Food product development - Maximising success

hardback  256 pages  ISBN 1855734680      £140.00

Product development, from refining an established product range to developing completely new products, is the lifeblood of the food industry. It is, however, a process fraught with risk which often ends in failure. This book explains the means to making product development a success. Filled with examples and practical suggestions, and written by a distinguished team with unrivalled academic and industry expertise, Food product development will be an essential guide for R & D and product development staff, and managers throughout the food industry concerned with this key issue.

Contents

Part 1: Introduction

Keys to new product success and failure

• Food products - the basis of innovation
• Measures of product success and failure
• The key factors in product success
• Product development process: the basis for success
• Managing for product success
• Relating to consumers and markets: the key to product success
• Knowledge of society, industry and technology
• Product development management in the food industry
• The basis and structure of the book
• References

Part 2: Key requirements for successful product development

Developing an innovation strategy

• The possibilities for innovation
• Incorporating innovation into the business strategy
• Building up the innovation strategy
• Getting the innovation strategy right
• Focusing the product development programme
• Developing the product development strategy
• Planning the product development programme
• References

The product development process

• Product strategy
• Product design and process development
• Product commercialisation
• Product launch and evaluation
• Service in product development
• Where is the product development process going?
• References

The knowledge base for product development

• Technology, knowledge and the food system
• Knowledge management or knowledge navigation
• Necessary knowledge for product development
• Tacit knowledge in product development
• Creating knowledge in product knowledge
• References

The consumer in product development

• Understanding consumer behaviour and food choice
• Integrating consumer needs and wants in product development
• Keeping product development focused on the consumers
• References

Managing the product development process

• Principles of product development management
• People in product development management
• Designing the PD process
• Establishing key decision points and the decision makers
• Establishing outcomes, budgets and constraints
• Organising the PD process
• Managing the PD process
• Company organisation for product development
• References

Case studies: product development in the food system

• Primary production: creating a new variety
• Development of Thai mango products and their competitive advantage in export markets
• Industrial products: PD process and management for whey proteins
• Consumer products: a new product and new platform in variety sauces
• Some brief comments on the cases
• Acknowledgements
• References

Improving the product development process

• The key message
• Evaluating product development
• Innovation metrics
• Striving for continuous improvement
• References