Revision guide for everything on the Year 10 sustainable design exam

1. Sustainable Development Revision Guide -2011
There is a 1-hour exam. It can begin with multiple-choice questions but the
majority of questions will be open questions, which will require a lot of detail.
An example of a high level answer – which will gain full marks:
Manufacturers have started putting clear labels on the front of packets about GDA’s (Guideline Daily
Amounts) of food. Some are using the traffic light system to help people choose foods more easily.
However some consumers are finding the different types of labels confusing. Manufacturers are
also making their products healthier by reducing the amounts of fat, sugar and salt. Too much fat
can lead to obesity and heart disease. Too much sugar has been linked to diabetes and causes tooth
decay. The manufacturers have also started to target products at certain groups of people e.g.
weight watchers. They are calorie controlled to help weight loss. Another example is the GI diet
where the GI index of high, medium or low is shown to help consumers choose foods that take
longer to digest. More organic foods are available now as the consumer’s thinks these are better for
them and contain more nutrients. They don’t contain chemicals like fertiliser. However they are
much more expensive.
What the examiner said about this response:
The candidate has covered a wide range of relevant points; there is evidence of good knowledge and
understanding with explanations and examples being given for each point made. The candidate has
also included references to the limitations of the manufacturer’s responses e.g. confusing labelling
and the cost of organic foods. Specialist terms have been used but it has been qualified with a
reference to nutrients so credit has been given the candidate also acknowledges that fats do not
necessarily cause heart disease. The answer is well written and structured. Spelling, punctuation
and grammar are correct.
Top tips
• Use specialist terms – avoid words like ‘pollution’ instead aim for ‘air
pollution’.
• Read the question two times and underline key words
• Take time to think about your answer and Plan your answer in bullet
points at the side
• PEE (POINT, EXAMPLE,EXPLAIN)
• ANSWER ALL QUESTIONS

2. Definitions of the 6 R’s
Rethink and make a better choice about something. For
Rethink example rethink your lifestyle in relation to diet, food miles,
seasonal, local, animal cruelty and sustainability
Reuse packaging for another purpose. Reuse leftover
Reuse ingredients. This normally doesn’t involve any further
processing
Reuse a product – this normally requires further processing,
Recycle eg, from a coke can into another coke can!
Can we repair what we may throw away? How nutrients
Repair help as to repair our bodies. What can we do to repair the
UK diet?
Try to reduce our food intake. Reduce food miles and the
Reduce consumption of processed foods. Reduce packaging.
Refuse Say no to something. For example chose free range instead
of battery. Refuse products high in fat/salt/sugar. Refuse
foods which contain additives/fertilisers/pesticides

3. Recycling
The following materials can be recycled:
Glass Paperboard/ Metal cans Some plastics
card / paper
It can be difficult to recycle packaging from mixed materials i.e. foil,
plastic or card bonded together.
Why should we
● ● ● ● ● ●
recycle?
It uses up natural It causes pollution
resources including:
Trees Air
Oil Land
Metal Water
● ● ● ● ● ●
● ● ●
What can consumers do?
If it cannot be recycled or
Buy reusable containers – bags / jars / egg cartons
biodegrades then it has to
be disposed of in landfill Use re-useable bags when shopping.
sites Use recycling centres to recycle glass / cans or paper
● ● ● Buy minimum packaging – choose products which have
little packaging

4. How can manufacturers minimise waste?
Reduce the amount of packaging i.e.: Easter egg boxes.
Cardboard box packaging
2 crunchies individually
wrapped
Hard plastic case to hold the egg in
Foil covering of egg
Or you could design an egg which:
Foil Covering
Mini eggs in a small plastic bag
Other ideas:
1. Use paper or card from sustainable forests.
2. Choose materials for packaging that consumers
can use.
3. Printing symbols on the packaging that inform consumers i.e. recycling
logos or keep Britain tidy logos.
4. Provide information about the packaging materials.

5. Composting
When a food cannot be reused it could be composted and is a good fertiliser
for a garden.
The following can be composted:
Tea bags Crushed egg
Vegetable peelings Thesewaste
Fruit items;
shells
Fruit waste
Vegetable Peelings 1.R
o t
quickly
2. Provide nitrogen
3. Provide moisture.
They are called greens. Cardboard egg boxes, scrunched up paper and fallen
leaves are called browns as they rot more slowly. They provide carbon and
fibre and allow air pockets to form in the mixture
Cooked vegetables, meat, dairy products, diseased plants and dog or cat
litter cannot be placed in the bin!
Example questions from past papers:
1. When preparing fresh food products containing vegetables there is always
going to be some waste. State one environmentally friendly way of
disposing of the vegetable food waste (1 mark Jan 10)
2. The cardboard used in the packaging comes from a sustainable source.
Explain what sustainable source means? (2 marks Jan 10)
3. 33% of the food we buy (6.7 million tonnes) gets thrown out of UK homes.
Most of this food could have been eaten. Much of the waste is fruit and
vegetables (40%) and this does not include waste from peelings. Discuss
how households could reduce food waste. (6 marks Jan 10)
4. Which of the following should not be put into compost bins?(a) Egg shells (b)
Vegetable peelings(c) Polystyrene food packaging (d) Cardboard (1 mark
June ‘10)
5. State what is meant by a product being recycled (1mark June’10)
6. True or false there is an increase in the number of households recycling (1
mark July 10)
7. State one environmentally friendly way of disposing of the vegetable food
waste (Jan 2010 1 mark)

6. Reuse – products are reused for the same purpose or as a
new product.
People don’t plan meals and have
People buy BOGOF or special offers
shopping lists
In the UK we throw
away £20 billion
worth of unused food
– enough to lift 10
People don’t think to million people out of People don’t use stock
reuse foods starvation
Why is this? rotation in their fridge
Using left overs: The average family throw away £680 worth
of food each year
Simple ideas for leftovers:
1. Make a chicken or turkey broth from chicken or turkey carcass
2. Make a bread and butter pudding from stale bread
3. Make a trifle from stale cake
4. Unused vegetables can be used to make a soup.
5. Make a frittata from left over potatoes.
Look at the following left over dishes what could you make from:
Example Que
Soft Roast Cooked Jar of pasta
Old bananas
tomatoes Chicken sausages sauce
Example Questions from past papers
Foods should be reheated only once – true or false (1 mark)

7. Reduce – Health, Energy and Eco Footprint.
Health
In UK a poor diet is costing the NHS millions of pounds. Not because we are
lacking food but the wrong foods.
The eatwell plate is a visual guide to show us the proportions of food that we
should eat. We should also look at ways of reducing our sugar, salt and fat
intake and increasing fibre and fruit and veg.
Ways of reducing fat: Trim fat off meat, grill not fry and use lean meat. Use low
fat versions of products i.e. half fat cheese
Ways of reducing salt: Use lo salt, remove salt from cooking, use herbs and
spices to season rather than salt.
Ways of reducing sugar: use sweetener, reduce amount of sugar in a recipe
and use natural sugars i.e. fruits rather than sugar.
Reducing the Amount of Processed Foods
Processed foods like ready meals or jarred sauces are high in fat, salt and sugar
and contain a lot of packaging. These need to be reduced.
The size of processed food packaging has increased. I.e. Crisp packets are now
35g rather than 25g.
Eating processed foods rather than cooking foods from scratch uses more
energy – transporting food to manufacturer– processing food – transporting
food to supermarket – energy to store the food in the supermarket – energy to
cook the food at home.

8. Carbon Footprint
‘The amount of carbon emissions produced
during the growing, processing and
distribution of food.’
Food Mile
Is the distance food travels from food to plate. It shows the environmental
impact of the food we eat. 50% of vegetables and 95% fruit eaten in UK come
from abroad.
Why do foods travel?
Foods are eaten out of season i.e. Asparagus is grown in the UK in May and
June but eaten all year round. For the rest of the year it comes from Spain,
Italy or Peru. This means it creates air pollution.
Why do people worry about food miles?
Because the planes that transport the food burn fossil fuels, which give off
carbon dioxide gases which cause global warming.
Some people decide to offset global warming; by planting trees this is called
carbon offsetting.
How can we reduce food miles?
1. Buy local food i.e. at Farmers Markets.
2. Buy seasonal food
3. Reduce the amount of packaging as it saves energy.

9. Reduce Energy When Cooking
Lots of energy is used in cooking i.e. boiling a kettle for one cup of tea.
Other ways:
Plan meals using the whole Boil the kettle for
Use a microwave of the oven pasta first
Use a lid on a
Use steamer with Stir-fry is a quick method of cooking
saucepan
several vegetables
cooking at once.
Make one-pan
Whisk, shred, grate or chop by hand
recipes i.e. risotto
rather than using equipment
Reduce the Use of Pesticides - Organic
350 pesticides can be used in Britain. People question their affects on our
health and how they pollute our rivers.
Organic farming limits the use of artificial fertilisers and pesticides. The
farms are monitored by organisations such as the Soil Association. Farmers
rotate crops, and use natural pesticides. Up until the recession Organic was
big business, farmers like to grow organic as they believe it is kinder to the
environment. Organic food is more expensive though

10. Example Questions Reduce
1. Hands should be washed in cold water before handling foods. True or
false. (Jan 2010 1 mark)
2. Give two ways that the carbon footprint of the filling ingredients could be
reduced (Jan 2010 2 marks)
3. State three ways the manufacturer of the sandwich could ensure that the
fat content is as low as possible (Jan 2010 3 marks)
4. Name one high risk food in the sandwich (Jan 20101 mark)
5. Explain what sustainable source means (Jan 2010 2 marks)
6. Explain two reasons why consumers may choose to purchase food from a
farm shop (Jan 2010 2 marks)
7. Give two environmental reasons why we should reduce our food waste?
(Jan 2010 2 marks)
8. Discuss how households could reduce food waste (Jan 2010 6 marks)
9. We should be reducing our intake of hydrogenated fat true / false (June
2010 1 mark)
10.Explain how using a steamer can reduce energy consumption when
cooking meals (June 2010 2 marks)
11.Give three ways other than using a steamer a family could reduce their
consumption of energy when cooking food (June 2010 2 marks)
12.Give two reasons why watts information on a microwave is useful to the
consumer when using a microwave (June 2010 2 marks)
13.Explain why some people choose not to purchase imported food
products ( June 2010 4 marks)

11. Refuse
Why do food manufacturers package food in a certain
way? Shows which social group its
targeted at. I.e. families, working
Protects the food, like
people, older people.
tamper evident and
egg boxes
Certain celebrations
Budget products have
have more elaborate
simple packaging.
packaging i.e. Easter
Eggs.
Why does packaging affect our eco footprint?
1. Packaging, processing and transporting needs lots of energy and causes
waste.
2. Throw away containers are popular but end up as litter or in landfill
The Facts The Average Person Throw’s away
450kg of Waste 149kg of paper / card 90kg vegetable waste
Refuse High Fat, Sugar and Sugar Foods.
Processed foods contain more salt, sugar and fat. People should refuse to
eat products high in fat, sugar and salt. Opting for at least 5 portions of fruit
and vegetables, increased fibre and people should follow the advice on the
eatwell plate.
Eating a diet lower in fat, sugar and salt would reduce the amount of people
suffering from heart disease, diabetes, osteoporosis, diverticulosis and
some cancers.
Example Questions Refuse:
1. We should refuse to buy foods which are over packaged true or false.(
Jan 20101 mark)

12. ReThink
Design
Redesign foods, which are thought of as high in fat, sugar and salt and low
in fibre. This can be achieved by adding: fruit, vegetables, nuts, pulses,
cereals, and whole-grains to recipes. This improves the taste, texture,
colour and aroma of a product.
Rethink high fat diets.
Use spreads and oils sparingly. Use vegetable fats and oils. Try not to add
fat when cooking foods. Use low fat alternatives i.e. skimmed milk rather
than whole milk. Use yoghurt instead of cream. Grate cheese as it goes
further. Use stronger cheeses as you use less of it. Use alternatives to meat
i.e. Quorn or tofu. Use lean meats and remove visible fat or skin. Add
pulses to meat dishes, which will increase fibre, content and reduces the
overall fat content. Hydrogenated fats and saturated fats are BAD FOR US.
Example Questions Rethink
1. Organic foods are cheaper than economy varieties true or false (Jan 2010
1 mark)
2. Describe two ways that a manufacturer can make sure that food is safe
to eat (Jan 2010 4 marks)
3. Why do food manufacturers need to consider the amount of energy used
to produce foods (4 marks)
4. Give one reason why manufacturers put nutritional labelling on
packaging (June 2010 1 mark)
5. Explain why we should reduce the amount of fat (2 marks) and sugar in
our diet (June 2010 2 marks)
6. Discuss how consumers can reduce their calorie intake ( June 2010 6
marks)

13. Repair
Nutrients help the body to repair. The table below shows the functions,
sources and deficiencies of vitamins and minerals.
Vitamin Function Source Deficiency
/mineral
A– Eyes healthy, night vision, maintains skin Retinol – liver, egg, oily fish. Night blindness
Beta Carotene – red, green and
orange vegetables Liver and bone
damage
D With calcium it build / maintains strong Sunlight, dairy products, oily Rickets – softening of
bones and teeth fish, liver bones.
B1 Thiamine Helps release energy from nutrients Fortified breakfast cereal, Slows growth &
wholegrain, meat, eggs, milk development.
Normal nervous system Causes beri beri
B2 Normal growth, Healthy skin, Release of Liver, kidneys, meat, milk, eggs, Poor growth. Skin
energy green vegetables and eye problems
Riboflavin
B3. Metabolism growth and energy release. Meat and poultry, fish, cereals, Rare in UK. Pellagra –
Healthy skin and nerves dairy, pulses rough sore skin
Niacin
Folic Acid Formation red blood cells. Foetal Liver, Kidneys, wholegrain, Tiredness and
Development cereals, pulses. anaemia
C Formation of connective tissue, wound Citrus fruit, blackcurrants, Spotty skin, swollen
healing, blood vessel formation strawberry, green vegetables, gums, loose teeth,
cabbage, new potatoes, pepper scurvy
Iron Production of haemoglobin and carry Red meat, kidneys, liver, eggs, Anaemia
oxygen in the blood bread, green vegetables
Calcium Hardens bones, blood clotting, nerve and Dairy products, fortified white Stunted growth,
muscle functions bread, oily fish, green rickets &
vegetables. osteoporosis.
Phosphorous Bones, teeth, muscle functions Dairy products, nuts, meat, fish Rarely deficient. Can
cause tiredness and
depression
Sodium Nerves and maintains water balance Cheese, bacon, smoked meat, Unlikely
salt
Fluoride Teeth and against decay Fish, tea, drinking water, Tooth decay.
toothpaste
Nutrients

14. Nutrient Source Function Deficiency
Protein High Biological Value Growth Growth slows down
Meat, fish, poultry, dairy Repair Digestive upset
products, soya
Hormones Liver fails to function
Low Biological Value normally
Source of energy
Cereals, beans, peas, Muscles become weak
nuts, seeds
Kwashiorkor
Fat Plant: avocado, nuts, Energy
pulses, seeds
Insulate
Animal: meat , meat
products, dairy Protects organs
products, fish
Source of fat soluble
vitamins A, D, E, K
Flavour
Satiety
Carbohydrates Monosaccharides: Energy
Disaccharides:
Aid Digestion
Polysaccharides:
Sweeten / flavour food
Starches
Fibre Insoluble Fibre: Keeps faeces soft and Constipation,
wholegrain breakfast bulky
cereals, pasta, brown Diverticular disease
rice Prevents bowel
disorders
Soluble Fibre: oats,
peas, beans, lentils Control body weight

15. Example Questions Repair
1. State one function of iron in the body (Jan 2010 1 mark)
2. Name one function of protein the diet (June 2010 1 mark)
3. Give two nutritional reasons why chicken is a popular food (Jan 2010 2
marks)
4. Give two changes that could be made to the Tikka Masala to make it
healthier (June 2010 4 marks)
5. Explain why yoghurt is a more suitable for a child aged 5 -11 years. (June
2010 4 marks)

16. Moral issues
Additives are added to foods to improve their shelf life,
colour, texture and appearance.
1) Colours: added to colourless foods (like sweets) added to
products where colour has been lost (tinned peas when
heated lose their colour). Or added to boost colours (like
in strawberry yoghurt). Smarties now use natural
colourings instead of artificial which come from products
like vegetables.
2) Flavour enhancers and flavourings
MSG is a flavour enhancer of Chinese foods. People
complain that this makes them feel ill after eating, this
additive has a negative association. Flavours can be added
to anything, ie: make natural plain yoghurt be mango
flavour.
3) Emulsifiers
These are added to products which have both oil and
water. Oil and water do not mix, but in ready meals and
mayonnaise these two ingredients are present. To help
them mix an emulsifier is added so they stay together. A
natural emulsifier is lecithin which is found in egg yolk,
however mostly artificial emulsifiers are used.

17. Free Range (see your class notes)
Organic (see your class notes)
Ethical Trading initiative (see your homework) if not
completed visit their website.
Fair Trade (see your class notes)
Cultural issues
• Most countries have a staple food, in our country it is
potatoes and wheat, in Italy it is pasta and China it is
rice.
• All cultures celebrate different occasions; foods are
often associated with this. For instance at Christmas
in this country we demand mince pies, as Easter we
like to eat hot cross buns.
• People eat different foods depending on their
religion. Hindus are normally vegetarian, but they
never eat beef. Muslims do not eat pork, Jews will
only eat Kosher meat (meat which has been
slaughtered in a special way).

18. Food Safety
Cross contamination
Raw food should be kept separate from cooked foods. Separate
chopping boards and equipment and regular hand washing can
combat this
Danger Zone
Between 5-63 bacteria multiply very rapidly possibly making it
unsafe to eat
• Foods should only be reheated once
• 0-5 the fridge. Bacteria are multiplying slowly
• -18 the freezer. The bacteria are laying dormant
• 75 bacteria are dead
• All people that work with food should have a basic food
hygiene certificate
• Old food should be kept at the front of the fridge, new at the
back
• Environmental health officers are the food police, they inspect
food premises, give advice, check training records, they can
serve you with a notice to improve or shut you down
immediately.

19. Cooking Methods
Boiling – rice,pasta. Boiling can make vitamins B+C leach
out of vegetables. A MOIST HEAT
Simmering – a gentle boil. A MOIST HEAT
Poaching – a temperature below simmering. A MOIST
HEAT
Steaming – food is cooked through steam, either over a
saucepan or with a dedicated electric steamer. Retains
vitamins better than boiling. A MOIST HEAT
Baking – in the oven, cakes, pizzas etc. Considered
healthier than frying. A DRY HEAT.
Frying – we mostly fry with vegetable oil as it does not
burn when heated to high temperatures (unlike
margarine).

20. Gluten free
symbol
Compostable
Waste
Sustainable
Logos on grown in Britain
Packaging
Mobius loop
Lets consumers know if products
Keep Britain Tidy This product has been
can be recycled
Suitable for transported by air
vegans
The hen has been vaccinated
against salmonella
Organic
The Red Tractor Farm Schemes provide
effective assurance that the farmer has
met a set of safety and quality standards
Fair-trade symbol FSC is an international,
non-governmental Suitable for
organization dedicated to vegetarians
promoting responsible
management of the
world’s forestsand
reducing food miles
Type of
plastic. Not all plastics can
Carbon Footprint
be recycled
logo. The growing
and distribution