WEEK:1

TOPIC: FOOD PURCHASING

LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Learners should be able to;
1. Explain food purchasing
2. State the factors to consider when buying food.
3. Explain wise buying practices
4. Explain bulk buying
KEY WORDS: Food, Purchasing, bulk-buying.
LEARNING MATERIALS: Home Economics for Junior Secondary School
by Elizabeth Anyakoha pg 240-242

The meaning of food purchasing

Food purchasing is the activity of acquiring food through exchange of money.
For instance, when a consumer goes to the market with his/her money, he or she
offers the seller her money in other to get or owe a particular food stuff, food
here include vegetable, fruits, meat, fish food stuff etc.
One needs to know much about the market and the way in which you can buy to
make the most out of your food budget.

Factors to consider where buying food

These are some guidelines in food purchasing, these includes:
1. The money available to the family: This determines how much that can be
spent on food, the quality and quantity of food the family can afford and where
they wish to buy them
2. The family size: The larger family size needs a bigger quantity of food while
smaller family size needs smaller quantity of food.
3. The family food needs: It is necessary to consider the nutritional needs of the
family such as their age, health needs, dietary restrictions, food preferences,
likes and dislikes.
4. Food preservation and storage facilities available to the family
5. Food in season: These seasonal foods are cheapest and at their best time
6. Quality of food: It is important to buy quality food stuff
7. Available markets: You can choose to buy your food in supermarket or open
market
8. Bulk buying: Non perishable foods should be bought in bulk because it is
cheaper
9. When to buy food: perishable food stuffs, such as meat and vegetable are best
purchased earlier in the day in an open market

WISE BUYING PRACTICES

Wise buying practices includes:
1. Make a good shopping list
2. Keep to the shopping list when buying
3. Make sure that there are good storage facilities for the food stuff
to be purchase
4. Read labels on food containers, such as canned foods, bottled fats
and oils etc
5. Check expiry dates, food content, weight, volume etc
6. Buy foods that are in season
7. Compare values and prices in different stores and with different
890-9seller

Bulk purchasing or buying: This is the process of buying food in a large

quantity
Advantages of bulk buying:
1. Bulk buying is cheaper because it attracts discount than small quantity
2. It is a very useful food management in large families, institution, school, hotel
etc.
3. It saves time and energy that would have been spent when going to market
every day.
4. Bulk buying could be utilized in buying and storing food that are in season
5. It ensures that food is always in the house
Disadvantage of bulk buying:
1. It can lead to wastage of food if not properly stored or managed
2. It can tie down the money that would have been used for another food stuffs
or things if the family income is low
3. Poor quality food stuffs purchased in bulk will spoil in storage.

EVALUATION:
1. List four wise buying practice
2. Mention four factors to consider when buying food
3. What is bulk purchasing of buying

WEEK: 2
TOPIC: FOOD PROCESSING
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Learners should be able to;
1. Explain food processing
2. State reasons for processing foods.
3. Explain the methods of food processing.
4. Explain importance of food processing.
KEY WORDS: Food, processing.
LEARNING MATERIALS: Home Economics for Junior Secondary School
by Elizabeth Anyakoha pg 240-242
Food processing method used to transform raw ingredients or artificial produce
into food fit for consumption by humans and animals.
METHOD OF FOOD PROCESSING INCLUDES:
1. Milling/Grinding: This involves grinding the farm produce into a powder,
usually after drying. The produce can also be ground wet into a paste for
example fresh cassava.
2. Fermentation: This is the process of rotting down the product to eliminate
the toxin hydrogen cyanide.
3. Threshing and winnowing: This method is used to dislodge and remove the
stalk, straw and chaff. Winnowing blows away the chaff from the food produce.
It is used on cereals eg rice, millet, corn
4. Scaling, Bleeding etc: This method is usually for processing fish. The fish is
sealed and the intestinal contents and the fins are removed before it is preserved.
5. Drying: This is the process of removing or reducing water content of the food
produce to minimize the activity of the spoilage organisms.
6. Washing: Some fruits and vegetable are processed by washing eg bitter leaf
7. Shell removal: Coconuts, palmnuts and cashew nut are processed by removal
of the hard cover
8. Cooking: This is food preparation using heat: It is the oldest method of food
processing. Heating changes some of the food chemicals, making it safer to eat,
easier to digest and taste better
IMPORTANCE OF FOOD PROCESSING
1. It helps to preserve food and prevent it from deterioration eg milk
2. Many foods are inedible, unless processed in some manner: for example,
coffee, cocoa etc
3. It helps to remove toxin occurring naturally in foods e.g. the hydrogen cyanide
removed by fermenting cassava
4. To make the food taste better
5. To make food stay long e.g. drying cassava, plantain etc

REASONS FOR PROCESSING FOODS:

1. For safety: processing foods kills micro-organisms and bacteria.
2. To improve flavor, taste, texture, and overall quality of the food.
3. To turn it into a convenient size and shape for eating.
4. It improves the nutritional value of food.
EVALUATION:
1. What is food processing?
2. Give four importance of food processing.
3. List four methods of food processing.
WEEK: 3
TOPIC: FOOD PRESERVATION AND STORAGE
LEARNING OBJECTIVE: Learners should be able to;
1. Define food preservation and storage
2. State reasons for food preservation
3. List the methods of food preservation
4. Give the importance of proper food storage.
5. Classify food for storage

KEY WORDS: Food, Preservation, storage

LEARNING MATERIALS: Home Economics for Junior Secondary School
by Elizabeth Anyakoha pg 318-320

Food preservation is the caring for or treating food in such a way that
it will keep in good condition for a long period of time. It can also be
defined as the practice of keeping food for a long time before it is
being used. This is done to keep the food as near to the fresh state
as possible.

Food preservation can be done by:

 Changing the form of the food to another through processing

and keeping them in specially designed container.
 Adding other substances.

REASONS FOR PRESERVING FOOD

1. To preserve seasonal foods in and out of season especially

fruits and vegetables.
2. To prevent scarcity.
3. To prevent food spoilage.
4. To eliminate the purchase of foods when they are most
expensive.
5. To have a variety of foods available.
FOOD PRESERVATION METHODS

We have different methods of food preservation based on:

 The nature of the food to be preserved.

 The length of preservation period required.
 The dish to be prepared with the food.

The common ones are:

1. DRYING: This is the process by which water content of food is

removed. It is an effective way of preserving some vegetables,
maize, beans, cassava chips, etc.
2. SMOKING: Foods like fish, meat, and root crops can be
preserved by smoking. In some cases, the smoked food items
are later subjected to solar or sun drying.
3. FREEZING: This is the process of keeping food at low
temperature below 0c in the upper part of refrigerator or in the
freezer. Perishable foods are best preserved using this method.
The food items get frozen thereby preventing spoilage.
4. CANNING: This is a method of preserving foods by sealing
them in an air tight container and applying heat. Foods such as
baked beans, sweet corn, etc. are preserved by this method.
5. FERMENTATION: This is the process of decomposing some
food components to produce acids. The acids so produced will
reduce the pᴴ of the food and hence makes the food
unfavourable to microorganisms. Examples of such foods are
locust bean seed, yoghurts, wine, etc.
6. USE OF CHEMICALS: Some chemicals such as vinegar, salt,
sugar, etc. are added to food to inhibit the action of enzyme,
prevent chemical reaction to take place in food all in an
attempt to create unfavourable condition for micro- organisms.

FOOD STORAGE

Storage of food is the act of keeping processed and unprocessed

food at home for future use. It involves keeping preserved or
purchased food in safe condition and suitable facility till when
needed.

Importance of Proper Storage of Food

1. It prevents food from spoilage.

2. It prevents loss of food nutrients.
3. It helps the homemaker to save money.
4. It saves time and energy of going to the market always.

CLASSIFICATION OF FOODS FOR STORAGE

1. NON-PERISHABLE FOODS/ DRY FOODS: These are foods that

can keep well for a reasonable length of time. They do not spoil
easily and they contain lesser percentage of moisture.
Examples are flour, beans, sugar, yam, dried maize, etc.

Important Points on Storage of Non-Perishable Foods

1. Store only foods that are free from weevils and other insects.
2. Store food in dry and well covered containers.
3. Foods such as beans, maize, etc. can be stored for very long
periods in air-tight plastic containers.

2. PERISHABLE FOODS: These are foods that spoil very fast as a

result of the high moisture content. Such foods include
tomatoes, fresh fish, fresh meats, fresh fruits, eggs, vegetables,
etc. Perishable foods are stored in the refrigerators.

Important points on Storage of Perishable Foods

1. Fresh meat and fish can be stored in the freezer.

2. Fruits and vegetables can be stored at the lowest part of the
refrigerator.
3. Prolonged storage of fruits and vegetables in the refrigerator
can cause some of them to lose their taste, colours and
nutritive values.
4. Perishable foods can also be processed into forms that can
store for fairly long periods.
TYPES AND CARE OF FOOD STORAGE FACILITIES IN THE HOME

1. Plastic container with cover: Wash thoroughly, rinse very well

and label correctly.

2. Food rack, shelves, cabinet or cupboard: Clean thoroughly,

empty the cupboard and clean according type.
3. Freezer\Refrigerator: Unplug before cleaning. Clean
occasionally with drops of vinegar.
4. Food store: Arrange food items and containers properly.
Clean the store very thoroughly once every week.

CLASS TEST

1. What is food preservation?

2. State three reasons for preserving foods
3. List and explain any three methods of preservation.
4. State two factors that determine the preservation methods
used for a particular food.
5. Differentiate between perishable and non-perishable foods
with four examples each.
6. What is food storage?
7. Differentiate between food storage and food preservation.

1. Changing the form of the food to another through processing

is another way of ____ foods.
2. purchasing B. preserving C. storing D. cooking
3. ____ is the process by which water content of food is removed.
A. Smoking Drying C. Freezing Fermentation
4. ____ is the act of keeping processed or unprocessed food at
home. A. Food preservation B. Food storage C. Food Safe D.
Food keeping
5. Which of the following foods is perishable? A. Rice B. Beans C.
Meat D. Flours
6. Maize can be stored for very long periods in ____ plastic
containers. A. air-tight B. coloured
7. Thick D. light-weight