There has become an increasing demand for single portion food products - I will now need to think about all the relevant reasons as to what factors have caused this change, as well as the users.

This method would not be suitable for my product as it is very expensive and my design brief is to produce a product suitable for a supermarket, therefore more than one would be required.

• Flow Production: - This is suitable to make a classic product, something that is usually made constantly using a lot of machinery programmed using a computer to make it function correctly. Highly specialised people need to be employed for this all to work efficiently.

This type of production is divided into two separate parts:-

• Continual flow- that consists of all machinery and perhaps 1-2 people checking that everything is correct.

• Repetitive flow- unskilled people doing a repetitive job, packing, lifting etc.

A good example of flow production produce is baked beans, bread etc, these are products which have a high demand rate as they are everyday foods.

This production method uses a lot of money for machinery and produces a very high quantity. This would be very unsuitable, as I do not want/need this amount. It also requires investment.

• Batch Production: - This is a method which produces a specific product about 50- 1000 times, the machinery is then cleaned are re-programmed to produce another product; An example of this is a bakery. It requires some machinery and is reasonably labour intensive.

Seasonal products are usually made in this way, those such as Cadbury Cream eggs are not in high demand all year round. Products containing or being seasonal, such as fruit can only be obtained at certain times of the year therefore cannot be made by flow production. This method is neither for classic products nor unique ones.

This is the most suitable for my product, I will be able to produce my product in the required quantity, use the correct machinery without it being too expensive. It is likely that Ii will use an ingredient that cannot be obtained all year round, Therefore by using batch production I will meet my design brief. If by some chance the product I make becomes a classic like some, it would then progress to flow production and be produced constantly to meet the demands the supermarkets say it must do, due to the degree of interest shown by customers.

Batch production is an example of a system.

It is not physically possible for me to produce my single portion food product using batch production by myself. Therefore it is important for me to set up a system, this will reduce the strain of meeting the orders and make the production of my product organised and efficient,

A system is used to manage a process or situation. Improve the quality of, standards. Efficiency and cost – effectiveness. They:

• Make task easier
• Make a process more efficient
• Slow down speed up a process
• Analyse an activity

A system consists of two parts: -

• Input- the raw materials such as ingredients, electricity

• Process – making the product

• Output- the finished product

By using this I will be able to make my product to a high standard and meet the demand. The system will need to be monitored carefully; skilled people must make the product to a high standard doing specific jobs properly in appropriate hygienic places. The risk otherwise would be an end product that does not meet the design brief and therefore cannot be sold.

C.A.D, C.A.M, Quality assurance and Quality control

For me, I will have to consider quality control and quality assurance to help me produce a high standard product in batch production.

Quality control and quality assurance are both also important in systems; this is when the whole factory takes responsibility for making sure the end result is a quality product. They all should take pride in their work. It is the managers (my) job to make sure that all standards are met, equipment is cleaned, and everything is of a high standard. It is in every body’s interest that all this is done; otherwise they end up without a job!

Quality control, is when an employee takes a sample every so often from the conveyor or product line and analyses it for any faults. They check the amount, packaging, labels and taste. Sometimes bacteria are grown on a product such as yoghurt, to assess the shelf life and use by date is at the correct length of time. All defects and faulty products are removed and destroyed, so that the expectations of customers are met, Another way that things are kept standardised is by making sure that the same ingredients are used throughout the process, I will not only have one supplier for making my product, I will have several so that if one fails to produce, there is always a back up one.

Computer aided design and computer aided manufacturer will be very important in the production of my product.

Information in systems must be controlled to vary the speed and quality of a product. Computers can be used to do this, adjust thermostat and designing.

C.A.D is used for creating and designing packaging as well as the product itself. Advertisement is also helped by C.A.D. A very reliable way of producing the nutritional information of a product is by using computers.

C.A.M this is a machine controlled by a computer. This may be useful for me if I need an efficient, quicker and more accurate job to be carried out. Which humans cannot always do? It also costs less money (until it breaks)

Feedback is information that is passed from a later stage of a system to an earlier stage. This alerts changes so that the system can be more efficient. It can be positive or negative. Such as increasing the heat = positive and decreasing the heat = negative.

All of the above help to make my process and batch production more efficient and the end result to a higher standard.

Nutritional Needs and General needs of families

I have briefly mentioned the nutritional needs and the general needs of families previously. Now I will look into them in greater depth, I am doing this because it is important that my product should be suitable for a family. Therefore I need to consider what they as the consumer will want and need it to contain and how it will be suitable for them

I have found out that the two minerals mostly lacking in the diet are calcium and iron, with this in mind, if I was to incorporate these into my product, I could advertise with this fact and state that my product contains these, therefore a good promotion technique as well as the fact it will be fulfilling a dietary requirement.

I have also discovered that osteoporosis affects one in four women over the age of sixty-five. This is as a result of poor intake of minerals. If I try to incorporate minerals into my product it will then hopefully encourage more children and teenagers to get sufficient amounts of these, cutting down on the number of elderly women having this problem.

Iron is needed especially for women and girls!

This shows that women need a great deal of iron in their diet. This is worth keeping in mind as it is clear from my research that they are already not obtaining the correct amounts.

Protein – is needed for growth and repair. I have found out that families need a varied diet, some of which should contain protein, vital for growth and repair of tissue, muscles and blood cells.

Fat – Fat supplies us with a concentrated source of energy, however it has become clear to me that currently 41% of our energy is coming from fat. We should not be having anymore than 35%. Showing that if I was to consider fat in my product, I should aim to reduce the amount I use, Therefore helping with the requirements of families,

Packaging

I am going to package my product for the following reasons:

• Bacteria/germs
• Increase shelf life
• Stop contamination, contact
• Protect from damage
• Make easier to transport
• Communicate information

As the producer of a high standard product it seems important that packaging should be considered. I have found out what must be on a product by law, and what can be an added extra,

On product/label by law:

• Food product name
• Ingredients- weight order
• Storage conditions
• Name and address of manufacturer
• Instructions for use
• Shelf life, use by date and best before date.

Shelf life is how long it can be on the supermarket shelf for. Use by date is when it is not safe to eat after. Best before is the date given guidance as to when it begins to decay or not be at its best anymore.

• Place of origin
• Weight, Volume

Optional information includes:

• Bar code
• Lot or batch mark
• Special information, such as suitable for vegetarians
• Opening instructions
• Environmental issues
• Nutritional information

I have also discovered that if on my product I make a nutritional claim. I must prove what I am stating; I also did a short survey to see whether people prefer a product with the nutritional information on it.

The results were as follows:

Do you like a product purchased at the supermarket to have the nutritional information printed somewhere?

Yes             No            No preference

 12        3                 5

The results show that people do like to know the nutritional information. Therefore when I design and make my packaging I will include nutritional information.

Material I could make my packaging from

“Consumers may see packaging as the attractive and informative container for fresh and processed meat and poultry. However, because it touches the food, packaging is considered an indirect additive. That's because chemicals in packaging can migrate into the food.”

From the information above I can see that it is important that I think about all the possible materials that I could make my product from.

I also think that I should think about the use, and what my questionnaire told me. Results such as most people wanted the packaging to be able to go in the microwave and/or oven should all be taken into account. I have to remain focussed on the general needs of families.

 Packaging materials:

Tin                                                        foil

                           

As my questionnaire told me that most people like to have meat in their diets I think it is  

important for me to consider packaging for meat products. The following are all very effective

ways of packaging meat.

Plastic Wraps and Storage Bags

Oven Cooking Bags - Both the bags and their closure ties are made from heat-resistant nylon

Freezer Paper - white paper coated on one side with plastic to help keep air out of frozen foods, thus protecting against freezer burn and loss of moisture.

Wax Paper - a triple-waxed tissue paper; made with a food-safe paraffin wax that is forced into the pores of the paper and spread over the outside as a coating.

Aluminium Foil

Parchment Paper - an odourless and tasteless paper made from cotton fibre and/or pure chemical wood pulps. It may be waxed or coated and is greaseproof or grease resistant. Parchment paper is primarily used in baking as a pan liner or to wrap foods in for cooking.

Out of the above, oven bags, wax paper and plastic wrap are all suitable to be used in the microwave.

I also found out that people want their single portion food products to be used in an oven; if I am to cater for this percentage of families I must not use plastic packaging. Plastic packaging materials should not be used at all in conventional ovens; this is because they may catch on fire or melt, causing chemical migration into foods.

Existing Products

I will need to look at existing products available in the supermarket, this should help me to see which products taste the nicest, are the easiest to package, make and cheapest as well. I also had a good look at the packaging, which helped me have an insight into which ones are suitable for ovens and microwaves. When I looked for the single portion products, as a consumer I looked at the ones that appealed to my direct family and me.

 Existing products studied in depth

 

1. The cannelloni was the cheapest it looked really nice on the packet but the actual product was chewy and very salty. It took little time to cook and needed no preparation. It was very filling and there were adequate amounts for one person. Overall I would give it 6/10. It was quite well suited to my extended family users because of the price, also it was tasty and had little to no preparation needed. Nutritionally it was good, though I noticed that it was high in fat and salt which I myself will be trying to lower in my product, hopefully without affecting the taste too much.

The Tagatelli was a bit more expensive but tasted a lot nicer. It looked appetizing on the packet and the product looked tasty too. It was well seasoned and did have enough for one-person .It also took little time in the oven and was well packaged in a microwaveable dish and cardboard box to make it look appealing as well as convenience. Over all I give it 7/10. This was also suitable for my user; it is hot and savoury as well as in the price range that my questionnaire proved was most popular.

2. The Potato and Vegetable quick snack was very salty, it was packaged in a tub and tasted horrible with a nasty after taste. It was exceptionally quick to cook, and no preparation was needed at all, some of my family did like it. Its packaging wasn’t very appealing and did not do justice for the product as well as appealing to the target user. Overall I give it 3/10. This is not so well suited because it isn’t very nutritionally balanced and people are willing to pay more than this for their evening meal. Its salt content was very high although it did state there were a lot of common allergy foods taken out of it, such as egg and meat.

The Roast Chicken was packaged in a plastic bag in a small box. It should be cooked in the microwave and then eaten, but I am afraid to say that after it was in the microwave the smell was so unbearable that we could not eat it, however the sauce was slimy and the slices of chicken were leathery and string like as well. I don’t think this is a very successful single portion food. Overall I give it 1/10. This is quite suited to the user; it is not expensive and can be eaten with other vegetables to increase the healthiness. Shame it tasted and smelt so revolting.

The meat pie was undoubtedly the tastiest one that I tried it was very expensive though. There was really nice meat used and the gravy was of perfect consistency. It looked appetizing and the small cardboard box with plastic see through lid made the product very appealing. The pastry was very tasty although high in calories. Overall I give in 8/10. This is not that well suited to the majority of extended family members that I asked. This is mainly because Marks and Spencer’s priced it very high. Nutritionally it could be served with vegetables but it contained a high amount of iron, as it was red meat. It would not be suitable for children as it has a rich taste and it quite a generous amount.

The Kidz Curry had a creamy taste. The packaging made the product seemed fun as well as appetizing. It was very successful because it had a sharp but not hot taste and the price was good. As it contained rice the nutritional value was good. The salt content in this product was lower as it is known that too much salt is bad for everyone in particular children. The packaging could be used in the oven and microwave. Overall this gets 7/10. It was effective for the user.

Through researching into existing products I have found out a few main things. The first is that most of them sell their product for its convenience, making sure that how long it takes to cook is clearly marked as well as the other important features such as whether it can be frozen or not.  There fat and salt content tends to be very high which indicates that the consumer must be demanding taste over nutrition. Each product did meet the needs of those aimed, although the nutritional value wasn’t that brilliant compared to that of fresh food. The kid’s curry was nicely packaged which helped to promote the product; it was the one that was most suited to its user. Although so was the pie, just is a bit too expensive. They all fit my users (extended family) well and I can see where they need to be improved on  - nutritional value and in some areas price, even though the quality it very high.

Analysing my research

I have done a lot of research now. I know why we need single portion food products, and who uses them and for which purpose. I know that a hot savoury product was more popular and the purpose of the product. This has helped me to decide on a suitable user to create my product for as well as the type of product that I want to create. I found out a range of details into family’s nutritional needs and general needs which all helped me to decide on what should be contained in my product. I used graphs as an easy way to read and compare my data. The research into the packaging showed what was going to be suitable for my user and what would be more cost effective. The types of packaging all had to be considered as they may need to be used depending on my final product. I learnt a great deal about batch production and how systems work together, giving me an insight into how production lines are formed and what I as the manufacture will have to do. I realised that environmental issues are important as most consumers are beginning to demand recycled packaging. As I will be part of the food industry it was important that by researching into HACCP I knew all the regulations.

Looking at existing products helped my knowledge of the users as well as what is considered acceptable as a hot savoury single portion food product.

I am going to make a hot savoury single portion food product. My product must be:

Specification                             

• Hot

• Savoury

• For families

• Single portion

• High in iron and calcium    

• Suitable to sell in a supermarket  

• Hygienically prepared

• Between £3-£4

• Suitable for the oven and microwave

• Appealing for a women to buy

• Batch production

Justification

My short survey results proved this was most popular.

        short survey results proved this was most popular

Survey

Because the users were so wide in choice

The design brief specifies this

I found them to be vital minerals that for the majority of us are lacking in our diets.

Design Brief

So the user does not get ill

Questionnaire

Questionnaire

Questionnaire

Most suitable

Costing

The cost of a product consists of three parts. When I price my product I will have to incorporate them. They are:

Profit – this is the amount of money I want to make from the product, this is the point of the product.

Overheads- these are the cost of things such as electricity, fuel etc

Raw ingredients- this is the cost of the ingredients that I have used.

It is very important for me to calculate these properly; otherwise I may end up loosing money instead of making it!

        

Introduction

I am now moving on to Objective 3. In this objective I am expecting to put my specification and all my previous research into action.  I am going to plan carefully how I will set out my work and also which possible products I will be doing.

Plan of Action

I now need to begin to think about products that will fit my specification. This will help me have a range of ideas to choose from for my final single portion food product.

Stuffed chicken breasts, mozzarella, herbs and tomato

        Meat pie        Chicken and cheese puffs

        Ratatouille Quiche

Stuffed Cannelloni

        Chicken Pie

Grilled Greek

Pita Pockets

        Chicken/Pork

      Moussaka        parcels

                                                                                       Beef and noodle

Taco Salad                                                                                       Casserole

        Pasta Bake                     Lasagne                                           Fajitas

        Chilli con carne

        Chicken Curry

        Mexican Lasagne

        

Lasagne.

Fajitas

Salsa

Chicken Cordon Bleu

Pasta Bake

OR…

Dietary Goals.

DRV’S – Dietary reference values. To show the amount of food energy or other nutrients needed by different people of all ages. (The aim of the COMA report is to make sure everyone gets enough of each nutrient to meet his or her needs)

RNI- Reference nutrient intake- this is the amount of nutrient sufficient for nearly everyone  ((about 97% of the population) even those with high needs. This level of intake is said to be higher than everyone needs.

EAR – Estimated average requirement – the average need for energy or a nutrient. It is not the recommended intake for an individual, but for a large group of people. Some may need more; some may need less, as it is the average.

LRNL – Lower reference nutrient intake – it is the amount of nutrient that is enough for only a small number of people who have low needs. About 3% of the population.

Lasagne.

By looking at the nutritional value I can see that Lasagne is going to provide 49% (almost half) of a persons daily fat intake. This is quite high, so instead of using ground meat I could try using lean meat, or less cheese or a low in fat alternative.

However, it is a healthy choice because the other nutrients are relatively good and protein is high, which as I have already said in objective 2, it needs to be.

Dietary fibre and carbohydrates could be increased by having a serving suggestion that the meal should be eaten with whole meal bread or potatoes or green vegetables, which are a bonus as they would count towards your 5 fruit or vegetable portions a day.

Fajitas.

I can see from my nutritional values, that Fajitas are 38% fat, this is quite high but most of it is saturated fat.

I can also see that Protein is high which is good but that dietary fibre (NSP) and carbohydrates could again do with some increasing. To do this a serving suggestion is necessary, probably something like more green vegetables could be introduced.

Chicken Cordon Bleu.

Very low carbohydrates and N.S.P, which is not very good, but again, could be increased with Potatoes and green vegetables. The fat percentage is relatively good, though could be decreased by draining the chicken fat.

Pasta Bake.

High in protein and good for N.S.P and carbohydrates, fat is a bit too high, but could be easily modified to a lower fat alternative, by using less cooking fat or oil.

The Vitamins and minerals are very high which is also good.

Stuffed Peppers.

These are extremely high in terms of vitamins and provide more than you need per day or vitamin C, which is very good.

They are low in fat and also a bit too low in carbohydrates- serving suggestion needed here.

Sensory Analysis for ‘Lasagne’

        

5

4

        

        3        5

                                       5        4

                                            4        2        3        

                                                  3        2

                                                       2        1        1

         1

        5        4        3        2        1            1        2     3    4     5

          1        1        1        

        2        2

        3        2        3

        4                4

        5        3        5

4

5

1= poor

2= ok

3= good

4= very good

5= Excellent

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