ACE2073 : New Food Product Development - Undergraduate Study

Offered for Year: 2020/21

Module Leader(s): Dr Orla Collins
Lecturer: Mr Karl Christensen, Dr Sharron Kuznesof, Dr Helen Mason

Owning School: Natural and Environmental Sciences
Teaching Location: Newcastle City Campus

Semesters

Semester 2 Credit Value:	10
ECTS Credits:	5.0

Aims

Through an active learning approach, this module aims to introduce students to the key issues and practical steps involved in adopting a critical path approach to new food product development by:

i) working in mixed degree subject teams to develop and market test a new food product according to a given brief
ii) enhancing and reflecting upon skills developed during the duration of the module.

Outline Of Syllabus

Illustrative syllabus:

1. Introduction to the Module

2. NPD in the food industry and the critical path process
Introduction to core concepts in NPD
• Novel food definitions and perspectives
• The business rationale for innovation/NPD
• Review of the NPD (and critical path) process, its history, development and role within an organization
• Overview of key food market trends

3. Innovation, the market gap and the brief
• Characterising innovation
• Methods for generating new product ideas
• Gap analysis

4. The role of the consumer in the NPD process
• Consumer consultation in the NPD process
• Critiquing the role of the consumer in the NPD process
• Mapping consumer research data collection techniques to the NPD process

5. Legislation and NPD
• EU Novel Foods Regulation
• Food Safety Act 1990 -Due diligence defense
• Food Safety (HACCP)
• Labelling (FIRs)
• Traceability (incl. food fraud vulnerability assessments)
• Health Claims Legislation

6. Scaling-up: from kitchen pilot to full scale manufacturing

7. Microbiological safety and quality control in practice

8. Strategic brand development considerations

9 & 10 Project Workshops: Students will work in interdisciplinary groups to produce a new food product in accordance with a given brief. 2 x project workshops will support the group new product development process.

4 x 1 hour optional drop-in surgeries will be scheduled to support the group projects.

Teaching Methods

Please note that module leaders are reviewing the module teaching and assessment methods for Semester 2 modules, in light of the Covid-19 restrictions. There may also be a few further changes to Semester 1 modules. Final information will be available by the end of August 2020 in for Semester 1 modules and the end of October 2020 for Semester 2 modules.

Teaching Activities

Category	Activity	Number	Length	Student Hours	Comment
Guided Independent Study	Assessment preparation and completion	1	12:00	12:00	Presentation Preparation
Guided Independent Study	Assessment preparation and completion	1	12:00	12:00	Reflection Preparation
Structured Guided Learning	Lecture materials	5	1:00	5:00	Lecture materials, course content
Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities	Lecture	1	1:00	1:00	N/A
Guided Independent Study	Directed research and reading	1	51:00	51:00	Group project work, inc. gap analysis, product devt, brand devt, legislative compliance.
Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities	Small group teaching	5	1:00	5:00	Lecture materials, course content
Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities	Workshops	1	2:00	2:00	Trouble shooting, project update, general Q&A
Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities	Fieldwork	1	7:00	7:00	Field work to Brew Lab
Scheduled Learning And Teaching Activities	Drop-in/surgery	5	1:00	5:00	Optional Drop in
Total				100:00

Teaching Rationale And Relationship

This module supports the development of a new product based upon a given brief. Students will work in groups to achieve this aim. Students will be placed into groups based upon their disciplinary background. As the new product development process typically contains contributors from different functional areas within a company, to mimic this the students will be placed into groups based upon their disciplinary background with students from mixed disciplines in each group.

Lectures with accompanying case studies, including from guest speakers where appropriate, provide core knowledge-based content. Workshops and the group task encourage practice of both knowledge and skills.

Surgeries will support group projects.

Assessment Methods

The format of resits will be determined by the Board of Examiners

Other Assessment

Description	Semester	When Set	Percentage	Comment
Design/Creative proj	2	M	70	Group project, peer assessed. Includes presentation/demonstration of new food product.
Reflective log	2	M	30	Individual personal reflection. 700 words.

Assessment Rationale And Relationship

As an action learning module, the assessments are geared around the group project and individual reflections on the new product development process and its practice within the group context.

The group project assesses students' active learning, oral communication and commercial acumen skills. The groups will be comprised of an interdisciplinary mix of students including those with an interest in nutrition and food marketing for whom the module is compulsory. Students will be required to work as a team, whilst taking on personal responsibility for specific group-determined tasks related to the development of a new product. Peer assessment of team members will differentiate individual marks up to a maximum of + or - 10% of the group mark.

A personal reflection will enable students to reflect upon the group active learning process.

Reading Lists

ACE2073's Reading List

Timetable

Timetable Website: www.ncl.ac.uk/timetable/
ACE2073's Timetable