Singapore GCE O-Level Food and Nutrition (6087): complete 2026 guide to the syllabus, written paper and practical coursework

Singapore GCE O-Level Food and Nutrition (SEAB syllabus 6087) is a foundational but rigorous course that pairs the science of nutrients and cooking with the practical skills of planning, preparing and evaluating food for real people and real dietary needs.

This page is the index. Below: the six content-area breakdown, the written-paper and practical-coursework assessment structure, the marks weighting, a study strategy, and links to every dot-point answer we have shipped for O-Level Food and Nutrition in 2026.

The six content areas of Food and Nutrition

Nutrients and their functions

The macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates and fats) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals and water), their chemical nature in simple terms, their functions in the body, their food sources, and the consequences of deficiency or excess.

Diet, health and special needs

Energy balance and basal metabolic rate, the principles of a balanced diet and the food pyramid, diet-related diseases such as obesity, diabetes and coronary heart disease, and how nutritional needs change across the life cycle and for special groups.

Food science and the effects of cooking

Why we cook food, the methods of heat transfer, what happens to proteins, carbohydrates and fats when heated, how cooking affects the nutritional value of food, and how raising agents work.

Food preparation and safety

Food hygiene and personal practice, the causes of food spoilage and contamination, food-poisoning bacteria and the conditions they need, safe storage and temperature control, and kitchen safety.

Meal planning and management

The principles and factors of meal planning, time and resource management in the kitchen, food presentation and sensory evaluation, and adapting recipes to meet health and budget constraints.

Consumer choices and food labelling

Reading food labels and nutrition information panels, the role of food additives, making informed and healthy food choices, and the impact of food packaging on cost and the environment.

Assessment structure

Food and Nutrition 6087 is assessed across a written paper and a practical coursework component, which together carry the full subject mark.

• Paper 1: Written theory. A written examination of structured and free-response questions across all six content areas, testing knowledge, understanding and the ability to apply nutritional science to scenarios. This is where you explain functions, deficiencies, cooking science and consumer reasoning in extended answers.
• Paper 2: Coursework practical task. A structured food task: a brief, a researched and justified plan with a time plan, a timed practical examination, and a written evaluation. The practical rewards skilful, safe and hygienic preparation, the quality of the finished dishes, and a sound evaluation against the brief.

Both components reward clear cause-and-effect reasoning, correct use of nutritional terms, justified planning decisions, and answers tied to the needs of a named person or group rather than generic statements.

Working quantitatively

A small amount of number work runs through the subject and rewards a confident routine:

1. Energy values. Compare an estimated daily energy intake against a recommended figure, working in kilojoules or kilocalories, and explain a surplus or deficit in terms of weight change.
2. Reading labels. Read the energy and nutrient values per 100 g and per serving from a nutrition information panel, and the percentage of a daily reference value.
3. Scaling recipes. Adjust ingredient quantities up or down for the number of servings, keeping proportions correct.
4. Justify, do not just state. When a question gives a figure, link it back to health, for example a high saturated-fat value to the risk of raised blood cholesterol.

Our 2026 Food and Nutrition syllabus answers

For content-area coverage, every Food and Nutrition learning outcome we have shipped has its own focused answer page with worked exam-style questions, practical-planning briefs, and cross-links to related points.

Browse the full set at /sg-o-level/nutrition-and-food-science/syllabus.

Study strategy

Food and Nutrition rewards joined-up thinking between science and practice. The recipe:

1. Learn each nutrient as a story. For every nutrient, fix four things: what it is, what it does, where it is found, and what happens if you get too little or too much. This single frame answers most theory questions.
2. Always apply to a person. The strongest answers and the best practical plans are tied to a named person or group, for example a growing teenager, a pregnant woman or an older adult. Generic statements score less.
3. Connect science to the kitchen. When you learn that protein coagulates or starch gelatinises, immediately link it to a dish, such as a set custard or a thickened sauce. The same science justifies your coursework choices.
4. Practise timed cooking and clean evaluation. Rehearse your practical so that your time plan is realistic and your dishes are ready together, and build a bank of sensory descriptors so your evaluation is precise rather than vague.

For the official syllabus

SEAB publishes the full 6087 syllabus document and examination requirements at seab.gov.sg. Always confirm content and assessment weightings against the current syllabus year, as SEAB reviews syllabuses periodically.