The Flavour Industry Reading Answers: IELTS Reading Practice Test

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.