NOTES
Grocery receipts – 25 FEB.
Midterm- Tuesday, 1 March 2016 in class
-all material covered up to and
inclusive of lecture 18
-50 minutes-exam will start at 10:05 am
sharp
- answer short answer question
in point form only
SOCIOLOGY OF NUTRITION
Lecture 17- 12 February 2015
Food technology and its impact
Industrialisation of Agricultural and Artisan Food
Production
Distribution
Preparation and Consumption
Recent Developments in Food Technology
The rise of agribusiness and other global food
networks
Additives, contaminants and convenience food
Proliferation of bioindustry
Implications for Contemporary Consumers and
Consumption
Food technology has had a tremendous impact on
western societies
-impact on the production, distribution,
preparation and consumption of food
-these are the main phases of the social role of
food in our society
-remember that science and business are very
much institutions in our society and therefore
can fall into realm of sociology
Industrialisation of Agricultural and Artisan Food
Production
From 1800 onwards chemistry, biology,
microbiology and physiology played and continue
to play a role in the development of nutrition
science
These areas allowed an understanding of the exact
composition of food and about the microprocesses
which lead to microbial growth and decay
Mechanisation encountered the organic- tractors,
artificial fertilisers and pesticides
structurally changed agriculture ensuring larger
harvests
Industrialisation of Agricultural and Artisan Food
Production
The above developments and the development of
sterilisation permitted the development of large
food corporations
Thus the farm and artisan production of grain and
then flour and bread, the preservation of meat and
vegetables and the making of bread and cheese
were quickly replaced by baking, canning (later
freezing) and the milk and dairying industries
Industrialisation of Agricultural and Artisan
Food Production
-early margarine known as oleo was rumoured
by dairy farmers to cause cancer
-why would they spread such a rumour?
Distribution
-changes in production and processing
implied:
-a restructuring and massive increase in
the size of the markets
-this improved transport
Distribution
-changes in production and processing implied:
-food technology developments resulted in
laws against adulteration
-changes in retailing- things sold in preweighed amounts in packages-different
from the open market
Preparation and Consumption
-restructuring of life imbedded in the more general
social processes of industrialisation has had far
reaching consequences for meals and meal patterns
-the time, the number, the composition and
temperature of the meals changed from artisan and
agricultural communities to industrial and urban
societies
Preparation and Consumption
-these changes reduced food scarcity and
hunger and by the 1950s in Canada hunger
for poorer societal members was largely
ended and so were the consequences for
health?
Why not completely ended?
-substitutes like margarine and beet sugar
became available
significance of this?
Preparation and Consumption
-other substitutes were potato and corn flour,
evaporated milk, biscuits, corn flakes and
other cereals, tinned meat, fish and fruits and
vegetables
-how if at all were these items better for
the health of the population?
-impact on food preparers in the home?
Preparation and Consumption
-development of the electric and gas stoves
(later with thermostatic controls), piped water all
improved meals
-urbanisation and the geographical
separation of home from the workplace meant
that people had to change consumption patterns
-more fast foods
Recent Developments in Food Technology
-product innovation has been the key
-innovation in terms of new combination
of ingredients both synthetic and natural
-biotechnology has generated new
ingredients- should these be considered
synthetic or natural?
Recent Developments in Food Technology
The rise of agribusiness and other global food
networks
-internationalisation in this regard came
about because of the need for raw materials
-industrial food processes and world markets
dictate ingredients-how?
Recent Developments in Food Technology
The rise of agribusiness and other global food
networks
-thus agriculture has become dependent on
industry
-thus large agrifood businesses have taken
over agriculture
-advantage of this-discuss
-this take-over has lead to merger of food and
chemical industries
Recent Developments in Food Technology
Additives, contaminants and convenience food
-the merger of food and chemical industries
has resulted in additives and contaminants in
our foods- the result being artificial flavours
and the development of fast or convenience
foods
-such a merger also allowed fast food
restaurants and supermarkets which are
supported by internal distribution networks
Recent Developments in Food Technology
Proliferation of bioindustry
-stock breeding
-fractioning of food ingredients such as flour
and milk into their individual ingredients such
as carbohydrates, fats and proteins
-significance of this?
-ultimately it may be possible to replace
agriculture with industry
Implications for Contemporary Consumers and
Consumption
-fewer meals being consumed together
-obesity
-taste- convenience foods generally do not taste as
good as home- prepared foods
-artificial flavours are believed by some to
alter taste and smell abilities of humans
consuming them
Implications for Contemporary Consumers
and Consumption
-high energy consumption and waste (eg
packaging)
-one never knows what one is truly eatingproof-upswing in vegetarianism, natural
foods
-food scares-salmonella in eggs
What are the sociological implications of these
changes?
i.e. in terms of human interactions?