Follow food’s fascinating journey from the farm to your body and explore new food technologies and nutrition around the world.

- Duration2 weeks
- Weekly study2 hours
- 100% onlineTry this course for free
Food Science and Nutrition: From the Farm to You
Discover the science of food and understand the value of nutrition in our diets
On this course, you’ll learn how food science and nutrition helps us to understand and study the fascinating world of food.
You’ll explore the food supply chain and learn how food processing can make food healthier.
You’ll examine how new food technologies are revolutionising food production and how new products are developed.
You’ll also explore how nutritional needs vary in different countries and how policies on nutrition are developed.
Through case studies, you’ll understand the importance of micro and macronutrients and explore what happens to food whilst it’s in your body.
Syllabus
Week 1
From farm to supermarket
Welcome
Before you start, take some time to introduce yourself and share your reasons for studying this course.
Where does your food come from?
Debate the importance of food processing and explore the four key food molecules.
3D printing: A food revolution?
Investigate the 3D printing of food and discover how to develop a complex 3D design.
New Product Development
Explore how new food products are developed and have a go at designing your own food product.
Summary
To close this week, you can explore options for taking your studies further with the University of Leeds. You will also learn about the topics covered next week.
Week 2
Food and you
About Week 2
To begin the week, you will focus on food choice and explore how government policy on nutrition is developed. You will then study micronutrients in detail and observe how different molecules are absorbed by the body.
Eating with awareness
Explore some of the reasons why people choose to eat certain foods, debate what a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ food is, and investigate health initiatives from around the world.
Maintaining your health with micronutrients
Explore micronutrients in more depth, discover how polyphenol interacts with the body, and investigate how food interacts with the body.
Summary
Test your understanding, and consider some possible next steps in your learning.
When would you like to start?
Start straight away and learn at your own pace. If the course hasn’t started yet you’ll see the future date listed below.
Available now
What will you achieve?
By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...
- Explore the importance of food processing in the journey from farm to fork to understand how crops are converted into nutritious and appealing food items for consumers.
- Evaluate the foundations of nutritional advice provided by governments by applying scientific knowledge about nutrition and considering factors that influence decision-making when it comes to food.
- Analyse the biological pathways of digestion to discover how different nutrients travel and are absorbed by the body.
- Apply New Product Development (NPD) principles to design a new food product that responds to a market need, which can also provide health benefits and appeal to the senses.
Who is the course for?
The course is designed for anyone interested in exploring food’s journey from the farm all the way to what happens inside our bodies.
It will be particularly useful for students who want to study food science or nutrition at university.
The course is part of the Going to University collection and completing it can help improve your university application by broadening your understanding of food science and nutrition and developing your independent learning skills.
The course can also be used as a teachers’ classroom enrichment resource.
The material could also be included in biology, chemistry, physics, or engineering classes.
Who will you learn with?
I am a Teaching Fellow in Food Science researching new methods of acoustic characterisation
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