Processed Vs Fresh Assessment Task

Aim

The purpose of this investigation is to compare processed and fresh foods by completing a cooking practical. Using one
packet mixture of a baking good, it will then be made from scratch and modified to make as healthy as possible. From
there, staff and students taste each and make decisions on various aspects of the food, i.e. taste, texture, and sweetness.

Hypothesis

If the freshest ingredients are used to create the from scratch recipe then students will prefer the fresh over processed.

Independent Variable:

The independent variable is the modified from scratch recipe as it is the one thing that you change in the experiment.

Dependent Variable:

Controlled:
 The students
 The packet mix recipe
 The scorecards

Materials

For processed recipe:

 1x Betty Crocker Cinnamon Crumble packet mixture
 1/3 cup of vegetable oil
 ½ cup of water

For the fresh recipe:

 2 cups of whole meal flour
 3 teaspoons of baking powder
 ½ cup of raw sugar
 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
 1 cup of full cream milk
 2 free range eggs
 85 g of good quality, 100% pure butter

Topping for the fresh recipe:

 ¼ cup of whole meal flour
 2 tablespoons of raw sugar
 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
 30g of good quality, 100% pure butter, melted

Equipment:
 1 wooden spoon
 1 large mixing bowl
 1 small mixing bowl
 A set of measuring cups
 A set of measuring spoons
 A glass measuring jug
 2x 12 hole muffins tins
 Patty pans
 Scales
  Spatula
 2 display plates
 25x scorecards for recipes

Method

1. Wash your hands and make sure that workplace is clean before your cook.
2. Begin by collecting all of the appropriate ingredients needed for the packet mix (vegetable oil, water and egg).
3. Refer to appendix 2 for the Betty Crocker method.
4. To begin the fresh cinnamon crumble recipe, collect all the necessary ingredients (see materials)
5. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius or 180c fan forced.
6. Place the patty pans in the 12-hole muffin tin and spray with extra virgin olive oil.
7. Using a large mixing bowl add in the 2 cups of whole meal flour, ½ raw sugar, 4 teaspoons of baking powder, 2
teaspoons of ground cinnamon, 1 cup of milk, 2 eggs and the 85 grams of melted butter.
8. Stir the mixture but be sure to not overmix.
9. Spoon an even amount of mixture into each muffin hole.
10. Place 30g of melted butter, ¼ cup of whole meal flour, 2 tablespoons raw sugar, ¾ of a teaspoons.
11. To make the crumb use your fingertips to combine.
12. Sprinkle evenly over each muffin.
13. Bake in the oven for 16 to 18 minutes or until a golden color.
14. Once the muffins are cooked and taken out rest in the tin for 5 minutes.
15. After remove the muffins from the tin and cool on a cooling rack.
16. See appendix #3 for the method on the Betty Crocker Cinnamon Crumble Muffins packet mix.
17. After completing both methods cut the muffins into thirds (NOTE: Be sure that that packet mix muffins and from
starch muffins are keep separate and not combined)
18. plate the two different batches on plates.
19. Clearly label them as batch one and two by writing it on a card, clearly place where it is evident which batch is
which.
20. Collect your scorecards for each batch.
21. Take your batches up to a classroom and clearly state what there are, and what the students are required to do.
22. Collect all of the scorecards back from students.
23. Use the scorecards to create tables and graphs of data.

Results
Y
The Number Of Students That Gave The Food A Star Rating

Star Rating Of Taste

12

10

0
1 Sta r 2 Sta rs 3 Sta rs 4 Stars 5 Stars
Batch #1: Procces s ed batch Batch #2: Fres h Batch
The Number Of Stars X

Graph 1: Rating Of Taste

The Number Of Students That Gave The Food A Star Rating

Sweetness Of Cinnamon Crumble Muffins

7

0
0: Not Sweet Enough 2 4 6 8 10: Too Sweet
Batch #1: Proces s ed Batch #2: Fres h Batch

The Number Scored (0-10) X

Graph 2: Rating Of Sweetness

The Number Of Students That Gave The Food A Star Rating

Texture Of Cinnamon Crumble Muffins

7
6
5
4
3
2
1
0
y 1 2 3 4 nt 6 7 8 9 st
Dr ou oi
o m M
To tA oo
0: gh :T
Ri 10
T he
u st
J
5:

Batch #1: Proces s ed Batch Batch #2: Fres h Batch

The Number Scored (0-10) X

Graph 2: Rating Of Texture

The data shows 4 was the average star rating for the taste of the processed batch. This compares to the average of 3.5 star
rating for the fresh batch.
The average rating of sweetness for the processed batch was 4.5 (numberline rating 0-10) which is right about where it
needs to be. This compares to the fresh batch was is an average of around 4 stars 5 (numberline rating 0-10).
The texture for the processed batch was 4.5 5 (numberline rating 0-10), while the fresh batch was around 4 5 (numbelrine
rating 0-10). The last two were very similar as were the results.

As you can see from the graphs most of the data fell in favor of the processed batch. This is because of peoples own taste
but also the packet mix has ratios that have been tested more times and experiemted until it is just right. Even so, these
graphs helped us to compare the two different batches.

Discussion
Within the Betty Crocker ingredients list there were a few of the different numbers were present. The companies add in
different additives for various different reasons, such as: shelf life, flavor, texture, appearance and other qualities to
improve the overall experience of the food. After looking at the ingredients list on the label it is evident that the muffins
claim to have ‘no preservatives’ and “no artificial colors or flavors.” In the ingredients there are other additives that have
been added to the recipe. Three of the main preservatives and additives include:
1. Modified Corn Starch (1142)- this is a powder made from the endo
2. Aluminum phosphate (E541)- a acid added to baking powders. Another name for this is aluminum sodium.
3. Mono- di glycerides fatty acids (E471)

Having numbers within a product is the opposite of fresh because they are man-made ingredients and don’t have any
nutritional content in them. This is what we discovered in the packet mix everything was in the most processed state that it
could be therefore stripping back its nutritional value.

What we found with the end product of each of our batches was the packet mix batch was so much sweeter and was
crumblier on the outside and soft in the middle, whereas the from starch batch was soft on the outside and inside. This
made the from starch batch harder to cut. The packet mix was also stronger than the other batch this could have been
because

After collecting the data from the scorecards, we found that there was feedback on the differences in the recipe and what
people liked with each. Because the modified from scratch recipe was healthier and this did cause a compromise that could
of impacted different parts of the muffin i.e. taste, appearance, texture. Some comments on the scorecard for the modified
batch ‘Not sweet enough’ and ‘too crumbly’ which was due to types of sugar and other ingredients. Of course, this all
depends on the individuals tasting the food.

No doubt the packet mix recipe didn’t take as long as because most of the ingredients were already added and measured in
the packet. So, all that is needed is throwing in the dry mixture from the packet and collecting, adding the wet ingredients.
Whereas, for the modified recipe you have to collect, measure and add into the mixing bowl. For time efficacy the packet
mix proved the most efficient, but this is only because it has mostly all been already done for you. Convince is becoming
increasingly important in todays age because everyone does wants everything done fast so that they can get on with other
things that they need to do. Because it’s so important this makes a packet mix look like a better option to have something
that is fast and convenient to enjoy.

An improvement that could be made to this assignment was the order that the recipes were cooked in. We cooked the
processed batch first, but we could have cooked the from scratch batch first. After putting the fresh batch in the oven, we
could then immediately start on the processed which takes less time. This would mean as soon as we took out the batch
from the oven another batch was ready to go in. By managing time better this would free up the rest of the lesson to go out
to the school and taste test.

Even though we needed to make a modified healthy recipe, this needs to be part of a varied, balanced healthy lifestyle and
diet. This food is high in carbohydrates and sugar, so balancing this out with fresh produce and healthy fats is key to
enjoying a varied diet. Another aspect of a healthy lifestyle is the physical activity side, for families it is key that you are
active and outside enjoying sport and/or activities.

There are various nutritional advantages that you will get by eating the fresh batch over the processed batch. Because the
fresh batch hasn’t been stripped back as much and the ingredients haven’t been sitting for as long this boosts up the
nutrition levels. In the fresh batch it includes eggs, there are many added benefits by adding eggs to your baking. Eggs are
high in vitamins B12 and D, as well as minerals zinc, copper and iron. Milk is another ingredient that is fresh and very good
for you. High in calcium, protein and potassium and vitamin K12.
 A major part of this assignment was to try and create a healthy alternative, to further this making as many of the
ingredients as possible would help to keep the muffins as fresh as possible. For example, making your own oat flour by
grounding down rolled oats is simple and you know what has been into creating it. Another improvement could be adding
fruits and vegetables in the recipe would help boost the nutritional content in the muffins. This can also provide extra
sweetness without adding any sugars or artificial sweeteners. Also, if the recipe has lots of dry ingredients it can help
moisten the baking treat.

Conclusion
The aim of this report was to look at the differences between fresh and processed foods through comparing a recipe of our
choice to a packet mix. From there we took it to a completely different class and got them to trials both batches. Rach batch
had a scorecard, and this is how we collected our data (see results) In partners we modified a recipe to help improve the
nutrition content and increase the freshness of the baking good. We chose to look at Cinnamon Crumble Muffins and this is
what we cooked in our practical lesson.

Our hypothesis stated, ‘If the freshest ingredients are used to create the from scratch recipe then students will prefer the
fresh over processed.’ Our results did not support our hypothesis though as this was not the case with what came back in
through the set of data we collected. This was to do with characteristics of the modified recipe batch, such as, taste, texture
and sweetness.

The data collected helped to find out the differences in the two batches; processed and fresh. Each were close but the
processed proved the favorite for the characteristics; texture taste and sweetness.

Bibliography

- Scribd (2019). List of Emulsifiers (e471 and e472) |. [image] Available at:
https://images.app.goo.gl/xtzfvXXYTPquc1pm8 [Accessed 6 Jun. 2019].

- Food - Construed. (2019). Modified Corn Starch: What is it and Why is it in Your Food?. [online] Available at:
http://foodconstrued.com/2016/05/modified-corn-starch/ [Accessed 6 Jun. 2019].

- B, K. (2019). Cinnamon Crumb Muffins - The Organised Housewife. [online] The Organised Housewife. Available at:
https://theorganisedhousewife.com.au/recipes/cinnamon-crumb-muffins/ [Accessed 6 Jun. 2019].

- BBC Good Food. (2019). The health benefits of eggs. [online] Available at:
https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/ingredient-focus-eggs [Accessed 6 Jun. 2019].

- Healthline. (2019). 5 Proven Health Benefits of Milk. [online] Available at:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/milk-benefits [Accessed 6 Jun. 2019].

Appendix #1

Original fresh batch recipe:

 2 cups self-raising flour

 1/2 cup caster sugar

 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 1 cup milk

 2 eggs
 85g butter, melted

Topping

 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

 2 tablespoons brown sugar

 3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

 30g butter, softened

By Kat – The Organised Housewife

Appendix #2

 2 cups of whole meal flour

 3 teaspoons of baking powder
 ½ cup of raw sugar
 2 teaspoons of cinnamon
 1 cup of full cream milk
 2 free range eggs
 85 g of good quality, 100% pure butter

Topping for the fresh recipe:

 ¼ cup of whole meal flour
 2 tablespoons of raw sugar
 1 teaspoon of cinnamon
 30g of good quality, 100% pure butter, melted

Appendix #3
Betty Crocker Cinnamon Crumble Muffin Packet Mix Method:

Additional Ingredients Needed:

 ½ cup (125 ml) of water

 1/3 cup (80ml) of vegetable oil
 2 extra-large free range eggs

Method:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees (180 degrees fan forced). Grease a 12 hole (1/3 cup) muffin tray with
cooking spray.

Stir muffin mix, water, eggs and oil in a large cooking bowl using a large wooden spoon until just
combined (do not eat raw batter as it contains raw eggs). Spoon batter into muffin tray (about 2/3
cup full)

Open cinnamon crumble sachet and sprinkle crumble mix by hand evenly over each muffin.

Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until tops spring back lightly in the center. Cook times may vary
depending on oven. cool for 10 minutes in the muffin tray then remove from pan onto cooling rack
to cool completely.

Muffins are best eaten fresh on the day they are made.

Appendix #4 Score Sheets