New resource to help Scottish pupils learn about food

Based on the familiar process of creating a burger and targeted at S1-3 pupils, ‘Make it With Meat’ will support interactive sessions that cover everything from the nutritional content of ingredients to product development, testing and labelling. Students will also hear about the important people and careers in our food chain on their journey to discovering more about the farm to fork process.

Offering a flexible approach, teachers can pick and choose the lessons that meet their teaching requirements using videos, PowerPoint and other resources. Each lesson has a ‘go further’ section which can be used in class, for at home learning or for fast finishers.

Trialled at Hawick High School in the Scottish Borders, Home Economics teacher Shona Murray commented on both the ease of use and positive reaction from the children:

“We were asked by QMS to trial the new Make it with Meat resource and we had the opportunity to give it a go with some of our S1 and S3 pupils. It’s great because everything is there for you in the six lessons, from farming through to nutrition, and costing to careers.

“Depending on your preferences and stage of your pupils, lessons can be selected and adapted as necessary. Doing the entire project as part of a block is, of course, also an option.  

“Our S3 pupils did all six lessons and then designed their own burger, and they all thoroughly enjoyed the project.”

This educational resource is based on a successful initiative - Make it with Meat - that FDF Scotland and QMS have run in partnership with Bathgate Academy for several years. Teams of pupils from the school were challenged to create a new burger, design packaging and to create a marketing campaign for their product. The winning teams went on to sell their burgers to local shoppers with proceeds going to the charity of their choice.  

Food and Drink Federation Scotland’s Skills Manager, Moira Stalker, said:

 “Over the years FDF Scotland, QMS and Bathgate Academy have worked together to develop and run the Make it with Meat Challenge and it has become a highlight of the S2 year for pupils.

“I am excited that even more teachers can help their pupils understand where their food comes from, the many exciting and varied careers that the industry offers and the real skills and qualifications that employers are looking for.”

Quality Meat Scotland’s Health and Education Manager, Jennifer Robertson, added:

“We are excited to offer this free resource to Home Economics departments across Scotland. It allows pupils to learn about the nutritional and sustainability credentials of Scottish produce, as well as learning about the processes and careers involved in our vital food supply chains.

“Make it With Meat is part of Farming Foodsteps which has been designed to provide ready-to-use resources, linked to the Curriculum for Excellence for time-strapped teachers looking for engaging content for their classes.”

More Information 

For more information or for media opportunities, please contact kirsty.tinsdale@fdfscotland.org.uk /07508 303 736

 Notes for editors:

1. FDF Scotland is a division of the FDF - the voice of the food and drink manufacturing industry – the UK's largest manufacturing sector. For more information about FDF Scotland and the industry we represent visit our website.
2. The new Make it With Meat education resource is available on Farming Foodsteps – QMS’s free educational resource.
3. FDF Scotland’s website hosts a range of useful resources and information for educators and young people about careers in food and drink and the skills that are needed.
4. To find out more about QMS’ range of educational resources, visit their website.

About QMS:

• QMS is the public body responsible for promoting the PGI labelled Scotch Beef and Scotch Lamb brands in the UK and abroad and also promoting Scottish pork products under the Specially Selected Pork logo.
• Please note that the use of the word Scotch in the Scotch Beef PGI and Scotch Lamb PGI brands is correct and should not be substituted for an alternative such as Scots or Scottish. The history of the use of the word Scotch in this way, traces back to the 18th century.
• QMS also helps the Scottish red meat sector improve its sustainability, efficiency and profitability and maximise its contribution to Scotland's economy.
• The quality assurance schemes run by QMS cover more than 90% of livestock farmed for red meat in Scotland. They offer consumers in the UK and overseas the legal guarantee that the meat they buy has come from animals that have spent their whole lives being raised to some of the world’s strictest welfare standards.
• Scotland’s beef, lamb and pork producers make an important contribution to the country’s economic, social and environmental sustainability, contributing over £2 billion to the annual GDP of Scotland and supporting around 50,000 jobs (many in fragile rural areas) in the farming, agricultural supply and processing sectors.

Make it With Meat education resource lesson overview

Lesson 1 – Introduction, finding out about the journey of meat from farm to fork.

Lesson 2 – Health and Nutrition

Lesson 3 – Go Further with Reformulation (reformulation worksheet)

Lesson 4 – Product Development and testing – Creating a burger inc. design, concept screeding, product evaluation

Lesson 5 – Labelling and Costing

Lesson 6 – Careers

The new Make it With Meat education resource is available on QMS’s website.