ESaT Project

FOOD PRESERVATION Age group: 12 17 years-old students School: Ipssar Giuseppe Maffioli, Italy (leading) Address: Via Valsugana, 74 - 31033 Castelfranco Veneto (TV) Telephone: 0423 721651 FAX: 0423 498180 ipssarmaffioli@tin.it www.ipssarmaffioli.it Schools in the topic Rodrigues Lobo Secundary School, Portugal Address: Leiria TOPIC AND OBJECTIVES Nowadays food preservation is getting more and more important when we do not want quality standards of foodstuffs on sale and organoleptic qualities of food to be lost. Every day students eat different meals and drinks which have been processed and preserved in many ways. This involves not only snacks and drinks eaten during school breaks, but also food eaten at home or in school canteens such as pasteurised, frozen , freeze-dried, semi-finished vacuum-packaging or ready-to-cook products. The food preservation project aims at involving and awakening students and their families to the prominent role of research and scientific and technological culture in improving the quality of life. In particular the food preservation process will be considered pointing out its chemical, physical and biological aspects. The traditional methods of food preservation connected with local products will be evaluated and compared with the most modern and advanced techniques. The main role that food preservation could play in improving commercial and cultural exchanges will be considered from a global point of view. Moreover potential food preservation strategies in defeating world famine and in fostering a food consume for a sustainable development will be analysed. PROJECT DESCRIPTION Final Products and Dissemination of Results

Online results of the research. Publication of articles with description of food preservation methodology. Videoclips, slides, leaflets, posters. Protocols for experiments. Online guide of the most effective preservation method pointed out by the research. Sharing the documents prepared with colleagues from other partner schools.

Abilities to be developed in Students

Improving autonomy in each step of the research. Developing the ability to compare ideas and sharing competences in group work. Improving autonomy in using competences acquired through the experimentation of food preservation methods.

the experimentation of food preservation methods. Giving reasons for each decision taken in choosing a specific food preservation process suitable for each product. Developing scientific competences. Improving autonomy in using computers to contribute to the online disseminations of the results.

Material and Human Resources

Libraries where to find both books and magazines specialized in food preservation. Chemical/biological laboratory, multimedia facilities. Experts, students, teachers, journalists.

Integrating the Project in the School Annual Curriculum

Including the project activities in the P.O.F. (i.e. the annual plan of all the educational activities offered by the school) of the leading school previously approved by the Collegio Docenti (i.e. teaching staff council). Creating a learning module including the project to integrate the scientific activities already planned in the partner schools.

Didactic Activities Research of the historical and socio-cultural aspects of food preservation. Analysis of the natural food deterioration and the importance of preservation. Carry out a research of different kind of foods preservations, where is possible to treat one or more aspect of: - physical methods (e.g. pasteurisation, sterilization, refrigeration, deep-freezing, drying, vacuum-packaging); - natural chemical methods (e.g. using salt, sugar, oil, alcohol or vinegar); - chemical additives in food and drink preservation. Evaluation of the effectiveness of preservation methods taken into account.

Experimental Activities Experimental activities to be carried out: - analysing alterations in food deteriorations (e.g.

growth of micro-organisms in wet and stale bread or in rotten oranges etc, using optical microscope)

- Experimenting a preservation procedure for some kind of food treated in didactic activities (e.g. preserves with sugar, using salt in cheese production, using heat in natural and artificial drying processes).

- Analysing the effectiveness of some food additives. Aspects to be taken into account:

- focussing the research on the most common food eaten by students.

- guiding the students in considering carefully food labels and in individuating food additives in relation to additive lists (e.g. antioxidant and anti-microbe preservatives).

Monitoring the Project Phases

The evaluation of the project is carried out through interviews, direct observation forms (along the project) focussing on the involvement and motivation of the students. The role of the teachers is motivating the students to give importance to food preservation and to problems related to eating habits.

Evaluation of the Project

Each phase contemplates different tests (semi-structured tests, problem solving, questionnaires etc..) in order to evaluate the competences and abilities students should have acquired to operate. The evaluation will be done throughout the project to show the knowledge and autonomy reached by each student. The valuation will be done with support of INVALSI.