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Unit plan: Food forensics
Overview
Students create a database of the ingredients of food available in the school tuck shop so that people with dietary restrictions
can easily access the information to make food choices that will be best for their health.
Purpose
To show the dimensions of a nutrigenomics-based solution and the mechanism by which this information can be managed
(bioinformatics). This can be demonstrated by the development of a model system that provides information that can be used
as the basis for dietary decision-making.
Background
Suggestions for a scenario
The school committee has been given the job of promoting healthy food in the tuck-shop. They are aware that there are some
students with particular food needs and realise that there is a need for a database that identifies the components of particular
foods (e.g. milk-based products and vitamin enhanced drinks). Your problem is to develop a model system that will provide
information for any student who is interested in structuring their diet to maximise their health.
Where's the Biotechnology?
At present, diets and foodstuffs can be developed to cater for groups of people with particular food requirements. In the future,
personalised diets and products will be able to be designed for individuals. This is because different people respond differently
to particular foods. They have different genes, and our genes affect the way our bodies deal with food (see focus story). Two
people might have symptoms consistent with the same food-related condition, but respond differently to the same foods.
The study of how food and genes interact is called nutrigenomics. Research is being carried out to identify food components
that are particularly helpful / harmful for individuals, even though they might both have the symptoms of the same foodrelated condition. Bioinformatics is the use of computer systems to manage complex biological data.
Although the genetic component of a food-related condition cannot be studied within the school context, students can think
about the content of different foods and how this impacts on who can eat those foods. This programme provides an outline of
©2005-2009 The University of Waikato
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the range of information that needs to be considered when developing a personalised food / menu for a person with a particular
food-related condition. Central to this activity is the development of a model system containing information about food products
and food-related conditions that can be used for individual decision-making and the development of new products.
Curriculum focus
Technology
The technological principles underpinning future dietary decisions will be based on knowledge about food content and
nutrigenomics (how genes and foods interact). Bioinformatics enables the information to be accessed and used for decisionmaking.
Ethical issues are important when dealing with personalised problem solving. Acknowledging and highlighting differences
(cultural and medical) require ethical awareness and sensitivity, as does accessing and storing information about individuals.
Science
To develop an understanding of the relationship between structure and function in living organisms, for example: digestive
system, nutrition and genetic diversity. Many food-related conditions are inherited and can affect lifestyle and dietary choices.
Focus of skill & strategy
Although nutrigenomics is a new area of biotechnological study, students will be able to recognise the science and technological
solutions they are already using in health and food technology and be able to combine these areas of study to create a
bioinformatics database.
This system is used to provide data so that students (the ‘clients’) can make informed choices. This programme also provides
students with an opportunity to identify a range of food-related reactions and how these affect people’s access to various foods.
©2005-2009 The University of Waikato
www.biotechlearn.org.nz
Home > Focus stories > Nutrigenomics > Food forensics
UNIT PLAN: FOOD FORENSICS
Suggested learning
intentions
Suggested learning experiences
The following learning experiences will provide you with
starting points for an exploration of this topic. You may
decide to narrow your focus to one component, or include
most of the ideas in a unit that incorporates science and/or
technology themes.
People have different
sensitivities and reactions to
different foods e.g. amount of
spices in foods, perception of
sweetness.
Introduction
We are all different: Set up a circus of activities to
demonstrate that students have differing sensitivities and
responses to foods for example PCT, the weakest solution of
sugar that can be identified and metabolism of asparagus.
Possible
teaching/assessment
activities
Develop a class database that
demonstrates the range of
class sensitivities and
reactions to different foods.
Develop a questionnaire that determines people’s differing
responses to foods.
A bioinformatics system
draws on information
(including biological
information) from a wide
range of sources.
Introduce the scenario
Class discussion about the scope of the problem:
 What types of allergies and food reactions they have
encountered?
 How might they find out more information?
 What range of foods in the tuckshop may be affected?
Identify a range of foods to study (for example milk products
containing lactose, high sugar products, diabetic products, and
products with Vitamin C fortification).
Bioinformatics systems
require organisation to enable
retrieval of specialised
Identification of the problem and group/class
organisation
 Organise the class into groups of 5-6 students.
 Brainstorm the dimensions of the problem and develop
©2005-2009 The University of Waikato
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The development of a brief
that indicates the components
of the bioinformatics database
Home > Focus stories > Nutrigenomics > Food forensics
information, for example the
relationship between
ingredients listed on a snack
food package and the list of
ingredients that are
associated with a particular
allergy.

library and web searching techniques.
Introduce the class to expert grouping where each
member of the group joins a group to become the expert
in this area and reports back to their home group (Home
and Away) (for example some groups become expert in
food-related conditions, others becomes expert in food
testing).
Developing expertise
Bioinformatics involves the assemblage of a large amount of
detailed information. For this section divide the class up into
expert groups who each have responsibility for a particular
component. Make sure that there is a coordinator who is
responsible for assembling the material into a computer
programme (for example Microsoft Excel).
Accessing the Community of Practice
 Get advice from an IT consultant on the development of an
appropriate information retrieval system. Consult with
expert groups on the types of information that needs to be
included.
 Consult with an IT expert in your school about setting up a
database of the composition of foods sold in the tuckshop
that could provide a template for each customer.
 Research components of selected foods
 Interview a dietician about the composition of a balanced
diet, food-related conditions and a range of food tests.
 Consult with a health practitioner (Health programme,
school nurse) on a range of food-related conditions that
are relevant to children (e.g. lactose intolerance,
gluten/wheat intolerance, calcium deficiency, diabetes)
 Research digestion and related digestive disorders located
in the digestive system.
 Research questionnaire development and consult ethical
issues about keeping information confidential
 Consider the impacts (health, lifestyle) of having a
©2005-2009 The University of Waikato
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including food allergies and
ingredients of foods on the
tuck shop shelves).
Home > Focus stories > Nutrigenomics > Food forensics

particular food-related condition
Interview a family member/friend/classmate with a foodrelated condition that has been studied, and report back.
Plan of action
 Consider the data that needs to be collected (design brief).
 Develop a plan for collecting data and assembling the
material suitable for organising into a database.
 Collect data.
 Consult and refine according to the brief.
Testing the database
 Trial the database with a small number of students from
another class
 Adapt the database and present it to a range of students
for trialling at the tuckshop.
 Develop a presentation of the database that explains your
pathway and decisions.
A bioinformatics system
enables individuals to access
the databases to determine
the types of foods that are
suitable for a person with a
particular food allergy.
Presentation of model system to stakeholder group.
Present the database system to the stakeholder group along
with evaluative data.
©2005-2009 The University of Waikato
www.biotechlearn.org.nz
The database system allows a
student with a particular
allergy to access the database
of ingredients of snack food
available at the tuckshop.