Food culture

It refers to the practices, attitudes, and beliefs as well as the networks and institutions surrounding the production, distribution, and consumption of food

1. Food Culture BBAA-110

2. Factors Influencing Food Selection Many factors influence what you eat, such as: Flavor Other aspects of food(such as cost, convenience, availability, nutrition) Demographics Culture and religion Health Social and emotional influences Food industry and the media Environmental concerns

3. Flavor An attribute of a food that includes its appearance, smell, taste, feel in the mouth, texture and even temperature. It is the most important consideration.

4. Other aspects of food Food cost - major consideration. Cost is a factor in many purchasing decisions. Convenience – is more of concern now than at any time in the past because of the lack of time to prepare meals. Convenience foods are more expensive.

5. Other aspects of food Food availability – food choices are affected by availability. The availability is very much influenced by the way food is produced and distributed. Fresh fruits and vegetables are the perfect examples of foods that are most available. Nutrition – important factor in deciding what to eat. People read nutritional labels on a food package.

6. Demographics Demographic factors that influence food choices include Age Gender Educational level Income Cultural back ground Women and older adults consider nutrition more often than do men or young adults. People with higher incomes and educational levels tend to think about nutrition more often when choosing what to eat.

7. Culture and Religion Culture can be defined as behaviors and beliefs of a certain social, ethnic, or age group. A culture strongly influence food choices. Each culture has its own norms about Which foods are edible Which foods have high or low status How often foods are consumed What foods are eaten together When foods are eaten And what foods are served at special occasions Example: French people eat horse meat, but Americans do not consider acceptable to eat.

8. Culture and religion Religion – affects day-to-day food choices. Example: Jewish do not eat meat and dairy products together. Muslims do not eat pork. Their religion also prohibits drinking alcoholic beverages.

9. Health Most people try to lose weight or keep from gaining it as obesity increase the risk of heart diseases, diabetes, cancer and other health problem. Knowledge of nutrition and positive attitude toward nutrition may translate into nutritious eating practices.

10. Social and emotional influences Our food choices are influenced by the social situations we find ourselves in. Example - social influence are involved when several members of a group of college friends are vegetarian. Peer pressure influences food choices. Food is often used to convey social status. Emotions are closely tied to some of our food selections. As a child, you may have given something sweet and as an adult, you may gravitate that comfort foods when under stress .

11. Food industry and the media Food industry – influence very much what you choose to eat. They decide what foods to produce and whereto sell them. They use advertising, product labeling and displays, information provided by their consumer services departments, and websites to sell their products. Media also report frequently on new studies related to food, nutrition, and health topics. Media may influence which foods people eat.

12. Environmental concerns Some people have environmental concerns, such as the use of chemical pesticides, so they choose organically grown foods. Many vegetarians wont eat meat because livestock and poultry require so much land, energy, water and plant food, which they consider wasteful.

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