For some years now, salt has been viewed as a major cause of high blood pressure. But the reality is a little more complex. For people with a genetic pre-disposition, salt may be a killer; for others it may not be such a problem. But until a satisfactory test is developed, it’s wise for all of us to greatly reduce the amount of salt we consume.
Subjects: Food Technology
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Sugar
The more sugar we eat, the less complex carbohydrate and the more fat we eat. For that reason, sugar, with its empty kilojoules, is a food we should eat less of. But there’s also the problem of dental caries: despite all the improvements in tooth-paste and fluoridation over large areas of Australasia, sugar which is hidden in an amazing variety of foods, is still public enemy number 1.
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Food Packaging and The Environment
As most people don’t have a farm or food processing plant in their back yard, there needs to be a way to get food from its point of production to the people who eat it. In many cases disposable food packaging is a key component that helps this happen. While this disposable packaging performs many useful functions, such as containing, protecting, and preserving food, it also has a downside in its impacts on the environment.
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Food Testing: Working with Yeast
Food testing is a key part of most food technology courses. In this concise program, with the aid of teachers and students at one of Melbourne’s leading high schools, we look at yeast its biology, its history, and the necessary conditions for its growth. Varying contents are used in six test tubes to show why only one of them will inflate a balloon. We also demonstrate the effect of using dried and compressed yeast in the making of bread rolls in a real-life school laboratory environment. Students are also shown how to write up the result of the tests.
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Functional Foods: A Case Study of Modified Eggs
The design and manufacture of functional foods is a growth industry the world over, not least in Australia and NZ. Quite simply, functional foods are foods which have been altered to improve or provide specific health benefits for the consumer. This program tells the story of one such product, the NewStart egg, developed by Professor Farrell of the University of New England.
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Gluten-Free Foods
Have you ever wondered how the bread in your sandwich gets its wonderfully soft, springy texture? It’s not the yeast – although that helps. Nor is it the starch, the fat or the sugar, although they all have a part to play. In fact, it’s a unique protein called gluten. Paul Smith, from FG Roberts Foods, has been developing gluten-free bread flour for almost ten years. With the help of Paul and a few of those people he works closely with, the program examines the following: the characteristics and properties of gluten, the causes and symptoms of coeliac disease, the effect of bread ingredients on gluten and the challenge of producing and marketing gluten-free products.
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First Aid One: Basic Life Support
Administering first aid can involve many different skills. First and foremost comes the correct response to an emergency situation where life may be in immediate danger. The program covers the following vital procedures: Responding to emergencies, Primary and Secondary Survey, Expired Air Resuscitation (EAR), Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and Management of life-threatening external bleeding.
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First Aid Two: Outdoor Injuries
There are several types of injury and illness that are more prevalent in summer. This comprehensive program shows clearly and concisely how to manage heat related illness: cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke, near drowning, spinal injury and venomous bites and stings. In addition it looks at the opposite of heat illness – cold illness – to provide complete coverage for those who spend their time in the outdoors.
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Creative Cakes: Basic Techniques
The first in a two-part series, this practical guide looks at many basic techniques used in cake decorating. Cake decorating experts share their knowledge and display their skills on various processes, including chocolate work, basic frostings, piping work and covering a cake in fondant. Demonstrations of the techniques are shown and explained.
