Food innovation (health claims, functional foods, novel foods, new product development)
Food innovation (health claims, functional foods, novel foods, new product development)
Food Innovation
Health Claims
- Understand the term health claims, which refers to statements made by food manufacturers about the health benefits provided by their products.
- Realise the importance of accurate and evidence-supported health claims for informed dietary choices.
- Recognise the purpose of health claims in advertising and product labelling, often used to sway consumer choices towards specific products.
Functional Foods
- Acquaint with functional foods, which are foods enhanced with additional nutrients or health-promoting substances.
- Examples of functional foods include probiotic yoghurts and fortified breakfast cereals.
- Learn the distinguishable difference between naturally occurring nutrients and ones that are added during food processing.
Novel Foods
- Become familiar with the concept of novel foods which are foods not widely consumed within the EU before May 1997.
- Novel foods include newly developed, innovative foods (like plant-based meat alternatives), foods produced using new technologies (such as genetically modified foods) and traditional foods from non-EU countries (like chia seeds).
- Appreciate the stringent safety measures and evaluations that novel foods must undergo before being introduced into the market.
New Product Development
- Absorb the steps involved in new product development including conceptualisation, product design, testing, and market launch.
- Understand how market research influences new product development in terms of the types of products created and their corresponding health claims.
- Recognise that consumer trends, nutritional guidelines, and food regulations all play a role in the new product development process.