• Updated and expanded with new materials and chapter, guidance documents, Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) requirements, FDA labeling, calculations and more
• Practical information for product development personnel on ideation sessions, reverse engineering, test panels, cost analysis–from concept to store shelf
• Connects marketing, concepts, prototyping, processing, and regulation
• Designed for university courses and company training
This text is an enlarged and fully revised edition of a widely used guide that explains industry-standard techniques for introducing new, cost-effective, and legally compliant food products. The contents cover all facets of product development from market research to packaging, labeling, shelf-life, and distribution. (See the full contents below.) The book offers tools for market and break-even analysis, as well as extensive chapters on how food ingredients/additives are assessed and foods are processed, placing product development in the context of chemistry, microbiology and food engineering. Organizational, technical, legal, and cost factors are explained in ways that can be applied by development teams. The second edition has been updated in terms of the Food Safety Modernization Act and adds a chapter on pet food. New in this edition are sections on innovation software, emerging food pathogens, the Food Safety Plan, FDA information on labeling and additives, as well as Certificates of Analysis and Letters of Guarantee. Review questions are provided at the end of each chapter.
From the authors’ Preface to the Second Edition
“Food product development is a continuously evolving area, which has to reflect market trends, consumer preferences, and, perhaps most importantly, current food laws and regulations. Following publication of the first edition of this book, two key pieces of Federal legislation were issued dealing with food safety and food labeling, namely, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) and the Nutrition Facts labeling requirements, of which both led to new FDA regulations that are part of the second edition. We took this opportunity to include new information as well as review all of the book’s content and make corrections and additions based on recommendations of colleagues and students who used the first edition.”
Alexandra Cahill – :
BOOK REVIEW
Methods for Developing New Food Products, Expanded Second Edition
An Instructional Guide
By Fadi Aramouni and Kathryn Deschenes
DEStech Publications, Inc., Lancaster, PA, USA, 2017, 430pp. ISBN: 978-1-60595-432-5
Methods for Developing New Food Products Second Edition is a comprehensive overview of the fundamental elements of a new food product’s lifecycle from ideation to commercialization. Repeatedly, the book answers a student’s inevitable question, “But when will I use this information in the real world?”
Chapters progress in a logical, easily understandable format, beginning with an overview of product development and moving through consumer preference and market trends, chemical/physical properties of food components, sensory analysis of a product and methods of evaluation, experimental design in product development, basic units of operation (how a product is manufactured), shelf life testing, on-pack labeling, quality control, and more. The text is easy to read and packed with practical information and examples.
Key features of the text that caught my eye:
• Consistent formatting such as a “learning objectives” box at the beginning of each chapter. Key vocabulary and comprehension questions at the end of each chapter make the text an easy-to- use learning tool.
• Effective use of tables and figures reinforce key points throughout the text.
• Inclusion of recent federal legislation, such as the Food Safety Modernization Act and new requirements for nutrition facts labeling, keeps the text current with existing regulatory considerations.
• Case studies bring to light the real-world applicability, and offer students a sneak peek of the foreseeable rock-and-a-hard-place situations that can arise in the launch of a new food product.
In studying Methods for Developing New Food Products, Second Edition, students will learn the basics of new product design and development. But perhaps more importantly, students will gain an understanding for the many interrelationships with different facets of the commercialization cycle (like ideation, economic and production feasibility, marketing and interfacing with the consumer, regulatory compliance, quality control, etc). In effectively addressing important topics such as these, authors Aramouni and Deschenes are preparing a student for a successful career in the food industry.
As savvy consumers continue to demand products that are on-trend, appealing, accessible, and affordable, I especially appreciated inclusion of topics like: reverse-engineering competitor products, how to use market research, and the economic feasibility of new product ideas – all practical information for today’s evolving food industry.
Other chapters of particular interest highlighted topics like innovation management systems, which students will undoubtedly encounter and be required to navigate when working in the industry. Additionally, the text’s emphasis on important resources like the Code of Federal Regulations offer invaluable learnings in how to ensure a new product is in compliance with U.S. law.
As a product developer myself, I believe Methods for Developing New Food Products successfully outlines the key principles that underlie the many accountabilities of a product developer in the food industry. There are many considerations in ushering a new food product to market – and a successful launch is not always guaranteed. This text is great preparation for any student looking to understand the lifecycle of a food product and what it entails.
Methods for Developing New Food Products, Second Edition is an excellent tool for teachers and educators, a handy reference for industry professionals and an exceptional resource for students learning the basics of the food industry and new product development. The text provides a solid foundation upon which to build specialized interests and on-the-job experience.
Mary Shell
Owner, MS Foods LLC
Product Developer/Food Scientist