Food Technology 2024 HSC exam pack

Students should:

• read the question carefully to ensure that they do not miss important components of the question
• have a clear understanding of key words in the question and recognise the intent of the question and its requirements
• develop a plan for an extended response to assist with the logical sequencing of information
• engage with any stimulus material provided and refer to it in the response
• communicate ideas and information using relevant examples
• review their response to ensure that it addresses the question requirements.

Question 21

In better responses, students were able to:

• correctly identify two career opportunities within an organisation in the Australian food industry, for example, food technologist, food retail assistant, food production manager (a)
• describe the level of operation and mechanisation in an organisation in the Australian food industry. For example, a large Australian-owned company has operations in multiple locations. The organisation relies on fully automated production lines and uses specialised equipment (b)
• provide a relevant example linked to the chosen organisation. For example, the organisation uses fully automated and computerised industrial equipment to ensure consistency and the large volume of product required (b)
• explain the impact the organisation has on the Australian economy using relevant terminology. For example, the organisation provides employment opportunities that range from highly-skilled to roles that require fewer skills, providing a range of job opportunities for the community (c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• accurately identifying an organisation within the Australian food industry, for example naming an Australian supermarket (a)
• accurately identifying career opportunities within the Australian food industry, rather than providing role descriptions of the positions (a)
• providing characteristics of the level of operation and mechanisation rather than an outline.For example, a company has multiple processing lines and each contain specialised processing equipment (b)
• providing an example relevant to the chosen organisation. For example, specific technology used to check the product to ensure quality (b).

Question 22

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify an emerging technology within the food service and catering sector, for example, robot servers in food service and catering (a)
• provide characteristics of risks and benefits associated with the identified emerging technology, rather than an outline. For example, a risk of robot servers is they may malfunction creating missing or delayed orders, need re-programming and are reliant on internet connectivity which may be unreliable (a)
• relate cause and effect of environmental concerns addressed by organic farming. For example, traditional farming uses synthetic chemical sprays such as pesticides that can run off into waterways creating water pollution such as algae blooms. Organic farming uses alternative pest management strategies so does not have this impact on the environment (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing characteristics and features of both risks and benefits of emerging technology, rather than just a list (a)
• writing succinctly and answering within the space provided (a,b)
• showing how organic farming reduces environmental impact environment concerns. For example, organic farming reduces the need for synthetic fertilisers by using crop rotation practices to naturally restore soil health (b).

Question 23

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide a relevant reason why food colouring is used as a food additive, for example, to provide a visually appealing product for consumers (a)
• identify two characteristics of equipment required for continuous operation. For example, equipment must be durable to last the long period of manufacture and efficient to produce the required batch production (b)
• describe the process of fermentation with a clear link to preservation. For example, fermentation lowers the pH of food and creates an unfavourable environment for microbes thereby preventing food spoilage (c)
• provide a relevant example of a fermented food, for example, kimchi (c)
• provide a relationship between the significance of quality management and the safety of frozen food. For example, HACCP is a quality management system designed to identify critical control points in food production. HACCP monitoring procedures identify when the storage of frozen food is compromised, therefore preventing food spoilage and contamination (d).

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing characteristics of equipment, rather than types of equipment. For example, safe and hygienic rather than listing conveyer belt and mixer (b)
• providing two characteristics of equipment, rather than one (b)
• providing suitable examples of fermented foods, for example, sauerkraut rather than jam (c)
• providing reasons why quality management is significant to ensuring the safety of frozen food, rather than providing characteristics and features of frozen food safety and storage. For example, quality control procedures such as temperature checking can alert food manufacturers when food is stored above -18 degrees (d).

Question 24

In better responses, students were able to:

• compare two types of food product development by identifying the similarities and differences between two types of food product development (a)
• explain the importance of prototype testing that referred to specific aspects of prototype testing. For example, technical testing, storage trials, packaging tests, sensory evaluation and consumer testing (b)
• show a detailed relationship between how testing prototypes leads to an improved, safer, and more efficient product. For example, consumer testing will provide feedback that can be acted on and prevent possible future costs to the manufacturer (b).

Areas for students to improve include:

• correctly identifying and describing the different types of food product development to provide a clear comparison (a)
• referring specifically to the aspects of prototyping (b)
• using subject specific terminology when describing and explaining prototyping (b).

Question 25

In better responses, students were able to:

• provide points for and/or against the use of supplements to assist in the diet of a professional athlete
• support the discussion with a range of clear, detailed examples.

Areas for students to improve include:

• answering the question within the space provided
• using subject-specific terminology when discussing the use of supplements
• providing a clear link to a professional athlete. For example, female endurance athletes are at risk of iron deficiency which can impair oxygen delivery to muscles and hinder performance. Iron supplements may be used to correct this deficiency.

Question 26

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate a relationship between an adolescent consuming this beverage daily and the potential health implications. For example, consuming this drink high in sugar will increase the likelihood of the adolescent developing obesity and could lead to long-term health problems such as cardiovascular disease and type two diabetes
• use subject-specific terminology correctly, for example, obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Areas for students to improve include:

• explaining potential health implications rather than a list of possible diet-related disorders. For example, drinking large quantities of this beverage may result in dental caries and dental pain.

In better responses, students were able to:

• identify two drivers using correct and appropriate syllabus terminology, for example, consumer demands and market concerns (a)
• identify and explain a range of micro-environment factors, for example, company profitability, production facilities, financial position and personnel expertise (b)
• demonstrate understanding of the role of the micro-environment factors in food product development. For example, if a company has a range of internal personnel expertise it will not need to rely on outsourcing tasks and may save money and increase profitability (b)
• identify a range of active non-nutrients in the beverage and explain how each contributes to health. For example, antioxidants combat oxidative stress and prevent inflammation in the body and dietary fibre plays an important role in maintaining digestive health (c)
• use subject-specific terminology to demonstrate depth of understanding, for example, flavonoids, free radicals, soluble and insoluble fibres (c).

Areas for students to improve include:

• providing detailed explanations of how each micro-environment factor impacts food product development, and supporting statements with a range of examples (b)
• providing detailed explanations of each active non-nutrient and supporting these with clear examples of their specific health benefits, for example, how polyphenols influence inflammation (c).

In better responses, students were able to:

• demonstrate understanding of preservation processes used by food manufacturers, for example, pasteurisation, fermentation, canning and freezing
• provide accurate preservation process details, for example, time and temperature of UHT process and pH level of fermentation
• demonstrate understanding of current developments in packaging used by food manufacturers, for example, modified atmosphere packaging, edible packaging, active packaging and biodegradable packaging
• explain food packaging materials and their benefits, for example, corn starch and plant materials used to produce edible and biodegradable packaging
• demonstrate a clear relationship between preservation processes and current developments in packaging to respond to consumer demands, for example, convenience, cost and environmental considerations.

Areas for students to improve include:

• demonstrating a clear understanding of preservation processes used by food manufacturers
• identifying current developments in packaging used by food manufacturers
• supporting the response with a range of relevant food technology examples.