Why are new food products developed, and what factors shape what a manufacturer decides to make?
The factors that influence the development of new food products, including consumer demand and lifestyle, healthy eating and nutrition, cost, technology, and environmental and sustainability concerns.
An SQA National 5 Health and Food Technology answer on the factors that influence the development of new food products, including consumer demand and lifestyle, healthy eating, cost, technology, and environmental and sustainability concerns.
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What this dot point is asking
The SQA wants you to explain why new food products are developed and the factors a manufacturer must weigh up, including consumer demand and lifestyle, healthy eating, cost, technology, and environmental and sustainability concerns.
Why new products are developed
Manufacturers develop new products to meet consumer demand, to respond to trends (such as healthy eating or plant-based diets), to use new technology or ingredients, to stay ahead of competitors, and ultimately to make a profit. A product that does not sell, or cannot be made profitably, will not survive.
The main factors
Lifestyle and convenience
Changes in how people live shape what sells. More people work long hours, live alone, or want quick meals, so demand has grown for convenience foods: ready meals, chilled and frozen meals, snacks, and meal kits. Products are also developed for special diets, such as vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free ranges, because consumer demand for them has grown.
Healthy eating
Because of dietary advice (the kind set out in the Scottish Dietary Goals and the Eatwell Guide), manufacturers develop healthier versions of products: reduced-fat, reduced-sugar and reduced-salt lines, higher-fibre wholegrain products, and fortified products with added vitamins and minerals. Clear nutritional labelling and health claims are then used to attract health-conscious shoppers.
Cost, technology and sustainability
Cost must always work out: ingredients, processing, packaging and transport all add up, and the finished product has to sell at a price people will pay while leaving a profit. Technology opens up new possibilities, such as new preservation methods or new ingredients that improve texture or shelf life. Sustainability has become a major factor: consumers increasingly look at recyclable packaging, lower food miles, less waste and ethically sourced ingredients, so manufacturers consider these when developing a product.
Examples in context
Example 1. A plant-based range. Rising demand for vegetarian and vegan diets, plus concern about the environment, led many manufacturers to develop plant-based burgers and sausages. The products are shaped by consumer demand, healthy-eating and sustainability factors all at once.
Example 2. A reduced-salt soup. A soup brand reformulates a popular product to cut its salt in response to dietary advice and consumer concern about blood pressure, while keeping the cost and taste close to the original so it still sells.
Try this
Q1. State one factor, other than cost, that a manufacturer considers when developing a new food product. [1 mark]
- Cue. Consumer demand and lifestyle, healthy eating and nutrition, technology, or environmental and sustainability concerns.
Q2. Give one example of a product developed in response to concern about healthy eating. [1 mark]
- Cue. A reduced-fat, reduced-sugar, reduced-salt, higher-fibre or fortified product (for example a low-sugar yoghurt).
Exam-style practice questions
Practice questions written in the style of SQA exam questions on this dot point, with worked answer explainers. The year tag is the paper they imitate, not the source.
SQA N5 style4 marksExplain four factors that a manufacturer must consider when developing a new food product.Show worked answer →
A 4-mark answer needs four separate, correct factors, each briefly explained.
Factor 1. Consumer demand and lifestyle. People want products that suit busy lives, such as ready meals and snacks, so manufacturers develop convenient products that will sell.
Factor 2. Healthy eating and nutrition. Because of dietary advice and consumer interest in health, manufacturers develop lower-fat, lower-sugar, lower-salt and higher-fibre products.
Factor 3. Cost. The product must be made at a price people will pay while still making a profit, so ingredient and production costs are controlled.
Factor 4. Environmental and sustainability concerns. Manufacturers consider packaging, food miles, waste and ethical sourcing because consumers increasingly care about these.
Other valid factors include the availability of new technology and ingredients, and meeting legal and safety requirements. Markers reward four distinct factors with a brief reason for each.
SQA N5 style3 marksExplain how concern about healthy eating has influenced the development of new food products, giving examples.Show worked answer →
This question focuses on one factor, healthy eating, and rewards examples.
Because of dietary advice and growing consumer interest in health, manufacturers have developed many products that are lower in fat, sugar and salt and higher in fibre. For example, reduced-fat spreads, low-sugar yoghurts, reduced-salt soups and wholegrain versions of breads and cereals.
Manufacturers also add nutrients to foods (fortification), such as breakfast cereals with added iron and vitamins, and develop products aimed at particular needs, such as gluten-free or higher-protein ranges.
A further point that scores is that clear nutritional labelling and health claims are used to attract health-conscious shoppers. Markers reward the link between healthy-eating concern and the products, plus relevant examples.
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