Talk Icon

Practice 100+ speaking topics!

Star rating icon

4.2

1M+ Installs

Get App

leap-scholar-logo
hamburger-menu

The Flavour Industry Reading Answers: IELTS Reading Practice Test

updated at

Updated on Jul 02, 2024, 11:57

The IELTS Reading section assesses your ability to read and understand academic texts in English. Within a time limit of 60 minutes, you will tackle 40 questions across three passages. These passages are sourced from books, journals, magazines, and newspapers, covering a range of topics and writing styles. Success in this section requires not only comprehension skills but also the ability to identify key information, infer meaning, and follow the development of ideas.


 

In the passage "The Flavour Industry," you will explore the fascinating world of flavour development and its significant role in modern food production. This text delves into how flavours are created, the science behind taste perception, and the influence of consumer preferences on flavour innovation. Understanding this topic will give you insights into the complexities of an industry that blends science with consumer demand to enhance culinary experiences worldwide.

On this page

Arrow right
Slider image

1. The Flavour Industry Reading Passage

You should spend approximately 20 minutes answering Questions 1 - 13 based on the Reading Passage below. This approach can help manage time effectively during a reading comprehension activity or exam.

Slider image

2. The Flavour Industry Question & Answers

Discover exciting and informative IELTS reading answers about The Flavour Industry

More for you

Boost your IELTS Reading score

Book Free Reading class arrow right

See how to score 8+ in Speaking. 

 

Get proven strategies to ace your IELTS Speaking test.

Learn More arrow right
3/3
1.

The Flavour Industry Reading Passage

General Information

  • Read Instructions: Understand each question before answering.
  • Manage Time: Spend about 20 minutes per passage.
  • Skim and Scan: Quickly get the main idea and find specific information.
  • Highlight Key Info: Underline essential words or phrases.
  • Answer All Questions: Attempt every question; no penalty for wrong answers.
  • Stay Focused: Avoid distractions and keep your attention on the task.
  • Check Spelling: Ensure correct spelling and grammar.
  • Transfer Answers Clearly: Write answers neatly on the answer sheet.
  • Don’t Dwell: Move on if stuck and return later.
  • Review: If time allows, review your answers.

 

 

 

 

The Flavour Industry  Reading Passage

 



Paragraph A 

Check the nutritional details on the food in your cooler, icebox or serving pantry, and you are likely to find a simple, harmless-looking component frequently on a number of products: “ natural flavour”. The tale of what natural flavour is, how it got into your food, and where it came from is the outcome of a more complicated procedure than you might visualise.

 

 

Paragraph B

During the 1980s, health observers and nutritionists turned their awareness to cholesterol, a waxen corticosteroid metabolite that we mostly eat from animal-sourced commodities like egg yolks, shrimp, poultry, cheese and pork. Nutritionists blamed cholesterol for putting up with the growing rates of fatness, heart disease, diabetes, and several cancers in Western culture. As broad identification of the matter flourished amongst the general people, McDonald’s came to an end for cooking their French fries in a blend of cottonseed oil and rendered suet, and in 1990, the restaurant chain began using 100% vegetable oil as an alternative.

 

 

Paragraph C

This considerably reduced the amount of cholesterol in McDonald’s fries, but it generated a new dilemma. The rendered suet and cottonseed oil blend gave the French fries high cholesterol content, but it also presented them with a rich aroma and texture that even James Beard, an American food critic, acknowledged he enjoyed. Pure vegetable oil is dull in contrast. Looking at the current menu of McDonald’s French fries, it is easy to see how they conquered this difficult situation. Apart from a few conservative, there are basically three main components: soybean oil, potato, and the puzzling ingredients of “natural flavour.”  

 

 

Paragraph D

Natural flavour also gets into our diet via the rise in junk foods, which now make up over  90% (and increasing) of the American diet. In addition to representing a flourishing industry in developing nations such as China and India, junk foods are basically any foods that have been bagged, bottled, boxed or packaged and have a list of components on the label. Occasionally, the refining requires adding a little salt and sugar and a few conservatives. Frequently, but it is coloured, bleached, combined, dried, smell-hidden, and sweetened. This procedure usually saps any original flavour out of the output, and so, naturally, flavour must reappear as well. 

 

 

Paragraph E

Frequently, this is “natural flavour”, but while the term may bring to mind a resemblance of fresh corn, hand-ground spices, and dried herbs being marketed in a busy street market, nearly all of these natural sources are, actually, manipulated to comestible perfection in a set of factories and plants of the New Jersey Turnpike outside of New York. Here, firms such as International Flavours and Fragrances, Harmen and Keimer, Flavour Dynamics, Frutarom and Elan Chemical separate and make the tastes that are incorporated in much of what we eat and drink. The sweet, hot rupture of naturally crushed orange juice, the wood-smoked aroma in barbeque sauces, and the creamy, buttery, fresh taste in many dairy products do not come from sun-saturate fields or backyard grills but are formed in the labs and test tubes of these flavour industry giants. 

 

 

Paragraph F

The chemists- titled “flavours” generate the powerful chemicals that set our aromatic sense to overuse a blend of methods that have been purified over many years. Parts of it are thick, complex chemistry: spectrometers, gas chromatographs, and headspace-vapour analysers can classify ingredients of a flavour in amounts as minute as one part per billion. Not to be excelled, but the human nose can set apart aromas down to three parts per trillion. Flavourists, consequently, think about their work as much an art as a science, and flavourism needs a nose “ instructed” with a fine and inverse sense of balance. 

 

 

Paragraph G

Should we be cautious of the mechanisation of natural flavour? On its own, the trend may not give any clear cause for fear. Nutritionists universally concur that the real hit on health in the last few decades stems from a “demonic trinity” of sugar, fat, and salt in junk foods; the natural flavour on its own is not a health exposure. It does play a role, but when serving these junk foods, they taste fresh and nutritious even when they are not. So, while the natural flavour industry should not think about the offender, we might think of it as a ready abetter.

2.

The Flavour Industry Question & Answers

Discover exciting and informative IELTS reading answers about The Flavour Industry

Questions and Answers 1-8
  • Reading Passage has seven paragraphs: A-G.
  • Which paragraph contains the following information?
  • Write the correct letter. A-G, in boxes 1-8 on your answer sheet.
  • You may use any letter more than once.
  •  

    1. Examples of companies that create natural flavours
    2.  An instance of a multinational franchise responding to public pressure
    3.  A statement on the health effects of natural flavours
    4.  An instance where a solution turns into a problem
    5.  A place in the home where one may encounter the term “natural flavour.”
    6.  Details about the transformation that takes place in processed grocery items
    7.  A comparison of personal and technological abilities in flavour detection
    8.  Examples of diet-related health conditions


     

    The Flavour Industry  Reading Answers with Explanations (1-8)

     

     

    Type of question: Matching information

     

    In this question type, you will be asked to match specific pieces of information, often dates, names, or events, from the reading passage with corresponding options provided in the question.

     

    How to best answer: 


     

    • Read each statement carefully to understand the specific information being asked for.
    • Scan the passage for relevant dates or events in the reading passage that corresponds to each statement.
    • Eliminate incorrect options that do not match the information found in the passage.
    • Match the remaining options based on the information provided in the passage.
    • Verify your answers to ensure they match the information in the passage before finalising them.



     

    1. E


     

    Reference

    From paragraph E: "Here, firms such as International Flavours and Fragrances, Harmen and Keimer, Flavour Dynamics, Frutarom, and Elan Chemical separate and make the tastes that are incorporated in much of what we eat and drink."


     

    Explanation

    Paragraph E provides examples of companies involved in the creation and production of natural flavours. It highlights how these firms play a significant role in developing the tastes that enhance various food and beverage products, showcasing the industry's impact on consumer goods.


     

    2. B


     

    Reference

    From paragraph B: "As broad identification of the matter flourished amongst the general people, McDonald’s came to an end for cooking their French fries in a blend of cottonseed oil and rendered suet, and in 1990, the restaurant chain began using 100% vegetable oil as an alternative."


     

    Explanation

    This paragraph illustrates how McDonald's responded to public health concerns about cholesterol by altering their cooking methods for French fries, shifting from a high-cholesterol blend to a healthier vegetable oil, in response to public pressure.


     

    3. G


     

    Reference

    From paragraph G:  "Nutritionists universally concur that the real hit on health in the last few decades stems from a “demonic trinity” of sugar, fat, and salt in junk foods; the natural flavour on its own is not a health exposure."


     

    Explanation

    Paragraph G discusses the role of natural flavours in processed foods, emphasising that while they enhance taste and appeal, they are not directly harmful to health. It suggests that concerns should focus more on overall dietary factors rather than solely on natural flavours.


     

    4. C


     

    Reference

    From paragraph C: "This considerably reduced the amount of cholesterol in McDonald’s fries, but it generated a new dilemma. The rendered suet and cottonseed oil blend gave the French fries high cholesterol content, but it also presented them with a rich aroma and texture that even James Beard, an American food critic, acknowledged he enjoyed."


     

    Explanation

    In this paragraph, the change in cooking oil for McDonald's fries is discussed. While the shift reduced cholesterol, it also led to a loss of the distinctive flavour and texture associated with the previous blend of suet and cottonseed oil, highlighting how a solution to one problem can create new challenges.


     

    5. A


     

    Reference

    From paragraph A: "Check the nutritional details on the food in your cooler, icebox or serving pantry, and you are likely to find a simple, harmless-looking component frequently on a number of products: 'natural flavour'."


     

    Explanation

    Paragraph A introduces the term 'natural flavour' commonly found on food labels, suggesting that consumers encounter this term when checking food packaging for nutritional information, highlighting its ubiquity in household settings.


     

    6. D


     

    Reference

    From paragraph D: "Occasionally, the refining requires adding a little salt and sugar, and few conservatives. Frequently, but it is coloured, bleached, combined, dried, smell-hidden, and sweetened. This procedure usually saps any original flavour out of the output, and so, naturally, flavour must reappear in as well."


     

    Explanation

    Paragraph D discusses the processing of junk foods, which often strips natural flavours from the products. This necessitates the addition of artificial or natural flavours to restore taste, showing how processed grocery items undergo a significant transformation from their original state.


     

    7. F


     

    Reference

    From paragraph F: "Parts of it are thick, complex chemistry: spectrometers, gas chromatographs, and headspace-vapour analysers can classify ingredients of a flavour in amounts as minute as one part per billion."


     

    Explanation

    Paragraph F compares the precision of technology (such as spectrometers and gas chromatographs) and human sensory abilities in detecting flavours. It emphasises the sophisticated methods used in the flavour industry, illustrating the contrast between technological and personal capabilities in flavour detection.


     

    8. B


     

    Reference

    From paragraph B: "Nutritionists blamed cholesterol for putting up with the growing rates of fatness, heart disease, diabetes, and several cancers in Western culture."


     

    Explanation

    Paragraph B discusses the health implications associated with cholesterol intake, linking it to various diet-related health conditions such as obesity, heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers. This highlights the broader health context in which dietary choices, including those related to natural flavours, play a role.

    Questions and Answers 9-12
    Do the following statements agree with the information given in the Reading Passage?
    In boxes 9-12 on your answer sheet, write

    • TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
    • FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
    • NOT GIVEN if there is no information on this in the passage

     

    9.   On their own, vegetable oils do not have a strong flavour.
    10.  Soybean oil is lower in cholesterol than cottonseed oil.
    11.  Processed foods are becoming more popular in some Asian countries.
    12.  All food processing involves the use of natural flavours.

     

    The Flavour Industry  Reading Answers with Explanations (9-12)

     

     

    Type of question: Yes/No/Not Given(True/False/Not Given)

     

    In this question type, you are required to determine whether the statements provided agree with, contradict, or are not mentioned in the reading passage. 

     

     

    How to best answer: 


     

    • Understand what information is being presented and what is being asked.
    • Find relevant information in the reading passage that relates to the statement.
    • Determine if the statement agrees with, contradicts, or is not mentioned in the passage.
    • If the information is not explicitly provided in the passage, select 'Not Given' rather than making assumptions.
    • Base your answers solely on the information presented in the passage, avoiding personal opinions or outside knowledge.



     

    9. True


     

    Reference

    From paragraph C: "Pure vegetable oil is dull in contrast."


     

    Explanation

    In paragraph C, it's mentioned that pure vegetable oil lacks a strong flavour compared to oils like cottonseed oil, which contribute rich aromas to foods like French fries. This supports the statement that on their own, vegetable oils do not have a strong flavour.


     

    10. Not Given


     

    Reference

    From paragraph: N.A.


     

    Explanation

    The passage does not provide direct information comparing the cholesterol levels of soybean oil and cottonseed oil. Therefore, it's marked as Not Given, as there's no basis to confirm or deny the statement.


     

    11. True


     

    Reference

    From paragraph D: "Natural flavour also gets into our diet via the rise in junk foods, which now make up over  90% (and increasing) of the American diet. In addition to representing a flourishing industry in developing nations such as China and India, junk foods are basically any foods that have been bagged, bottled, boxed or packaged and have a list of components on the label.."


     

    Explanation

    Paragraph D discusses the global rise of junk foods, including in countries like China and India, where processed foods with natural flavours are increasingly consumed. This confirms the statement that processed foods are becoming more popular in some Asian countries.


     

    12. True


     

    Reference

    From paragraph D: "This procedure usually saps any original flavour out of the output, and so, naturally, flavour must reappear as well. "

     

    Explanation

    The paragraph discusses how food processing often removes natural flavours, necessitating the addition of natural flavours back into the processed foods to enhance taste. Therefore, the statement that all food processing involves the use of natural flavours is supported by this information.
     

    Questions and Answers 13
  • Choose the correct letter, A, B, C, or D and write it on your answer sheet.
  •  

     

    13. The writer of Reading Passage concludes that natural flavours…………………..
          A. are the major cause of dietary health problems.
          B.  are unhealthy but not as hard as sugar, fat, and sodium.
          C.  has health benefits that other ingredients tend to cancel out.
          D.  helps make unhealthy foods taste better.

     

     

    The Flavour Industry Reading Answers with Explanations (13)

     

     

    Type of question: Multiple choice questions

     

    In this question type, you are asked to answer the question followed by several options, typically lettered A, B, C, or D. The task is to select the correct answer from the given choices based on the information provided in the reading passage.

     

    How to best answer: 


     

    • Read the question carefully and understand what it asks.
    • Pay attention to the keywords in the question.
    • Skim the passage quickly to locate relevant information.
    • Eliminate the clearly incorrect options.
    • Select the answer that best fits the information in the passage.


     

    13. D


     

    Reference

    From paragraph G: "It does play a role, but, in serving these junk foods to taste fresh and nutritious even when they are not."


     

    Explanation

    Natural flavours help make unhealthy foods taste better. The passage in paragraph G mentions that natural flavour plays a role in making junk foods taste fresh and nutritious, thereby enhancing their appeal despite their nutritional drawbacks. Thus, option D is correct because it aligns with the passage's discussion on the function of natural flavours in processed foods.

    ielts logo

    Get the IELTS Prep App

    Star rating icon

    4.2

    1M+ Installs

    app download banner image

    Get the app link on your phone

    +91

    Or download app from

    google play storeapp store

    Next Up

    IELTS Reading Practice Test

    Read Now Read now

    IELTS Speaking Practice Test

    Read Now Read now

    IELTS Practice Test

    Read Now Read now

    IELTS Listening Practice Test

    Read Now Read now

    IELTS Writing Practice Test

    Read Now Read now

    Top Reading Samples with Answers

    IELTS Important Information

    Read More about IELTS Practice Test

    IELTS Accepting Universities

    IELTS Test Centre and Dates in India

    IELTS Accepting Countries

    FAQs

    Q. How can I improve my reading speed for the IELTS Reading test?

    Ans. Practice is important to improve your reading speed. Start with shorter passages and gradually move on to longer, more complex texts. Also, try techniques like skimming and scanning to quickly find key information in the passages.

    Q. How hard is the IELTS reading test?

    Ans. The IELTS reading test's difficulty will vary depending on your reading skills and familiarity with the question types. However, with adequate preparation and practice, you may find the reading test manageable. You need to develop effective strategies to tackle different question types and manage your time efficiently during the test.


     


     

    Q. What should I do if I don't understand a word or phrase in the passage during the IELTS Reading test?

    Ans. If you encounter words you don't know during the test, try to guess what they mean based on the sentence or paragraph. If you can't do that, focus on understanding the surrounding information so you can answer the questions as well as possible.