Welcome to Food Product Development!
Ever wondered how a new flavour of crisps, a special type of instant noodle, or a healthy new drink appears on the supermarket shelf? It’s not magic! It’s a fascinating process called Food Product Development. In this chapter, we'll go behind the scenes and explore the journey of a food product from a simple idea to something you can buy and eat. This is where science, creativity, and business all come together. Let's get started!
Diving into the Food Industry
First things first, what exactly is the food industry? Think of it as the giant network of all the businesses involved in producing, processing, and selling the food we eat. It's not just one thing; it's made up of many different parts.
Types of Food Industries
The food industry can be broken down into different categories based on what they make. Here are a few examples you'll definitely know:
• Beverage Industry: This is all about drinks! From soft drinks and juices to milk and tea.
Examples: Vitasoy (a local Hong Kong favourite!), Coca-Cola.
• Bakery Products Industry: This industry makes all our favourite baked goods like bread, cakes, biscuits, and pastries.
Examples: Garden Company, Maxim's Cakes.
• Seasoning Industry: These companies produce sauces, spices, and condiments that add flavour to our food.
Examples: Lee Kum Kee (famous for its oyster sauce!), Amoy.
Did you know?
Lee Kum Kee, a world-famous Hong Kong company, was started in 1888 when its founder accidentally overcooked a pot of oyster soup and discovered the delicious, rich oyster sauce we know today. A happy accident turned into a global business!
Key Takeaway
The food industry is a huge and diverse field with many types of companies, from local bakeries to massive international drink companies, all working to create the food we consume.
So, You Have an Idea... What's Next?
Creating a new food product isn't as simple as just having a good recipe. Companies must think about many different factors before they even start cooking. We can split these factors into what’s happening outside the company (External) and what’s happening inside (Internal).
External Factors: The World Outside the Company
These are things the company can't fully control but must pay close attention to.
1. Economic Environment: This is all about money.
• Consumer Demands: What do people want to buy? Are they looking for something cheap and quick (cost and convenience), or are they willing to pay more for quality? For example, the demand for ready-to-eat meals is high in a busy city like Hong Kong.
• Company Profitability: The company needs to make money! They must calculate if the product can be made and sold at a price that brings in a profit.
2. Ecological Environment: This is about our planet and our health.
• Health: People are more health-conscious than ever. Products that are low-fat, low-sugar, or high-fibre are very popular.
• The Environment: Consumers and governments are concerned about sustainability. Companies think about using eco-friendly packaging and reducing waste.
3. Technological Environment: This involves the tools and science available.
• Processing Equipment: Does the technology exist to make the product safely and efficiently? For example, new machines might be needed for a new type of freeze-dried snack.
• Packaging Materials: New types of packaging can keep food fresh longer or be more environmentally friendly (like biodegradable plastics).
4. Specific Purposes: Sometimes, food is designed for very unique situations.
• Examples: Food for astronauts on space missions needs to be lightweight, long-lasting, and easy to eat in zero gravity. Food for military use needs to be high in energy and durable.
Trends in the Marketplace: What's Popular Now?
The food world is always changing! Companies must keep up with the latest trends.
• Emerging Technology: Using science in new ways. For example, biotechnology can be used to create genetically modified (GM) foods that might grow faster or have more nutrients.
• Ecologically Sustainable Production: Farming and producing food in a way that is kind to the environment. Organic farming, which avoids artificial chemicals, is a great example.
• Health-enhancing Foods: These are foods with added health benefits, also known as functional foods. Example: Probiotic yogurt (like Yakult) that helps with digestion.
• Value-added Convenience Foods: Making life easier for busy people. A home meal replacement is a fully cooked, packaged meal that you just need to heat up. Think of the ready meals at 7-Eleven or other convenience stores.
• Food Product Marketing: How products are advertised. A common practice is labelling foods with nutritional claims like "Low in Sugar" or "High in Calcium" to attract health-conscious buyers.
• Forms of Business: Many of the world's biggest food brands are owned by multinational food companies (like Nestlé or Coca-Cola) that operate all over the globe.
• Globalization of the Food Trade: We can buy food from anywhere in the world thanks to trade agreements between countries. This means we can enjoy Japanese sushi or Italian pasta right here in Hong Kong.
Internal Factors: Looking Inside the Company
These are things the company *can* control. Think of it like deciding to build something with LEGOs – you need to check what pieces and skills you have.
• Personal Expertise: Does the company have staff with the right skills and knowledge (e.g., food scientists, expert chefs) to create the new product?
• Production Facilities: Does the company have the right factory, machines, and space to make the product?
• Financial Situation: Does the company have enough money to invest in research, new equipment, and marketing?
• Company Image: What do people think of the company? A company known for high-quality health foods (a good company image) will have an easier time launching a new organic snack than a company known for junk food.
Key Takeaway
Before creating a new product, a company must analyze many factors: the economy and environment (external), what's popular in the market (trends), and its own money, skills and equipment (internal).
From Brainstorm to Supermarket Shelf: The Development Process
Okay, so a company has considered all the factors and decided to go ahead. What are the actual steps? It's a careful, step-by-step process.
1. Planning: This is the first step where the company sets its goals. What kind of product do they want to make? Who is it for? How much should it cost?
2. Idea Generation: This is the fun brainstorming part! The team comes up with as many ideas as possible. Maybe a spicy chocolate bar, or a potato crisp that tastes like mango pomelo sago dessert!
3. Market Research: This is super important! The company finds out what consumers actually want. This can be done through surveys, focus groups, or looking at sales data. It involves an information search (what's already out there?), a literature review (reading scientific studies), and maybe even mini market research (setting up a small stall to test an idea).
4. Feasibility Study: The company checks if the best ideas are actually possible. "Do we have the money, the technology, and the expertise to make this happen?" This is a reality check.
5. Development of Prototypes: This is where the first real versions of the product are made. A prototype is like a first draft. The food scientists will experiment with ingredients and cooking methods in the lab to create a few different versions.
6. Multiple Trial and Sensory Evaluation: Time for a taste test! But it's more scientific than that. Sensory evaluation is when trained tasters use all five senses (sight, smell, taste, touch, hearing) to judge the product's appearance, aroma, flavour, and texture.
7. Consumer Testing: Now it's time to see what real customers think. The company will invite people from their target audience to try the prototypes and give feedback. "Is it too sweet? Is the packaging easy to open?"
8. Marketing Plan: Once the final product is chosen, the company creates a plan to sell it. This includes designing the packaging, deciding on the price, and planning advertisements (TV commercials, social media posts, etc.).
Quick Review: The 8 Steps
Planning -> Idea -> Market Research -> Feasibility -> Prototype -> Sensory Evaluation -> Consumer Testing -> Marketing. Try to remember the flow!
Key Takeaway
Developing a food product is a structured journey with 8 key steps, from initial planning and research to creating and testing prototypes, and finally planning how to market and sell it.
The Life and Times of a Food Product
Once a product is launched, its journey isn't over. It goes through different stages of production and has its own "life cycle" in the market.
The Product Life Cycle
Think of a food product like a person: it's born, it grows up, it gets old, and eventually, it might disappear. The product life cycle describes the stages of a product's sales in the market. Some products have a very short life (like a limited-edition festive drink), while others live for a very long time (like classic Coca-Cola).
From Idea to Factory: Production Stages
This is a more focused look at how the product gets made on a large scale.
• Research and Development (R&D): This is the official name for the "science" phase where the idea is turned into a workable recipe and prototype. This stage happens before mass production.
• Trial and Piloting: Before opening a huge factory, the company does a test run. A trial is a small-scale production run in a 'pilot plant' (a mini-factory). This helps the company find and fix any problems with the manufacturing process before spending millions of dollars.
• Production: This is it! The product is made in large quantities in the main factory. This is the full-scale manufacturing process that gets the product ready to be shipped to stores.
Key Takeaway
A food product goes through a life cycle in the market. The journey to the store shelf involves a critical "trial" or "piloting" stage to ensure the large-scale production process works perfectly.