← Nutrition & Food Science syllabus

SingaporeNutrition & Food Science

Food Science and the Effects of Cooking

6 dot points across 6 inquiry questions. Click any dot point for a focused answer with worked past exam questions where available.

What happens to starch and sugar when they are cooked, and how do cooks use gelatinisation, dextrinisation and caramelisation?

Explain gelatinisation, dextrinisation and caramelisation, and apply them to thickening, baking and browning
A focused answer on what happens to carbohydrates when cooked - the gelatinisation of starch, dextrinisation, and the caramelisation of sugar - and how cooks use them to thicken sauces and brown food.
8 min answer →

How does cooking change the nutritional value of food, and how can a cook keep more of the nutrients?

Explain how cooking affects the nutrients in food and describe ways to conserve nutrients during preparation and cooking
A focused answer on how cooking affects nutrients - destroying heat-sensitive vitamins, leaching water-soluble ones, and changing fats - and the practical ways to conserve nutrients during food preparation.
8 min answer →

How does heat actually get into food during cooking, and how do conduction, convection and radiation explain different cooking methods?

Explain conduction, convection and radiation, and relate each to common cooking methods
A focused answer on how heat is transferred during cooking - conduction, convection and radiation - and how each one explains methods such as frying, boiling, baking and grilling.
7 min answer →

What happens to protein when it is heated, beaten or has acid added, and how do cooks use these changes?

Explain the denaturation and coagulation of protein and apply them to cooking eggs, meat and dairy
A focused answer on what happens to protein during cooking - denaturation and coagulation by heat, acid and mechanical action - and how cooks use these changes in eggs, meat and dairy dishes.
8 min answer →

What makes baked foods rise, and how do air, steam and carbon dioxide act as raising agents?

Explain how raising agents work and compare air, steam and carbon dioxide in baked products
A focused answer on raising agents - how air, steam and carbon dioxide from baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and yeast make baked foods rise and become light.
8 min answer →

Why do we cook food at all, and what does cooking do to its safety, digestibility, flavour and appearance?

Explain the reasons for cooking food, including safety, digestibility, palatability, variety and preservation
A focused answer on the reasons for cooking food - making it safe, more digestible, more palatable and varied, and better preserved - with the science behind each reason.
7 min answer →