STS 105Food Facts and Fads

3 credits · Science, Technology, and Society · Penn State

This course is an introduction to the central role of food and food production in all areas of human life. The social and technological bases of various food systems are examined from the hunter-gatherer to the agrarian to the modern industrial system and its discontents. The course also considers how different types of food (e.g., meat, milk, cereals, chocolate) are preserved and distributed, examining both the effects of the development of the science and technology on society and vice versa. The roles of various food components (e.g., proteins, carbohydrates, fats, and vitamins) are examined both within the foods as determinants of quality, and also in terms of human nutrition and health. Finally, various other ways food may be considered appropriate or inappropriate will be studied including scientifically based reasons (e.g., safety, taste, adulteration) and non-scientifically based reasons (e.g., ethical, legal, religious).