New Product and/or Process Development is a time intensive and costly process, so it is important that students develop the ability to reflect on the significance and inter-relationship of consumers’ and markets needs when involved with the design and development of new food products. Students will develop an awareness of the reasons for developing New Food Products and novel processes and what stages are necessary to bring a concept to the marketplace. They will be required to explore the principles required in the formulation and preparation of new food products. As global legislation requires that documented evidence is in place to demonstrate good practices the final element of this Module will be to understand the requirements of a Product manual and to apply an innovative approach in the formulation of a manual, reflecting the activities that have been systematically followed within the product development laboratory.

On successful completion of this module a student will be able to:
1. develop an awareness of methods used in the development and testing New Food Products; including the characterisation of sensory attributes and determination of consumer preferences;
2. apply the new product development theories and manage a food product development project;
3. reflect on the interactions of ingredients and processes used in the development of New Food Products with potential hazards that could compromise safety or quality attributes;
4. demonstrate how safety, quality and other components of integrated management systems are applied and manage their application in the development of a Product Manual for the new product developed;
5. critically assess and apply food labelling legislative requirements and appraise types of packaging available and their uses in the presentation of the new product.

• Why develop New Food Products?
• Generation of new ideas;
• Screening processes for new products or processes;
• Organoleptic assessment;
• Processing requirements and limitations;
• Safety aspects of new product;
• Market research: understanding consumer/market needs;
• Financial aspects and product costing;
• Scale-up of prototype product;
• Legislation, compliance in terms of product ingredients, packaging and labelling.

• Lectures based around the flipped classroom concept, seminars and interactive discussions including a case study where the steps followed in new product development are evaluated;
• Laboratory based practical exercises in the stages of product and process development that lead to the development of a new food product;
• Presentation of the food product developed during the practical sessions, in packaging with a suggested label compliant with legislative requirements;
• Development of a product manual for the product developed, compliant with legislative requirements and with a justifiable costing.

Oral Presentation: 50% weighting, 50% pass mark.
Learning Outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Duration: 15 minute presentation.
Outline Details: The students will give a presentation to the “Board” introducing the new product they have created during the laboratory session; this will be followed by a question/ answer session.

Product Manual: 50% weighting, 50% pass mark.
Learning Outcomes: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Word Length: 4000 words.
Outline Details: The student will create a manual that will describe the development of the new product created during the laboratory session and according to a given brief. The manual will include market research, laboratory diary and a safety and quality management system.

Formative Assessment: Presentation, costing and product manual as gate assessment.