1) Food Product Development
Food product development is the process of creating a new food item (or improving an
existing one) and bringing it to the market for people to buy.
Why do companies develop new food products?
To earn more money and grow.
To stay ahead of competitors.
To follow changing food trends and meet customer needs.
3.1 Steps in Food Product Development
There are 4 main steps:
1. Ideation – Coming up with ideas.
2. Formulation – Making the product in a lab.
3. Processing – Making the product in large amounts.
4. Commercialization – Getting the product ready for sale.
At each step, there are "checkpoints" to see if the product idea should move forward or be
dropped. This method is called the "Stage and Gate" process – like a funnel that filters only
the best ideas.
How the Stage and Gate process works:
Start with 12–15 ideas.
Drop some ideas if:
o The product already exists.
o It’s too expensive to make.
o Not enough people would buy it.
Choose the best 3–5 ideas to make small samples.
Test them with consumers.
Pick the top 2–3 products to make in a bigger batch.
Test for:
o Cost to produce
o Food safety and quality
o Shelf life
Finally, select the best 1–2 products to sell in stores.
3.2 Ideation (Coming Up with Ideas)
This is usually the hardest step.
Think of new or improved food products that people will want to buy.
Ideas can come from:
o Trends (e.g., plant-based foods)
o Customer needs
o Regional flavors
Check if:
o The market is big enough.
o The flavor will be accepted by the target customers.
Tip: Just because you like something doesn’t mean others will!
3.3 Formulation (Creating the Product)
Make a sample version of the food in a lab using real ingredients.
Create a “gold standard” – the perfect version of your product.
Watch out for:
o Expensive or hard-to-find ingredients.
o If the product can be made in large amounts.
o Legal issues (e.g., don’t copy someone’s idea).
3.4 Processing (Making it at Scale)
Take the lab version and try to make it in larger quantities.
This may need to be done in stages (small plant → big plant).
Test for:
o Quality
o Food safety
o Shelf life
Calculate how much it will really cost to produce.
3.5 Commercialization (Getting It to Market)
Final steps before launching:
o Design packaging and label
o Set final prices
o Plan how to advertise and sell the product
3.5.1 After the Launch
Check if the product is doing well:
Are people buying it?
Are sales increasing?
Is the company making good revenue?
Here's an easy and clear explanation of the Shelf-Life Assessment section:
Shelf-Life Assessment (Simple Explanation)
Shelf-life means how long a food product stays safe and good to eat under normal storage
and handling conditions.
Why Shelf-Life Testing is Important
To know how long a product keeps its taste, smell, texture, and appearance.
To make sure it stays safe and free from harmful germs during its storage time.
To label the product correctly with "best before" or "use by" dates.
3.6.1 Methods to Check Shelf Life
1. Sensory Evaluation
o Use human senses to check how the food looks, smells, tastes, and feels over
time.
2. Microbiological Testing
o Checks for germs and bacteria that can make food unsafe or spoil it.
3. Chemical Testing
o Looks for chemical changes in the food like rancidity (bad smell in fats), pH
changes, etc.
4. Accelerated Shelf Life Testing
o Store the product in higher temperature or humidity to speed up aging and
predict how long it will last in normal conditions.
What Affects Shelf Life?
The ingredients used.
The way the product is made.
The type of packaging.
The storage conditions (like temperature and humidity).
