Assignment: Food Biography

ASB 300: Food and Culture

Food Biography Assignment

ASSIGNMENT TEMPLATE

PART 1: PRODUCT INFORMATION (12 points)

Product Name: (1 point)

Please list the product name.

Product Ingredients: (1 point)

Please list the ingredients as listed on the product.

Company Background: (5 points)

Please provide information on the company that manufactures the product. The type of information you are looking for is if the company is primarily a food manufacturer, whether the company is a subsidiary of a larger company, and any basic information you can find on the finances of the company. (50-100 words)

Product Background: (5 points)

What is the social history of this product? That is, when did this product (either the specific product itself (e.g. Lay’s Salt and Vinegar Potato Chips) or the wider type of product (e.g. potato chips) begin being manufactured? Does this product have specific geographic origins? To whom is this product targeted (consider demographics such as age, gender, etc.)? Are there any type of taste or health claims made in its marketing? (50-100 words)

PART 2: INGREDIENT 1 – LIVING ORGANISM (12 points)

For Part 2, you need to select an ingredient in the food product that was a living organism prior to its processing.

Ingredient Name: (2 points)

List the ingredient that was a living organism that you have selected (both the common and scientific name)

Evolutionary history: (5 points)

When and where was this food item originally domesticated? For what purpose? How has this food item changed since its domestication? (50-100 words)

Current status: (5 points)

Where is this food item currently produced? Where is the most likely production location of the food item that is found in the product? How did this food item come to be produced there? (50-100 words)

PART 3: INGREDIENT 2 – FOOD ADDITIVE (12 points)

In Part 3, you need to select an ingredient that is a food additive. Food additives are substances designed to protect or improve the flavor, texture, and/or appearance of the end product.

Ingredient Name: (2 points)

List the ingredient that is a food additive that you have selected. Please provide both the common and scientific name if applicable.

Background: (5 points)

Please describe what function this ingredient plays as a food additive (note: it is not enough to say that it is a preservative – you need to describe what that means). Is this substance naturally occurring or chemically synthesized (or both)? (50-100 words)

Healthy and Safety: (5 points)

Are there any health or safety concerns associated with this substance’s use as a food additive? If yes, what are they and how are they being addressed? If no, who has determined the safety and how? (50-100 words)

PART 4: REFLECTION (20 points)

Source Evaluation: (10 points)

What types of sources did you use to complete this assignment? How valid or accurate do you think those sources were? Did they tell you from where they learned the information? If yes, what types of sources were they using? If no, how do you make an evaluation of whether or not this information is accurate? Remember that you can use the Evaluation Criteria for Internet Resources chart in the Guide to Evaluating Resources from Cornell College to help you evaluate your sources. (200-300 words)

Personal Reflection: (10 points)

What has completing this assignment and the coursework (lectures, readings, videos, discussion boards) changed the ways that you view food and eating? Is a food item more than the sum of its parts? Or is it different than the sum of its parts? What makes something food, or not? How do you evaluate what you will consume as food? (200-300 words)

WORKS CITED (9 points)

For this assignment, you were required to cite at least two academic (scholarly) sources in Parts 1-3 and at least one course source (lecture, reading, video) in Part 4. Using an accepted citation format (e.g. APA , MLA , Chicago ), please list all of the sources (not just the two academic sources and one course source, but all sources) that you used to complete this assignment. Each source needs to have a corresponding in-text citation.

FORMATTING (10 points)

Correct spelling and grammar are expected in this assignment. Additionally, you are expected to use this template to provide your answers, which should all appear in sentence and paragraph form. Please adhere as closely as possible to the provided word counts.