Basic Food Product Development

Module Provider: Food and Nutritional Sciences
Number of credits: 10 [5 ECTS credits]
Level:5
Terms in which taught: Spring term module
Pre-requisites:
Non-modular pre-requisites: This module is not open to FNS students that have FB3FPD as a compulsory module in their final year
Co-requisites:
Modules excluded:
Module version for: 2016/7

Summary module description:
Basic introduction to new product development in the food industry.

Aims:
To develop expertise in designing, developing and evaluating new products.

Assessable learning outcomes:
On completion of this module, students should be able to:
- Prepare a defined product specification.
- Identify the steps in the development process.
- Make, and appraise, proposals for the small scale manufacture of a product to an agreed specification.
- Evaluate the progression of a new food product from the development stage to commercial production.
Additional outcomes:
Enhanced team working and presentation skills.

Outline content:
Use flow diagrams to describe the stages from ingredients to final product. Factors determining the selection of appropriate processing methods (e.g. type of freezer, separation by filtration or centrifugation, etc.) and functional constituents (e.g. selection of gelling agents, emulsifiers etc.). Methods for sourcing equipment and ingredients. Measurement of appropriate chemical, physical, microbiological and sensory properties. Writing of product specifications and ingredients specifications. Determining Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) and Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) protocols.

Global context:
Enables the student to gain an insight into global manufacturing and marketing.

Brief description of teaching and learning methods:
There will be some introductory lectures involving food specialists. Then, students, working in groups, will be given a product concept and will be required to consider all aspects of the development of a product meeting the concept brief. Students will have access to Blackboard communication tools (Wiki etc) to team work and develop their ideas. Each student will be required to contribute to a written group report on the product, produce a log of their contribution to the group work and be required to attend a group presentation relating to the product they have researched.

Contact hours:
Lectures 15
Seminars 10
Guided independent study 75
Total hours by term 100

Summative Assessment Methods:
Report 50
Portfolio 20
Oral assessment and presentation 30

Other information on summative assessment:
Relative percentage of coursework : 100%.

Group report/executive summary - 50%
(Portfolio) Personal log - 20%
Final group presentation (oral) - 30%

All work is submitted in week 11 (final week of term).

Formative assessment methods:

Length of examination:
Requirements for a pass:
overall mark of 40%

Reassessment arrangements:
Resubmission of coursework.