Food Technology - Product for a young child.

When all my questionnaires have been answered I will write about my findings and use this and other research for my design specification.

Questionnaire Example

Questionnaire

 

• Do you look for healthy or appealing foods when you shop for your child?  Appealing

• Do you think the meal has to be appealing to the child?    Yes

• Do you buy food based on their appearance?    Yes

• What brands of food do you normally buy?   Supermarket

• What types of food do you normally buy?     Children

• Would you pay more for food aimed directly at children?    Yes

• How long do you usually spend food shopping?   2 Hours

• Does your child have any say in what he eats?    Yes

Questionnaire Results

After looking at the questionnaires I handed out, I have found out the following:

• Most people shop health wise, but they also like it to be appealing.
• They believe the meal has to be appealing.
• They don’t always buy food based on appearance.
• People usually buy supermarket food.
• Most people buy packaged food.
• There is mixed feeling towards paying more for food aimed at children.
• People usually spend 1 – 2 hours shopping.
• Children get a say in what they eat.

Using this information I will come up with my design specification.

Survey

As part of my research I had to conduct a survey about available food products for children. I found the food products on the Internet on the Sainsbury’s Website. I would include the fields of cost, weight, etc. On my survey the information I will find will contribute to my design specification.

Product Survey

Design Specification

For my product, I need to make sure it covers the following points:

• Must be healthy.
• Must be appealing and attractive to children.
• Probably be packaged so must make sure it keeps.
• Must be eye-catching.
• Must be between 85p and 22p per 100g.
• Must be at least 1067kj per 100g.
• Must have 14g of fat or less.
• Must be designed with a package in mind.

Chunky Chicken Soup

Ingredients

• 25g butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 225g chopped carrots
• 2 sticks celery, chopped
• 1.75ml chicken stock
• 175g cooked diced chicken
• Salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Equipment

• Chopping Board
• Veg Knife
• Chopping knife
• Large saucepan
• Measuring Jug
• Knife
• Fork
• Spoon
• Plates

Method

• Heat the butter in a large saucepan.
• Add the vegetables and cook for 5 mins.
• Stir in the chicken stock.
• Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 30 mins.
• Add the chicken and salt and pepper to taste and simmer for a further 15 mins.
• Pour into a warmed serving dish, sprinkle with parsley and serve hot.

Sensory Testing and Evaluation of Chunky Chicken Soup

Sensory Testing

Evaluation

As shown in the sensory testing above, my chunky chicken soup didn’t go to plan. My appearance was simple and basic which I wasn’t aiming for but didn’t have enough time to correct. I wanted the vegetables to be soft but, because there wasn’t enough time to let them soak up the moisture. Also there wasn’t as much texture as I wanted. The moistness and thickness I got right and I was pleased that it wasn’t as bland as I thought it would be. However I would choose a time out of school to make this as 2 hours isn’t sufficient time to cook something of this magnitude.

Rating

Beefburger + Omelette Sandwich

Ingredients

• 1 small onion
• 1 small apple
• 250g mince
• 8 eggs
• Salt
• Pepper

Equipment

• Grater
• Flour Shaker
• Bowl
• Frying Pan
• Fork
• Measuring Jug

Method

• Grate the onion and apple and place in a bowl.
• Add the mince to the bowl and mix after adding salt and pepper.
• Form into balls and press out into burger shapes on a floured surface.
• Fry until juice runs clear
• Beat 2 eggs for every omelette required and fry until it looks dry.

Sensory Testing + Evaluation of Beefburger + Omelette Sandwich

Sensory Testing

Evaluation

All in all I believe this product went well as it shows on the sensory testing above. However it was too moist as the burger wasn’t as well cooked as I wanted. It was also quite bland so I believe a sauce would have helped. It could have been a better appearance if I took more time on it and included a sauce. The good thing is though that I matched 3 of my 6 fields. These were Thickness as there was a lot inside, Softness as it was fairly soft and the texture was also spot on.

Rating

Saucy Ham Pasta

Ingredients

• 50g dried pasta shapes
• 50g mixed vegetables
• 30ml margarine
• 30ml plain flour
• 150ml milk
• 50g grated cheddar cheese
• 2 slices ham, chopped
• Salt
• Pepper

Equipment

• Chopping Board
• Medium sized pan
• 2 measuring jugs
• 3 tbsp
• Wooden Spoon
• Cup
• Shallow dish
• Chopping knife
• Knife
• Sieve

Method

• Cook the pasta in a saucepan of boiling water for 5 minutes. Add vegetables and cook for a further 5 minutes until pasta is tender. Drain.
• Melt the margarine in the pan and stir in the flour. Gradually add the milk and bring to the boil, stirring until the sauce is thickened and smooth.
• Stir 2/3 of the grated cheese into the sauce and add the drained pasta and vegetables, the ham and salt and pepper.
• Spoon into two shallow dishes and sprinkle with the remaining cheese. Cool slightly if necessary.

Sensory Testing + Evaluation of Saucy Ham Pasta

Evaluation

The sensory testing for my saucy ham pasta was way off what I wanted it to be. It for one was too thick as I wanted a smooth runny sauce. It was also too bland as I used far too much pasta in retrospect to the sauce. I don’t believe I gave the pasta long enough to cook as it was harder than anticipated. Also it could have been better with less pasta as it would be moister. The texture was also way off and the appearance was laughable as it looked a sticky mess.

Rating

Matador Pancakes

Ingredients

Pancakes:

• 100g plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 300ml milk

Filling:

• 420g Minced Beef
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 chopped pepper
• 1 can tomatoes
• 1 tbsp. Tomato puree
• 1 tbsp. Tomato ketchup
• Salt
• Pepper

Equipment

• 1 bowl
• 2 measuring jugs
• 2 frying pans
• whisk
• chopping board
• vegetable knife
• knife
• plate
• Tbsp. + tsp.
• Sieve
• Oil (sunflower)

Method

• Sift the flour into a bowl and add the salt. Then put in the egg and a bit of the milk and start to whisk whilst adding the rest of the milk.
• Put a small frying pan on a medium light with oil in. Add some pancake batter. Turn over when it appears dry and small holes start to appear.
• Repeat process until pancake batter used up.
•  Chop up your pepper and onion and start to fry in a large frying pan on a medium light.

• When onions start to brown add mince.
• When mince starts to brown add the tomatoes, tomato puree and tomato ketchup. Add pepper and salt and stir.
• When mince is done, take out pancakes, place a portion of the filling in each pancake and then roll them up.
• Present on a plate with a sprig of parsley.

Sensory Testing + Evaluation of Matador Pancakes

Sensory Testing

Evaluation

The sensory testing for my Matador Pancakes was quite near to my prediction. It was a little too moist for what I wanted. Also the pancakes made the final product a little too bland so in future I think I will add something to the pancake mixture. It was top notch in softness as it was just what I wanted it to be. The texture could have been a bit better and in future I will add more products to boost the thickness as that was low. The appearance was almost tip top but lacked something.

Rating

Coronation Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 chicken breasts
• 2 tbsp. Mayonnaise
• 2 tbsp. Apricot jam
• 1 tbsp. Tomato Puree
• 1 tsp. Curry powder
• 1oog pasta

Equipment

• Chopping board
• Chopping knife
• Tbsp.
• Tsp.
• Bowl
• Pan

Method

• Dice the chicken breasts and fry until golden brown.
• Take the chicken out and allow to cool.
• Mix the rest of the ingredients in a bowl.
• Cook the pasta.
• Place the chicken in the bowl and mix.
• Place the pasta on a plate and place the coronation chicken on top.

Sensory Testing + Evaluation for Coronation Chicken

Sensory Testing

Evaluation

My coronation chicken met almost all of my fields in the sensory testing, the only one it didn’t meet was appearance as it was all the one colour except for one sprig of parsley. The thickness, moistness, blandness, softness and texture were all tiptop. However I will not choose this as my final production as it is a simple recipe that can only be modified in one field, appearance.

Rating

Development of Final Solution

For my final product I have decide to choose Matador Pancakes yet I am going to rename them Jolly Old Pancakes as this name is more appealing to children. The reason for this choice is because I believe children like pancakes, but with this recipe I can also get them to eat some healthy food. Also I don’t believe there are other products like this on the market.

Experimental Work 1

For my first adaptation on my original recipe, I am going to include more tinned tomatoes, add some potatoes and try chicken mince.

Experimental Work 2

For my second adaptation on my original recipe, I am going to add more tomato puree, add more onions, try lamb mince and add carrots.

Experimental Work 3

For my third adaptation on my original recipe, I am going to add pasta and more tomatoes yet keep the rest the same.

Jolly Old Pancakes: 1st Adaptation

Ingredients

Pancakes:

• 100g plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 300ml milk

Filling:

• 420g Minced Chicken
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 chopped pepper
• 1 large chopped potato
• 2 can tomatoes
• 1 ½ tbsp. Tomato puree
• 1 ½ tbsp. Tomato ketchup
• Salt
• Pepper
• Herbs

Equipment

• 1 bowl
• 2 measuring jugs
• 2 frying pans
• whisk
• chopping board
• vegetable knife
• knife
• plate
• Tbsp. + tsp.
• Sieve
• Oil (sunflower)

Method

• Sift the flour into a bowl and add the salt. Then put in the egg and a bit of the milk and start to whisk whilst adding the rest of the milk.
• Put a small frying pan on a medium light with oil in. Add some pancake batter. Turn over when it appears dry and small holes start to appear.
• Repeat process until pancake batter used up.
•  Chop up your potato, pepper and onion and start to fry in a large frying pan on a medium light.

• When onions start to brown add mince.
• When mince starts to brown add the tomatoes, tomato puree and tomato ketchup. Add pepper and salt and stir.
• When mince is done, take out pancakes, place a portion of the filling in each pancake and then roll them up.
• Present on a plate with a sprig of parsley.

Sensory Testing + Evaluation of Jolly Old Pancakes

Sensory Testing

Evaluation

The sensory testing for my first adaptation was way off what I wanted or predicted. The reason the appearance is so poor is because my pancake batter was too runny and so my pancakes would not form. The thickness and texture, moistness and softness were all close to what I wanted. The salt was way over as I forgot to put the salt in until the end and then accidentally overdid it whilst I didn’t put in enough herbs and spice. The blandness was spot on however as the salt was all you could taste.

Rating

 

Jolly Old Pancakes: Adaptation 2

Ingredients

Pancakes:

• 100g plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 300ml milk

Filling:

• 420g Minced Lamb
• 2 chopped onion
• 3 chopped carrots
• 1 chopped pepper
• 1 can tomatoes
• 3 tbsp. Tomato puree
• 3 tbsp. Tomato ketchup
• Salt
• Pepper
• Herbs

Equipment

• 1 bowl
• 2 measuring jugs
• 2 frying pans
• whisk
• chopping board
• vegetable knife
• knife
• plate
• Tbsp. + tsp.
• Sieve
• Oil (sunflower)

Method

• Sift the flour into a bowl and add the salt. Then put in the egg and a bit of the milk and start to whisk whilst adding the rest of the milk.
• Put a small frying pan on a medium light with oil in. Add some pancake batter. Turn over when it appears dry and small holes start to appear.
• Repeat process until pancake batter used up.
•  Chop up your carrots, pepper and onions and start to fry in a large frying pan on a medium light.

• When onions start to brown add mince.
• When mince starts to brown add the tomatoes, tomato puree and tomato ketchup. Add pepper and salt and stir.
• When mince is done, take out pancakes, place a portion of the filling in each pancake and then roll them up.
• Present on a plate with a sprig of parsley.

Sensory Testing + Evaluation of Jolly Old Pancakes

Sensory Testing

Evaluation

Yet again my pancakes didn’t go according to plan although towards the end I managed to salvage a couple to get a better appearance rating than last time although its still less then what I want. The thickness was what I wanted but the fact that my carrots didn’t fully cook meant that my texture was higher. The blandness was spot on again and the moistness and salt just missed their targets. Softness however went down because of the carrots and I didn’t put in enough Herbs.

Rating

Jolly Old Pancakes: Adaptation 3

Ingredients

Pancakes:

• 100g plain flour
• Pinch of salt
• 1 egg
• 300ml milk

Filling:

• 420g Minced Beef
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 chopped pepper
• 2 can tomatoes
• 50g Pasta
• 3 tbsp. Tomato puree
• 3 tbsp. Tomato ketchup
• Salt
• Pepper
• Herbs

Equipment

• 1 bowl
• 2 measuring jugs
• 2 frying pans
• whisk
• chopping board
• vegetable knife
• knife
• plate
• Tbsp. + tsp.
• Sieve
• Oil (sunflower)

Method

• Sift the flour into a bowl and add the salt. Then put in the egg and a bit of the milk and start to whisk whilst adding the rest of the milk.
• Put a small frying pan on a medium light with oil in. Add some pancake batter. Turn over when it appears dry and small holes start to appear.
• Repeat process until pancake batter used up.
• Boil a kettle and when its done place it in a pan on a medium light and add the pasta.
• When pasta is tender, drain and place in a bowl.
•  Chop up your pepper and onion and start to fry in a large frying pan on a medium light.

• When onions start to brown add mince.
• When mince starts to brown add the tomatoes, tomato puree and tomato ketchup. Add pepper and salt and herbs and stir.
• When mince is done take out the filling and place in a bowl with the pasta and mix it together, take out pancakes, place a portion of the filling in each pancake and then roll them up.
• Present on a plate with a sprig of parsley.

Sensory Testing + Evaluation of Jolly Old Pancakes

Sensory Testing

Evaluation

Everything seemed to go right whilst doing my 3rd adaptation as even my pancakes went really well. The texture, softness and Thickness were all spot on but what amazed me was that the appearance was also top marks. I believe that this was due to the pancakes working. The only problems were that I didn’t add enough salt and herbs yet I believe this is small in retrospect.

Rating

Evaluation of Experimental Work

I believe that my experimental work went well and it showed me how manufacturers go about improving a product. By doing this experimental work it has helped me improve my Jolly Old Pancakes recipe and after making my 3 adaptations I am going to choose adaptation 3, mainly down to the fact that my pancakes worked, but also because I believe the pasta helped keep the moistness down as it soaked up the moisture and if this is going to be a packaged product then it can’t be runny.