment with the world of imagery.  We are using Instagram to capture the world of food.  Food photography is a major player in communicating messages to the consumer.  From the image on a product trying to gain attention on a supermarket shelf to the stunning dish on the cover of a gourmet food magazine that intices you to want more!  Over the next few weeks Year 11 Food Technology will be dabbling in food styling and photography as we learn about the functions and properties of food.  We are posting all our images on our instagram account "foodatoakhill" We have a twitter handle by the same name @foodatoakhill If you like an image or could offer the student photographer advice, please do!  The students are enjoying this exercise and love feedback and encouragement ;)

Image by Mrs James

Instagram is available as an app on the ipad, iphone AND android devices. On a mac, you can view via INKSTAGRAM (some pics spaces are filled with advertisements, but not intrusive) Click here for our instgram food via inkstagram. At this stage, you cannot view Instagram on your PC. 

We are using other mobile apps such as Snapseed, Frame magic,  Camera+ and photoforge2.  Snapseed is the most expensive at just over $5, the others are 0.99cents (Australian dollars).  There are other free apps to use such as Adobe photoshop express


(Other images will be posted in gallery over the course of the term-click on the tab above)

Next post:

Using QR codes to link students to information -at their fingertips, anytime; anywhere!

Enjoy the world of food! What are your favourite apps?  What food would you like to see us photograph? Any tips or advice would be great!  if you are food photographer or stylist and would love to share your expertise with our students, please get in touch!

Post comment:
Thank you for all the people that have viewed our blog and an extra HUGE thanks to those that take the time to "comment feedback" -so good to see!

Egg Cookery

Image by @7mrsjames

Give Heston's lemon tart a whirl! Great tips and works a treat. I decided to make this Saturday afternoon with my kids at home and would love to showcase to my Year 11's next term
(we are currently on Easter Holidays: April 2012)

For recipe click here: Heston's Lemon Tart recipe

Image by @7mrsjames

This recipe is a fantastic way to start a conversation around Egg functionality, in particular as a  structural ingredient. Eggs are so versatile. In this recipe eggs serve the purpose of a thickening agent and a coagulative agent. The thickening of the protein is called coagulation. Within the pastry the eggs purpose is to BIND. You could also create a meringue using egg whites = aeration = a yummy lemon meringue pie to share!

Free range eggs Image by @7mrsjames

Eggs have three main functions:

1.  Emulsification

2. Aeration 

3. Coagulation

The students will blog about the role of protein in denaturation, coagulation, gelation, foaming and browning early next term. 

Image by @7rmsjames

Eggs Benedict:

Instagram photo by @7mrsjames Cafe 5 Melbourne

Photo by @7rmsjames

Photo by @7mrsjames Random Act of cake event Binding function in cupcakes

Emulsification (Mayonnaise) by @7mrsjames

Ever seen purple carrots?

Purple Carrots in a local supermarket chain Sydney by Mrs James

We are so conditioned to the fact that carrots are orange; or are they? Did you know that the original carrot was actually purple?  Carrots belong to the species Daucus carota and wild carrot is quite different from the domestic carrot most of us use today. Carrots are said to have originated about 5000 years ago near Afganistan, as either a purple or orange variety. The Dutch have been credited with developing the sweeter and soft orange carrot over years of horticulture experimentation.

The Age newspaper presented this article in 2010 "Purple carrots the next superfood" -click here to view by Kelsey Munro. It states Lindsay Brown (Professor of biomedical sciences at the University of Southern Queensland) has found the origina lPersian purple carrots to be high in anti-inflammatory properties and antioxidants. There are 28 times more anthocyanins in purple carrots than in their orange cousions. Here is another article titled 

Move over spinach: Purple carrots are the new 'supervegetable' 

The image above is a packet of purple carrots from the Three brothers property in Tasmania. They state "Carrots originated in ancient Persia, then spread slowly across the Middle East, Africa and western Europe. Carrots were originally yellow, white, red and purple until Dutch growers bred an orange variety in the 17th century – it was said to honour William of Orange."

Some recipes to try (original orange and purple juice-high in antioxidants!) from the Tasmanian growers three brothers website.

Other recipes:

Purple carrot and beetroot salad with dill seed dressing

Roast purple carrot salad by Justine Scholfield

Purple carrot cake and sparkling apple jelly trifle

Purple carrot cake

Purple Spuds and Kale grown in Blue Mountains by Viviene Tuckerman

I do wonder how they sourced the original varietal seeds?  Have purple carrots been growing in other regions and so continued to exist? If they were phased out, were original seeds found? How? Where?  Anyone know or can shed some light on the redevelopment of purple carrots?

On the recommendation of Jess Melkman, a fellow Sydney educator I am hoping to purchase the Edible History of Humanity, for our department over the holidays.

Sources:


http://www.carrotmuseum.co.uk/history.html
http://www.theage.com.au/national/purple-carrots-the-next-superfood-20100807-11phz.html
http://threebrothers.net.au/
http://www.usq.edu.au/newsevents/news/purplecarrotsresearch