Lesson 1

Understanding World Agricultural Production

Common Core/Next Generation Science Standards Addressed!

RST.6‐8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts. (MS-LS2-2)

WHST.6‐8.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. (MS-LS2-2)

WHST.6‐8.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for sources. (MS-LS1-8)

6.RP.A.3 Summarize numerical data sets in relation to their context. (MS-LS2-2)

Bell Work!

Identify the scope of the food industry.Identify government requirements and other assurances of food quality and sanitation.Describe various methods of food preservation. What Food Plants would be inspected in New Mexico

Interest Approach

From start to finish, trace the path of your last meal from growth of the products to processing and transportation.How many people were involved in bringing you your last meal?

Terms

AsepticCanningCold processingDehydrationDistributorEnvironmental Protection Agency (EPA)Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Terms Continued

FermentationFood industryFreezingFreeze dryingGraderHarvesterHeat processing

Terms Continued

ImmersionIrradiationNational Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS)PackerPasteurizationProcessorProducer

Terms Continued

PicklingRetailerSharp freezingTruckerUnited States Department of Agriculture (USDA)Wholesaler

Food Industry

The food industry is the industry involved in the production, processing, storage, preparation, and distribution of food for consumption by living things

Producer

The producer grows the crop and determines its readiness for harvest.

Harvester

The harvester removes the edible portions from the plant in the field.

Trucker

The trucker is responsible for transportation of the product anywhere along the way from farm to consumer.

Packer

The packer is responsible for inserting the food into containers such as boxes or bins for shipment to the processing plant.

Grader

The grader inspects the food for freshness and determines size and quality. A grader establishes under what criteria the food will be sold and consumed.

Processor

The processor is involved in cleaning, separating, handling, and preparing a food product before it is ready to be sold to the distributor.

Distributor

The distributor stores the food until a request is received to transport the food to a regional market.

Retailer

The retailer sells directly to the consumer. The retailer is at the end of the marketing chain.

USDA Grading SystemUSDA = United States Department of Agriculture!

Grades are based on quality standards.Standards are established for meat, cattle, wool, poultry, eggs, and dairyGrades are established based on quality of the products. They indicate freshness, potential flavor, texture, and uniformity in size and weight (depending on the commodity).

USDA Inspection

Quality assurance programs administered by the USDA include inspection of slaughtering houses and processing plants and oversight of processing operations.The regulation of food products is undertaken by local, state, national, and international governmental regulatory agencies.

Environmental Protection Agency

Regulates water safety, waste treatment, and pest management involved with food processing plants. The EPA determines the safety of new pesticides and sets tolerance levels for pesticide residues in foods.

Food and Drug Administration

Regulates foods, drugs, cosmetics, biological products, medical devices, radiological devices, and veterinary products sold in interstate commerce. The FDA is responsible for bottled water, labeling of foods, and the safety of all food products except meat and poultry.

National Marine Fisheries Service

Inspection program for fish and seafood. Responsible for fisheries management and development, as well as habitat conservation and aquaculture production.

Local Health Departments

Local health departments inspect and license restaurants and grocery stores.

Food Preservation

Many methods to improve factors of food spoilage. The primary strategies of preservation include freezing, cold processing, heat processing, and irradiation.

Freezing

Requires a temperature of less than 0°F, an air-tight environment.Freezing may be done by immersion, indirect contact, sharp freezing, and freeze-drying.

Immersion

Immersion means to cover completely. The product is placed directlyinto a very cold liquid solution, such as liquid nitrogen.

Sharp Freezing

Sharp freezing is done directly in the air at temperatures of –23 to–30°F. The product is frozen with blasts of air and then poured into pack-aging. Peas and beans are commonly preserved this way.

Freeze Drying

Freeze drying is a kind of freezing that removes the water from theproduct. The product is frozen very quickly in a special chamber.

Heat Processing

There are three commontechniques used in heat processing.CanningDehydrationAseptic

Canning

Canning is heating both the food product and the container in which the foodhas been placed.

Dehydration

Dehydration is the almost complete removal of water from the food product.

Aseptic

Aseptic involves sterilizing food before it is packaged. The food is heated veryquickly using special equipment.

Irradiation

Irradiation is exposing food to radiant energy to kill microorganisms without contaminating food.Irradiation kills pathogens throughout the product from the surface to the center. Currently, controversy exists regarding the irradiation of foods.

Other Methods

Fermentation involves the growth of beneficial microorganisms.Pickling involves high salt concentrations.Pasteurization is used to kill microorganisms in most milk and other liquids.