AnS 460/560 Laboratories
Spring, 2014
New Product Development
For many of our laboratories over the course of the semester, you will be working on a project
similar to what you might be doing if you were working in the industry. Imagine yourself
working for Oscar Mayer or Hormel and the company decides to increase the number of new
products offered to consumers. Your boss gives you an assignment: “Come up with one new
product idea and all the information we need to start making it by May.”
To do this, you would need to first come up with an idea, then assess the competition, decide
how to make the product, do some trial batches, evaluate your product and make some
recommendations to your boss. Your salary, if not your future, may be on the line!
I.
So—the first thing to do is get an idea. There are two options (for the purposes of our
laboratory:)
Option 1: Ideally, you should try to come up with a truly new original product that is not now
on the market. This is not easy but walking through the supermarket and reviewing
what is on the market may help to stimulate some ideas. Maybe there’s something
you’d like to try that you’ve never seen done before-at least when it comes to
processed meats! Daydream—almost anything is worth a try. Think about what
consumers do in their lifestyles and what would be attractive to them as a new
product. “Lunchables” was a big hit when Oscar Mayer put the idea together.
“Always Tender Pork” by Hormel (injected fresh pork) is another example that has
been hugely successful. Spam “Singles” is a unique idea from Hormel. In one of our
460/560 laboratories, “Crayola dogs” (red, yellow, blue and green hot dogs) turned
out to be an interesting idea. Of course, “natural” and “organic” products are now all
the rage.
Option 2: If you can’t think of anything truly new, the other approach you can take is to develop
a product that is “new” to your company but one that someone else is already selling.
In other words, you want to try to take away part of someone else’s sales. If you go
this route, you need to propose how you can achieve “stealing” part of the market and
how you will make this product “better” than what is currently on the market. You
need something unique (packaging, price, etc.) as a part of your project idea to make
your product a good competitor.
II.
Secondly, after getting an idea, do a market survey in the supermarket. Collect information
(for your first report) on the likely competition you would face if your product were
introduced to the market. You should determine how many similar products there are, who
makes them, prices, packaging used, ingredients used, special claims, etc. In other words, size
up your competition and report on it. This is expected to be included in your first report.
A true study of the competition also requires doing some analytical work on the commercial
products to determine just what the competition is doing. This will help you decide how you
should make your own product. This is true even if you have a truly original product because
you will be competing for consumers against products they would be foregoing when selecting
yours. Thus, you need to get into the laboratory and collect some data. This is what you will be
doing in the first 4-5 labs.
So, for your first 50-point laboratory report, we want you to evaluate three brands of a
specific commercially processed meat product which you consider potential competition for the
product you plan to develop. For example, you might choose Oscar Mayer, Hormel and
Farmland hams if you are going to develop a new ham product. If you are planning a truly new
product not now on the market, think about what consumers would be giving up if they bought
your product; that is your competition. The easiest way to do this is to simply review what is
offered in local stores such as Dahls, HyVee, Fareway or Walmart.
We will organize each lab. section into groups of 2-3 people for analyzing the products and
making comparisons. Each person will then use all of your group data but prepare individual
reports.
Evaluations of the products you chose will be done as part of our laboratories during the first 6
weeks of the semester. Included will be:
1. composition (fat, moisture, protein)
2. pH
3. color values
4. salt content
5. sensory characteristics (self-assessment)
In addition, we want you to observe and compare products in the stores (your market survey),
and as you are working with them for:
1. general appearance and consumer appeal
2. packaging materials and concepts
3. labels and label information
4. cost (per package and per unit weight) – record this when you do your market survey.
5. odor, taste, etc.
6. advertising/coupons, etc.
7. any other characteristics appropriate to the product chosen
Summarize all your data and comparisons, then discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each of
the products studied. We also want you to discuss the analytical methods you used in the
laboratory as part of this report. Refer to the lists above often to be sure you leave anything out.
This report is your “Commercial Product Analyses and Comparison
Report” and will be due February 20. (50 points)
II.
Then, based on what you find when comparing products, prepare for your second report by:
1.
deciding on a formulation for your new product in terms of meat to be used, fat content
desired, any unusual ingredients such as cheese, etc. or any unusual aspects to your idea of
a new product. If you are uncertain about formulations, you will have opportunity to try
2-3 batches in the processing laboratories to see which is best (see No. 4 below).
2.
selecting a desired product form such as links, patties, chubs, including size expected (8
oz., 10 per pound, etc.)
3.
deciding what you plan to use for a product package (consider what is necessary for the
kind of product being made). Develop a label design, information and decide how you
might advertise this product. Propose some ideas to get consumers to try your product.
4.
making your proposed product and evaluating it. You will, most likely, need to make
more than one trial batch to determine the best product. You will have opportunity to do
this in our last 2-3 labs-after we have done some product manufacturing to give you a little
experience.
After describing what you have done, complete your report with information on the
final formulation, processing steps and success (or failure) of your idea. Make
recommendations for additional work or the next likely steps necessary for getting this
product to consumers.
This will be your “New Product Development Report” [to your boss-remember-your
salary (and maybe more!) depends on it]—due at, or before the final exam.
This report is worth 50 points.