Factors Influencing Factors Influencing Food ChoicesFood Choices

5EKisha Jordan 2009

5E The student is expected to determine environmental influences on food choices.

Ponder This

How does your

environment effect food?

How does your

food effect the environment?

Agriculture

• Agriculture is the use of knowledge and skills to tend soil, grow crops, and raise livestock.

• Successful agriculture requires a suitable environment.

• Environment refers to such factors as air, water, soil, mineral resources, plants, and animals.

Agriculture (cont’d)

• The interrelations among these factors ultimately affect the survival of life on earth– Livestock need supplies of food and water– Food crops require the right air temperatures,

adequate water, and fertile soil

Agriculture (cont’d)

• Intensive Tillage– Intensive tillage, land

movement, and clearing open up otherwise sturdy land for excessive erosion.

– As we produce more and more food for the growing population we will find ourselves causing more and more erosion.

• Monoculture– Having only one crop

present on land can cause all sorts of problems because when the same crop is used over and over that crop is constantly taking the same nutrients out of the soil. 

– Before long crops are unable to grow in nutrient lacking soil.  This leads to fertilizer problems.

Government

• Laws govern the way foods are grown, processed, packaged, and labeled.

• Government policies affect foods exported and imported from other countries.

• Two federal agencies that oversee the food supply in the United States.– The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

• Enforces standards for the quality and wholesomeness of meat, poultry, and eggs

– Food and Drug Administration (FDA)• Ensures the safety and wholesomeness of all other foods• Inspects food processing plants

Economics

• Economics has a great effect on the food supply.• Supply and Demand

– If consumers are willing to pay for a product, producers will provide it.

• World Hunger– Consumer demands (i.e. coffee, sugar, and cacao

beans) can affect people in faraway places.• Many people in those countries have a large population of

poor people. Land that could be used to provide food for their families are instead used to produce crops for export.

Technology

• Technology is the use of knowledge to develop improved methods for doing tasks.

• Food scientist are applying what they know to change the composition of certain foods and improving crop yields.

• Food scientists have developed sugar substitutes called artificial sweeteners.

Weather & Climate

• The seasons can also play an important factor on the availability or cost of some foods.

• The world’s average temperature increasing. • Change in rainfall amount and patterns impacts

crops.• Rising atmospheric concentrations of CO2 • Change in climatic variability and extreme events

(droughts, hurricanes, flooding, heat waves, etc).

1. Chow bought tofu in an aseptic package designed to keep the unopened tofu fresh for months.

TECHNOLOGY

2. The Nutrition Facts panel required on each package of Darrell’s favorite breakfast cereal helps him find out how much fiber a serving provides.

GOVERNMENT

3. Jason is disappointed at the cost of peaches this year because a late frost destroyed a large portion of the crop.

ENVIRONMENT

Which factor affects the Food Choice?

1. Jeff notices the package of chicken he picks up has a stamp indicating the poultry is federally inspected.

GOVERNMENT2. Latrise buys yogurt sweetened with aspartame.

TECHNOLOGY3. Pedro is a Colombian coffee bean harvester who can

barely afford corn and potatoes to feed his family. ECONOMICS

4. Ray is a Midwestern soybean farmer who irrigates his fields to ensure the plants receive an adequate amount of water.

AGRICULTURE5. After hurricane Katrina Joey visited a Nebraska subway

and was told by an employee that they did not have tomatoes for his sandwich.

ENVIRONMENT

Environmental Influences on Food Choices

T

Environmental Influences on Food Choices

People

Seasonal Events and Celebrations

Weather

Food Availability

Place

Lab• Always practice good personal hygiene. Wash hands often.

– Wash your hands in hot water with soap for 20 seconds prior to the start of your lab and use food barriers (rubber gloves) when in contact with foods.

• If you are ill (cough, runny nose, sneezing, fever, etc.) you can not participate in preparing foods.

• Always walk, absolutely no running or rushing around. Make sure others know you are behind them.

• Out of consideration for your lab partners, put long hair in a ponytail prior to entering the kitchen lab.

• Notify me immediately if you get cut, burned, or injured in any way!!

• Watch time closely and manage it wisely! Your kitchen needs to be cleaned, your food consumed or properly stored prior to the bell.

Lab

• No open-toe shoes/sandals • Knife Safety

– Food items are to be cut on a cutting board ONLY.

– After use knife is to be hand-washed immediately and returned to the drawer.

• Clean as you go• Work as a team