November 5, 2015

New online resource helps put Home Economics on the menu

A new website is putting Home Economics on the menu this week by offering key educational support to teachers and pupils learning about red meat in schools across Northern Ireland.

The Livestock & Meat Commission for Northern Ireland (LMC) has re-launched its Food4Life website which supports the HE syllabus for students in key stages three, four and A level.

The new and improved website www.food4life.org.uk has been redesigned and updated to make it more accessible and easier to navigate.

Colin Smith, Industry Development Manager at the LMC said, “We’re delighted to be launching a new and improved website which is a vital educational resource for both teachers and students across Northern Ireland, helping them to learn more about beef and lamb as part of a healthy balanced diet. The website has new learning areas and resources for teachers and students, short recipe videos, information on booking cookery demonstrations plus a plethora of quick and simple recipes using Northern Ireland Farm Quality Assured (NIFQA) beef and lamb.”

“We have worked closely with the British Nutrition Foundation and Council for the Curriculum, Examinations and Assessment (CCEA) to ensure that the content on our new Food4Life website is in synergy with the Home Economics’ curriculum and that it works effectively as a tool to help reinforce classroom activities and learning.”

LMC cookery demonstrations can also be booked by teachers via the new website. The cookery demonstration programme has been running since 1999 and is aimed at educating young people about the merits of NIFQA beef and lamb in a healthy, balanced diet.

Cherrie Kenny, LMC’s Education Manager commented, “The cookery demonstration programme has grown year on year and demos for this year were booked up in just two weeks. From September 2016 the demonstrations can be booked online through the new site. The demonstrations are extremely popular and help educate young people about the importance of NIFQA beef and lamb and the nutritional benefits surrounding the consumption of red meat.”

“The programme is a shop window for our farmers and processors – helping relay the message about the farm element of the production chain and the three pillars of Farm Quality Assurance – food safety, animal welfare and care for the environment.”

LMC’s teams of demonstrators carry out over 300 beef and lamb cookery sessions in post-primary schools across Northern Ireland every year.

For further information about the cookery demonstration programme or for some quick and simple recipes using NIFQA beef and lamb please visit www.food4life.org.uk

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