Technological Developments
Technological developments within the food industry not only influence the toy of foods that you eat, they also influence the way in which you prepare, store and serve foods.
As technology constantly develops and improves, consumers are seeing an increase in the variety of food products available. A decrease in the amount of food wastage has also occurred as technology has provided many more ways to successfully preserve and store food products which in the past would have been thrown away due to food spoilage. Some technological factors that affect your food selection include developments in:
The level of technology that is available has a great impact on our food habits. Consider the following.
• Farming technology means that food can be grown, harvested and processed faster than ever before. Food is then easier to obtain and less expensive in the long run.
• With the introduction of microwave ovens and microwaveable meals, foods can be just heated and eaten. This technology has changed family eating habits. Can you see how?
• Appliances such as breadmakers, coffee machines, blenders and sandwich grills mean that you are able to produce fresh, restaurant-quality meals in your own home, quickly and easily. Why buy bread from the local supermarket when you can bake your own bread and have it fresh every morning without leaving home?
• Internet shopping technology has meant that people do not have to leave home to purchase their foods. Now you can select your favourite fresh and processed foods online and have them delivered to your door rather than drive to the supermarket, line up to pay and carry your own groceries.
As technology constantly develops and improves, consumers are seeing an increase in the variety of food products available. A decrease in the amount of food wastage has also occurred as technology has provided many more ways to successfully preserve and store food products which in the past would have been thrown away due to food spoilage. Some technological factors that affect your food selection include developments in:
- Cooking methods
- Food production
- Food storage
- Food packaging
- Preservation methods
- Appliances
The level of technology that is available has a great impact on our food habits. Consider the following.
• Farming technology means that food can be grown, harvested and processed faster than ever before. Food is then easier to obtain and less expensive in the long run.
• With the introduction of microwave ovens and microwaveable meals, foods can be just heated and eaten. This technology has changed family eating habits. Can you see how?
• Appliances such as breadmakers, coffee machines, blenders and sandwich grills mean that you are able to produce fresh, restaurant-quality meals in your own home, quickly and easily. Why buy bread from the local supermarket when you can bake your own bread and have it fresh every morning without leaving home?
• Internet shopping technology has meant that people do not have to leave home to purchase their foods. Now you can select your favourite fresh and processed foods online and have them delivered to your door rather than drive to the supermarket, line up to pay and carry your own groceries.
Activity: Technological developments brainstorm
Find as many technological developments under the following categories as you can:
- Cooking methods
- Food production
- Food storage
- Food packaging
- Preservation methods
- Appliances
Activity: Think, Pair, Share
What are some technological developments we can find at home that influence what we eat? How do they influence our food choices?