MODULE 6: VARIABLE AFFECTING THE NUTRIENT CONTENT OF FOOD
COURSE OUTLINE
6.1 Effects of agricultural practices and technology
6.2 Genetics and growing conditions
6.3 Industrial contaminations
6.4 Toxic metals
6.5 Hormones and antibiotics in animal productions
6.6 Effects of processing on the nutrient content of food
COURSE OUTCOME
The student should be able to have an insight into the knowledge of the agricultural,
processing and technological factors which influence the nutrient content
1
, Genetics and growing conditions
Food futurists who gaze ahead see a world with a growing population which substantially
increases the requirements for food, while less land is available for use to produce the food.
Fewer people are willing to undertake food production. Food will be easy to grow and be able
to be produced in abundance. Many are hopeful that new technology will increase more crop
yields and reduce waste. The production of food must support growers economically and must
have an as little environmental impact as possible.
The world is witnessing the revolution of new technology in food science and agriculture. Some
people feel uneasy about such rapid changes and its possible risk. The controversy focuses on
two major food technology issues that hold vast potential for changing the food supply, i.e.
genetic engineering and radiation.
Genetic and growing conditions
For centuries farmers have been adaptation the genetic makeup of their animals and plants.
Season after season they have selectively bred plants or animals’ possession desirable traits in
the hope of obtaining offspring that reliable display these traits. Today’s lush. Healthy
vegetable crops and animals demonstrate the results. This process is termed selective breeding.
Among successes of selective breeding are mealies. Its large ears with full sweet kernels and
high yield bear little resemblance to the original wild native mealies with its sparse two or three
kernels per stalk. Breeders have even trained mealies to stay sweet, i.e. sweet corn by breeding
to an enzyme that naturally turns sugar to starch within days after harvest. Selective breeding
works slowly (can take centuries) and sometimes imprecisely (as a result of genetic drift,
mutation, selection etc.)
Genetic engineering (GE) could accomplish the same results in a few years. GE is defined as
the direct intentional manipulating of the genetic material of living things to obtain the
same desirable trait not present in the original organism. Also called recombined DNA
technology.
Genes are passed from one generation to the next to determine all inherited characteristics.
Genes are made from DNA, most of which is packaged into chromosomes within the nucleus
of the cell. Some genes are also found outside the nucleus in the mitochondria (release energy
for cellular activities) and in the chloroplast (site of photosynthesis) in plant cells.
Genes determine the structure of all part of a specific protein. Also encoded in the DNA are
instructions to regulate the protein production. DNA has an identical structure in all living
things. Because the genetic code is universal. Possibility is that they can be transferred between
complete different species. The process of transferring, removing or altering genetic
information by modification of the DNA is called Genetic engineering (GE) or genetic
modification (GM).
2
COURSE OUTLINE
6.1 Effects of agricultural practices and technology
6.2 Genetics and growing conditions
6.3 Industrial contaminations
6.4 Toxic metals
6.5 Hormones and antibiotics in animal productions
6.6 Effects of processing on the nutrient content of food
COURSE OUTCOME
The student should be able to have an insight into the knowledge of the agricultural,
processing and technological factors which influence the nutrient content
1
, Genetics and growing conditions
Food futurists who gaze ahead see a world with a growing population which substantially
increases the requirements for food, while less land is available for use to produce the food.
Fewer people are willing to undertake food production. Food will be easy to grow and be able
to be produced in abundance. Many are hopeful that new technology will increase more crop
yields and reduce waste. The production of food must support growers economically and must
have an as little environmental impact as possible.
The world is witnessing the revolution of new technology in food science and agriculture. Some
people feel uneasy about such rapid changes and its possible risk. The controversy focuses on
two major food technology issues that hold vast potential for changing the food supply, i.e.
genetic engineering and radiation.
Genetic and growing conditions
For centuries farmers have been adaptation the genetic makeup of their animals and plants.
Season after season they have selectively bred plants or animals’ possession desirable traits in
the hope of obtaining offspring that reliable display these traits. Today’s lush. Healthy
vegetable crops and animals demonstrate the results. This process is termed selective breeding.
Among successes of selective breeding are mealies. Its large ears with full sweet kernels and
high yield bear little resemblance to the original wild native mealies with its sparse two or three
kernels per stalk. Breeders have even trained mealies to stay sweet, i.e. sweet corn by breeding
to an enzyme that naturally turns sugar to starch within days after harvest. Selective breeding
works slowly (can take centuries) and sometimes imprecisely (as a result of genetic drift,
mutation, selection etc.)
Genetic engineering (GE) could accomplish the same results in a few years. GE is defined as
the direct intentional manipulating of the genetic material of living things to obtain the
same desirable trait not present in the original organism. Also called recombined DNA
technology.
Genes are passed from one generation to the next to determine all inherited characteristics.
Genes are made from DNA, most of which is packaged into chromosomes within the nucleus
of the cell. Some genes are also found outside the nucleus in the mitochondria (release energy
for cellular activities) and in the chloroplast (site of photosynthesis) in plant cells.
Genes determine the structure of all part of a specific protein. Also encoded in the DNA are
instructions to regulate the protein production. DNA has an identical structure in all living
things. Because the genetic code is universal. Possibility is that they can be transferred between
complete different species. The process of transferring, removing or altering genetic
information by modification of the DNA is called Genetic engineering (GE) or genetic
modification (GM).
2
