Handbook home
Nutrition Politics and Policy (FOOD90040)
Graduate courseworkPoints: 12.5On Campus (Parkville)
For information about the University’s phased return to campus and in-person activity in Winter and Semester 2, please refer to the on-campus subjects page.
About this subject
- Overview
- Eligibility and requirements
- Assessment
- Dates and times
- Further information
- Timetable(opens in new window)
Contact information
Semester 1
Please refer to the LMS for up-to-date subject information, including assessment and participation requirements, for subjects being offered in 2020.
Overview
Availability | Semester 1 |
---|---|
Fees | Look up fees |
Formerly FOOD90027
This subject critically examines the scientific, policy and political debates regarding the relationship between food, nutrition and health. The social, economic, commercial, scientific and regulatory processes and structures that shape food consumption patterns, the nutritional quality of foods, and the dietary health of the population will be explored. This includes an evaluation of governments’ food, agricultural and nutrition policies.
Topics include:
- The science and politics of formulating dietary guidelines, nutritional reductionism in nutrition research, and debates over definitions of healthy and unhealthy foods
- Changing dietary patterns, the nutrition transition, food security, the “obesity epidemic”, and other health outcomes
- The socio-economic, commercial and environmental influences on food choices and dietary patterns
- The production, nutritional quality, marketing and consumption of highly processed foods and beverages
- Food industry strategies for food reformulation, and the development and marketing of fortified and functional foods
- Food labelling, and nutrient and health claims regulations
- The use of nutritionally-enhanced crops and fortified micronutrient deficiencies
- Dietary guidelines and choices to create ecologically sustainable food systems
- Policy approaches to regulating food quality, food consumption, food marketing, and food industry practices.
The subject will draw upon the disciplines of the sociology and politics of food systems, food and nutrition policy, public health nutrition and public health, and will consider Australian and international case studies.
Intended learning outcomes
Upon completion of this subject, students should be able to:
- Describe and analyse the social, economic, commercial, political, scientific, educational and regulatory processes that shape food production quality, food consumption patterns and dietary health
- Describe and evaluate the government policies and industry approaches and strategies that shape food production and consumption with respect to dietary health
- Demonstrate an understanding of the key frameworks, concepts, arguments and debates in the literature relating to nutrition politics and policy
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Eligibility and requirements
Prerequisites
None
Corequisites
None
Non-allowed subjects
None
Inherent requirements (core participation requirements)
The University of Melbourne is committed to providing students with reasonable adjustments to assessment and participation under the Disability Standards for Education (2005), and the Assessment and Results Policy (MPF1326). Students are expected to meet the core participation requirements for their course. These can be viewed under Entry and Participation Requirements for the course outlines in the Handbook.
Further details on how to seek academic adjustments can be found on the Student Equity and Disability Support website: http://services.unimelb.edu.au/student-equity/home
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Assessment
Due to the impact of COVID-19, assessment may differ from that published in the Handbook. Students are reminded to check the subject assessment requirements published in the subject outline on the LMS
Description | Timing | Percentage |
---|---|---|
Essay 1
| Mid semester | 35% |
Essay 2
| End of semester | 65% |
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Dates & times
- Semester 1
Coordinator Gyorgy Scrinis Mode of delivery On Campus (Parkville) Contact hours 30 hours. 2.5 hour Seminar each week Total time commitment 170 hours Teaching period 2 March 2020 to 7 June 2020 Last self-enrol date 13 March 2020 Census date 30 April 2020 Last date to withdraw without fail 5 June 2020 Assessment period ends 3 July 2020 Semester 1 contact information
Time commitment details
170 hours
Last updated: 3 November 2022
Further information
- Texts
Prescribed texts
Readings will be provided via the Learning Management System (LMS).
Recommended texts and other resources
Recommended background reading:
- Marion Nestle, Food Politics: How the Food Industry Influences Nutrition and Health, University of California Press, 2013
- Gyorgy Scrinis, Nutritionism: The Science and Politics of Dietary Advice, Columbia University Press, 2013
- Related Handbook entries
This subject contributes to the following:
- Available through the Community Access Program
About the Community Access Program (CAP)
This subject is available through the Community Access Program (also called Single Subject Studies) which allows you to enrol in single subjects offered by the University of Melbourne, without the commitment required to complete a whole degree.
Entry requirements including prerequisites may apply. Please refer to the CAP applications page for further information.
- Available to Study Abroad and/or Study Exchange Students
This subject is available to students studying at the University from eligible overseas institutions on exchange and study abroad. Students are required to satisfy any listed requirements, such as pre- and co-requisites, for enrolment in the subject.
Last updated: 3 November 2022