Notes On Australian Food Industry

Resource Description

Notes On Australian Food Industry

• Sectors of the Australian food industry.

• LA: sectors of the agri-food chain in the Australian food industry, including agriculture and fisheries, food processing/manufacturing, food service and catering, food retail.

• LT: identify sectors within the Australian food industry.

• LT: plan and prepare foods/meals that reflect sectors of the Australian food industry.

 

• The Australian Food Industry included the organised growing, production, processing, packaging, storage and distribution of food products as well as marketing of food products.
• Aka. Agri-Food chain & has four main sectors. These are interdependent, impact each other when there is a crisis. 
• E.g. Cyclone Debbie destroyed tomato crops in Queensland, back-up supply from WA was diseased (A/F). Less tomatoes able to made into value-added products (P/M). Shortages in tomatoes in retail, caused a decrease in lettuce demand by 30% (R). Tomato prices raised to almost $10/kg, hard to buy (S/C). 

Agriculture/Fisheries:

• Agriculture is the cultivation of land to produce food derived from plants and animals.  Fisheries are the production and cultivation of plant and animals in an aquatic environment. 
• Aquaculture is the farm-raised cultivation and harvesting of aquatic plants and animals.
• Aquaponics is the recycling of water for plants and marine animals so that they share nutrients (O2 for fish, excrement fertiliser for plants).

Food Processing and Manufacturing:

• Making changes to original food products to enhance the safety of consumption, to make it more palatable or transform it into a value-added product.
• Value-Adding: the processing or enhancement of a product to increase its shelf life and/or selling price. E.g. value-adding of an apple: adding wax, chopped apple, pureed apple, apple juice or apple pie.
• The largest sector of the Australian Food Industry. 

Food Service and Catering:

• Involves the preparation and serving of food. Also known as the hospitality industry.

• Includes commercial organisations such as fast-food outlets, cafes, restaurants, bakeries and delis. Also, non-for-profit organisations, such as hospitals, nursing homes and prisons.

Food Retail:

• Involves the selling of processed foods to consumers, e.g. biscuits, ice cream, apple puree.
• Involves small retailers, such as butchers, fruit and vegetable stores, as well as large companies, such as Coles and Woolworths.