Lower Saxony Zentralabitur VG Nutrition cheat sheet

Energy equivalents (Atwater): carbohydrate 4 kcal/g (17 kJ/g), protein 4 kcal/g (17 kJ/g), fat 9 kcal/g (37 kJ/g), alcohol 7 kcal/g (29 kJ/g), dietary fibre 2 kcal/g (8 kJ/g).

Energy balance: weight change = energy intake − energy expenditure; a deficit of ~7,000 kcal corresponds to roughly 1 kg of body fat loss.

Basal metabolic rate (BMR) via Mifflin-St Jeor: men 10·kg + 6.25·cm − 5·age + 5; women 10·kg + 6.25·cm − 5·age − 161 (kcal/day). PAL factors 1.2 (sedentary) to 2.4 (heavy labour) multiply BMR to give total energy expenditure.

Macronutrient energy shares: protein 10–20 %, fat 20–35 % (saturated fatty acids < 10 %), carbohydrate > 50 % of energy intake; added sugars < 10 % of energy.

Digestion sequence: starch begins with salivary α-amylase, continues with pancreatic amylase to maltose; brush-border maltase, sucrase and lactase yield monosaccharides absorbed via SGLT1 (glucose, galactose) and GLUT5 (fructose).

Protein digestion: pepsin in gastric acid, then pancreatic trypsin, chymotrypsin and carboxypeptidase; absorption as di- and tripeptides via PepT1 and free amino acids via Na+-dependent transporters.

Fat digestion: bile salts emulsify, pancreatic lipase yields 2-monoacylglycerol and free fatty acids; resynthesis to triglycerides in enterocytes, packaged into chylomicrons and transported via lymph.

Micronutrient reference values in Germany (D-A-CH): vitamin C 95–110 mg/day adults, calcium 1,000 mg/day, iron 10–15 mg/day (women higher), folate 300 µg/day, vitamin D 20 µg/day when endogenous synthesis is absent.

Maillard reaction: reducing sugar plus amino group, accelerated by heat and pH > 7, produces brown pigments and acrylamide from asparagine; browning without amines is caramelisation.

Water activity (aw) governs microbial stability: aw < 0.60 no microbial growth, 0.60–0.85 xerophilic moulds and osmophilic yeasts, > 0.91 most bacteria; salt or sugar lowers aw.

Blanching inactivates polyphenol oxidase and lipoxygenase, preventing enzymatic browning and rancidity; pasteurisation (72 °C/15 s) and UHT (135–150 °C/2–5 s) differ in shelf life and vitamin loss.

EU additives are identified by E numbers and functional classes (colour, preservative, emulsifier, thickener, antioxidant); Regulation (EC) No 1333/2008 lists permitted uses and maximum levels.

Nutrition and health claims are governed by Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006: 'source of fibre' requires ≥ 3 g/100 g, 'high fibre' ≥ 6 g/100 g, 'low fat' ≤ 3 g/100 g solid food.

Labelling under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011: mandatory nutrition declaration per 100 g/ml and per portion, allergens emphasised in the ingredient list, minimum font size 1.2 mm x-height.

Food composition tables (Bundeslebensmittelschlüssel, Souci-Fachmann-Kraut) supply nutrient values for recipes; cooking losses (vitamin C up to 50 % on boiling) must be considered when calculating.

HACCP-derived process hygiene: core temperature ≥ 70 °C for 2 minutes kills vegetative pathogens; cooling from 65 °C to 10 °C within 2 hours limits spore germination and toxin formation.

BMI = kg/m²; WHO classes: underweight < 18.5, normal 18.5–24.9, overweight 25–29.9, obesity ≥ 30 (grades I–III at 30, 35, 40).

Waist circumference risk thresholds: increased at ≥ 80 cm (women) / ≥ 94 cm (men), substantially increased at ≥ 88 cm / ≥ 102 cm.

Type 2 diabetes: carbohydrate quality and glycaemic index matter; fibre intake ≥ 30 g/day and weight loss of 5–10 % improve insulin sensitivity.

Hypertension: DASH-style diets, sodium reduction below 5–6 g salt/day (2 g sodium), potassium-rich vegetables and weight loss lower blood pressure.

Cardiovascular risk: replace saturated with unsaturated fat, keep trans fat < 1 % of energy, consume ≥ 250 mg EPA+DHA per day; LDL cholesterol is the primary target marker.

Osteoporosis: calcium 1,000 mg/day and vitamin D 20 µg/day, combined with weight-bearing exercise; protein intake 1.0 g/kg body weight supports bone matrix.

Iron bioavailability: haem iron from meat is absorbed at 15–35 %, non-haem iron at 2–20 %; vitamin C and meat enhance absorption, phytates, tannins and calcium inhibit it.

Public health nutrition instruments: the DGE 10 rules, Nutri-Score front-of-pack labelling, reformulation targets for salt/sugar/fat, and settings-based interventions (schools, canteens).

HACCP has seven principles: hazard analysis, determination of CCPs, establishment of critical limits, monitoring, corrective actions, verification, and record keeping.

A CCP is a step where control is essential to prevent, eliminate or reduce a hazard to an acceptable level; control points without a critical limit are merely CPs.

Hygiene regulation (EC) No 852/2004 requires prerequisite programmes (cleaning, pest control, personal hygiene, training) as the foundation beneath HACCP.

Microbiological criteria (Regulation (EC) No 2073/2005): Listeria monocytogenes 100 CFU/g at end of shelf life for ready-to-eat foods; Salmonella absent in 25 g for minced meat.

Cold chain: chilled foods at 2–7 °C (fresh meat, dairy), frozen at ≤ −18 °C; the danger zone 7–65 °C is where bacterial multiplication is fastest.

Sustainability indicators: CO2e per kg food, water footprint, land use; animal products rank highest, legumes and cereals lowest per kg protein.

Food waste hierarchy: prevention > reuse (redistribution) > recycling (feed, compost) > recovery (energy) > disposal; Germany's National Strategy targets halving waste by 2030 (SDG 12.3).

Quality management tools: DIN EN ISO 9001 (quality), ISO 22000 (food safety), IFS/BRCGS audits for retail supply chains; traceability one step back and one step forward under Regulation (EC) No 178/2002.

Recipe calculation: sum ingredient nutrients from a composition table, divide by total edible yield, then scale to the portion; account for cooking losses and trimming waste.

Yield factor = edible portion / purchased weight; for example, peeled potatoes yield about 80 %, so 250 g cooked requires ~310 g raw.

Menu cycle design: a 4-week rotating plan prevents monotony, balances food groups across the week and simplifies purchasing and costing.

Nutritional targets for a main meal (lunch, ~30 % of daily energy): ~600–750 kcal for an adult, with ≥ 1/3 vegetables, a protein source and a whole-grain starch.

Seasonal and regional purchasing lowers CO2e and cost; seasonal vegetable calendars guide menu planning and reduce storage losses.

Sensory balance: combine the five basic tastes (sweet, sour, salty, bitter, umami) and contrast textures and temperatures; fat carries aroma, acid cuts richness.

Portion control: standard household measures (1 tablespoon ≈ 15 ml oil, 1 teaspoon ≈ 5 g sugar) enable accurate nutrient estimation without a scale.

Allergen management in menus: the 14 declarable allergens under Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011 must be documented per dish and communicated to guests.

Food cost ratio = food cost / selling price; a target of 28–35 % is common in commercial catering, leaving margin for labour and overhead.

Mark-up calculation: selling price = cost / (1 − target food cost percentage); a 30 % target on €3.00 cost gives €10.00.

Break-even point = fixed costs / (price per unit − variable cost per unit); it defines the minimum volume to avoid loss.

Price elasticity of demand: |E| > 1 elastic (luxury foods), |E| < 1 inelastic (staples such as bread, salt); Engel's law states food's share of household budget falls as income rises.

Consumer behaviour models: Maslow's hierarchy (food satisfies physiological needs first), the Kano model (basic, performance, delighter attributes), and the theory of planned behaviour (attitude, subjective norm, perceived control).

Marketing mix (4 P): product, price, place, promotion; in food retail placement (shelf position, checkout zone) strongly influences impulse purchases.

Food market structures range from perfect competition (many small producers, homogeneous goods) to oligopoly (few large retailers) and monopoly; German food retail is a tight oligopoly.

Cost categories: fixed (rent, insurance), variable (ingredients, energy per cover), and semi-variable (staff); contribution margin = price − variable cost.

Nutri-Score is a five-colour front-of-pack algorithm (A dark green to E red) computed from energy, sugars, saturated fat, salt and protein, fibre, fruit/vegetable content; it is voluntary in Germany.

Mandatory nutrition declaration (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011): energy, fat, saturated fat, carbohydrate, sugars, protein, salt, per 100 g/ml and per portion.

'Contains no added sugar' does not mean sugar-free; intrinsic sugars remain, and only 'sugar-free' (≤ 0.5 g/100 g) is a regulated claim.

Health claims require EFSA authorisation and are listed in Regulation (EU) No 432/2012, e.g. calcium 'contributes to maintenance of normal bones'.

Reading a label critically: compare per 100 g, not per portion; check ingredient order (descending by weight); watch for multiple sugars (syrup, dextrose, maltodextrin).

Communication models: sender–message–channel–receiver; the elaboration likelihood model distinguishes central (argument-based) from peripheral (source-based) processing.

Target-group communication uses plain language, pictograms and portion-based framing; the 'Nutri-Score' and 'Planetary Health Diet' are common framing tools in consumer education.

Risk communication principles: absolute rather than relative risk, balanced benefit and risk, transparent uncertainty, and avoidance of alarmist framing.

Material analysis in the Abitur: identify the type of source (text, graph, table, diagram), its author and date, then state the core statement in one sentence before evaluating.

Graph reading: describe axes, units and trend, then interpret; distinguish correlation from causation and note scale truncation or missing baselines.

Study designs: RCT (causal evidence), cohort (prospective, observational), case-control (retrospective), cross-sectional (prevalence); evidence hierarchy places meta-analyses above single studies.

Statistical terms: p-value < 0.05 as conventional significance, confidence interval, effect size, relative vs absolute risk, sensitivity and specificity.

Evaluating a source: check sample size, control of confounders, funding, peer review, and whether the conclusion matches the reported data.

Argumentation structure: claim, evidence, warrant, conclusion; identify logical fallacies such as false dilemma, ad hominem and appeal to nature ('natural = healthy').

Operators in the examination: 'describe' (reproduce), 'explain' (causal links), 'evaluate' (weigh pros and cons with criteria), 'discuss' (multi-perspective judgement).

Data handling: round consistently, state units, compute percentages from absolute numbers, and check whether percentages sum to 100.