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SingaporeNutrition & Food ScienceQuick questions
Food Science and the Effects of Cooking
Quick questions on Why we cook food - O-Level Food and Nutrition
3short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is to make food more digestible?Show answer
Cooking breaks down tough structures so the body can digest food more easily. Heating softens the fibres in meat and vegetables, and it gelatinises the starch in rice, potatoes and grains, which would be hard to digest raw. Easier digestion means the nutrients are more available to the body.
What is to make food palatable?Show answer
Cooking improves the palatability - the flavour, smell, colour and texture - of food. Browning meat and bread develops savoury flavours and an appetising colour, baking gives a pleasant aroma, and cooking softens or crisps textures. Appealing food is more enjoyable and encourages people to eat a varied diet.
What is to preserve food?Show answer
Some cooking methods help preserve food and extend its life. Heating in canning and bottling destroys micro-organisms and seals food from the air; jam-making uses heat and sugar; and cooking generally lets food be kept a little longer than when raw.
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