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Summaries · Grade 4 Geography › From farm to plate: processed food
Free summary · Grade 4 Geography

From farm to plate: processed food

How food gets from the farm to your plate, and what processed food is. Read one part at a time and tap “I know this”. Then test yourself in the quiz.

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Fresh or processed?

Fresh (unprocessed) food still looks the way it grew on the farm. Processed food has been changed in a factory or kitchen.

From the farmIs processed into
wheatflour and bread
maizemaize meal (pap)
milkcheese, yoghurt and butter
grapesraisins
orangesorange juice
sugar canesugar
peanutspeanut butter
potatoeschips
Tap when you could tell someone without looking.

The road from the farm to your plate

FarmFactoryTruckShopHome
This is how a glass of milk reaches your home.
  • At the factory food is processed and packed, for example milk into cartons.
  • Factories stand near farms (the raw materials) or near big cities (the buyers).
  • Packaging protects the food and gives information, such as the “best before” date.
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Why we process food

  • It lasts longer: dried raisins and biltong do not go off quickly.
  • It is safer to eat.
  • It is easier to use, like flour for baking.
Meerkat tip

Eat more fruit, vegetables and whole grains. They have less sugar, salt and fat than a lot of processed food.

From the farm to your plate.
From the farm to your plate.
Tap when you could tell someone without looking.

From wheat field to sandwich

  1. The farmer harvests the wheat.
  2. A mill grinds the wheat into flour.
  3. A bakery mixes flour, water and yeast and bakes bread.
  4. A truck takes the bread to the shop.
  5. At home you make a sandwich.

People process food by cooking, drying, pressing (orange juice), cutting and mixing it.

Tap when you could tell someone without looking.

Remember this and test yourself

Remember this: your summary
  • Fresh food comes straight from the farm: an apple, vegetables, eggs.
  • Processed food has been changed: wheat becomes flour and then bread; milk becomes cheese and yoghurt.
  • We process food so it lasts longer, is safer and is easier to use.
  • The chain: farm → factory → shop → home.
  • Eat more unprocessed food: it has less sugar, salt and fat.

Write these points in your book. Read them again the night before the test.

Memory trick

Ask the food: “Do you still look like you did on the farm?” Yes = fresh. No = processed.

Flash cards · Tap to turn over

Important words

First say what the word means, then turn the card over.

Test yourself · Part 2

True or false?

Read the question and the answer. Is the answer right? Tap True or False.

    Now the real quiz!

    The quiz has many more questions on this topic. Every question shows straight away whether you are right and explains why.

    Take the quiz: From farm to plate: processed food
    For parents
    • Read one part together and ask your child to tell it back in their own words.
    • The ticks (“I know this”) are saved on this device only. We never ask for names or emails.

    Follows CAPS for Grade 4 Social Sciences (Geography). Always check your teacher’s notes and textbook too.

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