Course Overview
Love food? This course is perfect for you!
You’ll explore how food is made, discover the science behind nutrition and its impact on health, and develop practical skills for preparing and analysing food. It’s a mix of hands-on activities, practical lessons and academic learning, so you’ll gain real-world experience while building a strong foundation for the future.
This qualification is ideal if you’re planning to go to university and pursue careers in dietetics, nutrition, food technology, health sciences and more. If you’re passionate about food and want to make a difference in people’s health and well-being, this is the course for you!
Assessment Structure
The course is assessed through two pieces of coursework and two written examinations.
Unit 1: Nutritional needs across the life stages (25%) – A written exam for 1 hour 30 minutes focusing on the properties of nutrients, the relationship between nutrients and the human body and planning nutritional programmes.
Unit 2: Developing practical food production skills (25%) – non-examination assessment to plan, prepare, cook and present dishes to meet the needs of a specific target audience using practical skills and techniques.
Unit 3: Principles of food hygiene and food safety in food production (25%) – A written exam for 1 hour 30 minutes focusing on micro-organisms, food intolerances, allergies, food poisoning and food safety hazards in different environments.
Learners are required to select their fourth unit from a choice of two:
Unit 4: Optional unit: Developing practical food production skills (25%) – non-examination assessment to understand the properties of food to plan and carry out experiments, solve production problems and investigate changes to food.
Unit 5: Optional unit: Current issues in food science and nutrition (25%) – non-examination assessment to research into contemporary issues in food and nutrition.
What will you be able to do after completing this course?
By the end of this qualification, you’ll have the confidence and skills to tackle real-world challenges in food and nutrition. You’ll understand how the industry works, think critically about health and diet, and use your knowledge to solve complex problems in creative ways. You’ll learn to interpret information, explore different perspectives, and apply practical techniques that make food come alive.
This course doesn’t just teach you facts—it gives you the tools to think, experiment, and innovate in a field that’s all about improving lives. Turn your passion for food into a future career.