Food product development: the stages of developing a new food product (identifying a market need, generating and screening ideas, writing a product specification, prototyping and modification, sensory and consumer testing, scaling up to production, and launch); the reasons companies develop new products; and the role of market research and the product life cycle.

A 6-mark answer needs the stages in order, with what happens at each.

First the company identifies a market need or gap, often through market research, finding a group of consumers whose needs are not met (for example a demand for high-protein snacks).

Next it generates a range of ideas and screens them against criteria such as cost, feasibility, fit with the brand and likely demand, rejecting weak ideas and keeping the most promising.

A product specification is then written, setting out exactly what the product must be: its ingredients, nutrition, size, cost, appearance and quality standards. Prototypes are developed in the test kitchen and modified through repeated trials until they meet the specification.

The prototype is tested by sensory analysis and consumer testing to check taste, texture, appearance and acceptability. If successful, the process is scaled up from the test kitchen to factory production, ensuring it works reliably and safely at volume, and finally the product is launched with marketing and distribution.

Markers reward the ordered stages: (1) identify the market need, (2) generate and (3) screen ideas, (4) write the specification and prototype, (5) sensory and consumer testing, and (6) scale up and launch.

A 4-mark answer needs the reasons plus a named, described method.

Sensory and consumer testing check that the product tastes, looks and feels acceptable to the target market before the expense of a launch, and they guide improvements to the prototype. They reduce the risk of launching a product that consumers reject.

A method: in a preference test, tasters say which of two or more samples they prefer, showing which version is most liked. In a ranking or rating test, tasters score samples for attributes such as sweetness or texture, while a discrimination test (such as a triangle test) checks whether tasters can tell two samples apart, useful when an ingredient is changed.

Markers reward (1) testing checks acceptability to the target market, (2) it guides modification and reduces launch risk, and (3 to 4) a named method correctly described, such as a preference, ranking, rating or triangle test.