Candidates made a fair attempt at this question where they were meant to give the meaning of preservatives. Candidates were expected to answer that preservatives are edible, natural/harmless chemical substances added to food to improve its shelf life, but many of them just stated that preservatives improves the shelf life of foods without mentioning that they are chemical/harmless substances. For 6 (b), majority of the candidates mentioned different ways of serving fruits which include stewed fruits, fruit salad, puree etc.

As for factors that affect the drying of food items in 6 (c), only a few candidates were able to give meaningful statements such as temperature of the surface area, choice of drying method, weather condition of the area whereas others only listed points such as temperature, equipment, weather and these points made no sense if not used in a sentence as required of them. This question was one of their weaknesses and it is an indication that the candidates have a little grasp of the concept of food drying.