Self-Assessment Questions (SAQs) for Study Session 10
Now that you have completed this Study Session, you can assess how well you have achieved its Learning Outcomes by answering these questions. Write your answers in your Study Diary and discuss them with your Tutor at the next Study Support Meeting. You can check your answers with the Notes on the Self-Assessment Questions at the end of this Module.
SAQ 10.1 (tests Learning Outcome 10.1)
Define food protection and food preservation.
Answer
Food protection is the set of methods used to prevent food from being contaminated.
Food preservation is the process of treating the food so that it can be kept unspoiled for a long time.
SAQ 10.2 (tests Learning Outcome 10.2)
Explain why it is important to keep work surfaces clean in food preparation areas.
Answer
Work surfaces need to be kept free of dirt and scraps of food, and out of reach of pets, rodents and insects. This is so that possible causes of microbial contamination are removed and food can be placed on the surfaces without danger to its quality.
SAQ 10.3 (tests Learning Outcome 10.3)
Describe the best way to prepare (a) fruit and (b) meat for immediate eating.
Answer
Fruit should be washed thoroughly in safe water.
Meat should be cooked at a temperature greater than 70ºC, for as long as it takes to cook the inside properly – this depends on the exact temperature and the size of the meat pieces. It should be eaten as soon as it is cooked, or kept at above 60ºC if there is a delay before it is eaten.
SAQ 10.4 (tests Learning Outcome 10.4)
Emebet is preparing a meal, but has to stop to chase a dog out of the house. What should she do when she returns to the food preparation?
Answer
After any interruption in the food preparation process, Emebet should wash her hands, even if she has not touched the dog. She is likely to have touched other contaminated surfaces; microorganisms could be transferred on to the food by her hands if she does not wash them.
SAQ 10.5 (tests Learning Outcome 10.5)
Your community does not have a refrigerator to keep foods like meat safely. What traditional meat preservation method would you recommend for the community in order to keep meat safe for many days?
Answer
If meat cannot be kept chilled it could be smoked over a fire, or salted by rubbing in dry salt or by soaking the meat in brine. These methods will keep the meat safe for several days.
SAQ 10.6 (tests Learning Outcomes 10.1 and 10.5)
Which of the following statements is false? In each case, say why it is incorrect.
A Salting and sugaring are chemical methods of food preservation that rely on soaking food in a weak solution of salt or sugar.
B Pasteurisation of milk kills all microorganisms by rapidly heating the milk until it boils and then allowing it to cool slowly.
C Canned foods should not be eaten if the can is swollen and bulging.
D Fermentation is a method of food preservation that relies on keeping food in an alkaline environment.
Answer
A is false. For salting and sugaring to be effective food preservation techniques, a concentrated solution must be used and maintained.
B is false. Pasteurisation is a controlled process in which milk is heated to a specific temperature, not to boiling, for a specific time and then cooled quickly. It will kill most microorganisms but cannot be guaranteed to kill all.
C is true. Bulging or swollen cans indicate that gas is being produced inside by microbial activity.
D is false. Preservation by fermentation relies on the presence of acid or alcohol.
Summary of Study Session 10