During this course, you will complete three units of work.

The purpose of unit 1 is for you to develop an understanding of the nutritional needs of specific target groups and plan and cook complex dishes to meet their nutritional needs. You will develop skills for preparing, cooking and presenting dishes that meet specific needs.

The second unit of work is ‘Ensuring Food is Safe to Eat’. In this unit you will develop an understanding of hazards and risks in relation to the storage, preparation and cooking of food in different environments and the control measures needed to minimise these risks. From this understanding, you will be able to recommend the control measures that need to be in place in different environments, where food is stored, prepared and cooked.

The third unit of work is focusing on ‘Current Issues in Food Science and Nutrition’. Through this unit, you will develop the skills needed to plan, carry out and present an assignment. The aim of this unit is to understand the properties of food and plan and carry out experiments or practical work to demonstrate the properties of food.

You will use the results of experiments or practical work to propose options to solve food production problems.

Unit 1: ‘Meeting Nutritional Needs of Specific Groups’ will be both internally and externally assessed -  90 minute examination; plus 15 minutes reading time

Unit 2- The total time allowed is 8 hours controlled assessment

The aim of this unit is to give learners an understanding of hazards and risks in relation to storage, preparation and cooking of food in different environments and the control measures needed to minimise these risks. They will be able to use this understanding to be able to produce guidance material to facilitate the training of new food handlers recommend control measures that need to be in place, in given environments, to ensure that food is safe to eat.

Unit 3 – Theory work integrated with experimental/practical work.

Controlled assessment: Students need to understand the properties of food. Plan and carry out experiments or practical work to demonstrate the properties of food. Use results of experiments or practical work to propose options to solve food production problems.

Students require a GCSE 9 - 4 grade in one or more of the following: Food Technology, Hospitality and Catering, Home Economics: Food and Nutrition, Biology, Physical Education or Humanities.

Together with other relevant qualifications at Level 3, such as AS and A Levels in Biology, Chemistry, Sociology and Maths and/or Level 3 qualifications in Hospitality or Science, you will gain the required knowledge to be able to use the qualification to support entry to Higher Education courses such as; BSc Food and Nutrition, BSc Human Nutrition, BSc (Hons) Public Health Nutrition, BSc (Hons) Food Science and Technology.

An understanding of Food Science and Nutrition is relevant to many industries and job roles.

Care Providers and Nutritionists in hospitals use this knowledge, as do Sports Coaches and Fitness Instructors. Hotels and Restaurants, Food Manufacturers and Government Agencies also use this understanding to develop menus, food products and policies that support healthy eating initiatives. Other careers could also include: Animal Nutritionist, Dietitian, Food Technologist, Nutritional Therapist, Product/Process Development and Toxicologist. There are many employment opportunities within the field of food science and nutrition available to graduates.