FOOD FIGHT!

Product Development in the

Science Classroom
Authors:

Amy Rowley
Jeremy Peacock

NSF Graduate Teaching Fellows

Department of Food Science and Technology
The University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

June 2005

FOOD FIGHT! was developed as part of The Science Behind Our Food NSF GK-12
program at the University of Georgia in collaboration with the College of Agricultural and
Environmental Sciences and the Department of Food Science and Technology.

This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under
Grant Award No. DGE0229577. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or
recommendations expressed in this material are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the
views of the National Science Foundation.

FOOD FIGHT! 2
Contributors
Contributing Author:
Chris Wildman
NSF Graduate Teaching Fellow
Department of Animal and Dairy Science
The University of Georgia
Tifton, Georgia

Collaborating Teachers:
Danielle Armstrong Paul Blais
Science Teacher Science Teacher
Columbia High School Cedar Shoals High School
Decatur, Georgia Athens, Georgia

Reviewers:
David Knauft, Ph.D. Steve Oliver, Ph.D.
Professor Associate Professor
Department of Horticulture Department of Science Education
The University of Georgia The University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia Athens, Georgia

Robert Shewfelt, Ph.D.

Professor
Department of Food Science and Technology
The University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia

FOOD FIGHT! ii
Welcome to FOOD FIGHT!
An Introduction for Teachers

The most effective approaches to science instruction present scientific concepts in terms that are relevant
and meaningful in students’ lives. As food is one of our most basic interests in life and a top priority in
teenagers’ lives, the science behind our food is a natural perspective from which to approach high school
science instruction.

Food science is the application of science and engineering to the production, processing, distribution,
preparation, evaluation, and utilization of food. Food science is a multidisciplinary field, utilizing such
subjects as biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, and mathematics. Food scientists work in
government, academia, and industry in areas such as…

…food chemistry – Food chemists are interested in the composition and properties of food
components and the chemical changes that occur during handling, processing, and storage. For
example, a food chemist might study the effects of processing on the nutritional quality, color, or
flavor of foods.

…food processing – Food processing engineers are responsible for the design of processes and
equipment that transform raw ingredients into finished food products.

…food packaging – Food packaging engineers are responsible for the development of materials
and packages that contain and protect products, while also fulfilling consumer needs for
convenience and communication.

…food microbiology – Food microbiologists are interested in the microorganisms that cause
food spoilage, cause food-borne illness, or improve the quality of foods. For example, molds are
microorganisms that can lead to food spoilage, E. coli is a disease-causing microorganism, and
Lactobacillus spp. is the microorganism responsible for transforming milk into yogurt.

…quality control – Quality control is a system by which a desired standard of quality in a

product or process is maintained. Through regular product testing, quality control scientists
ensure that consumers receive consistent, high-quality food products.

…product development – Product development is the process through which food scientists
transform new food ideas into marketable products. When developing a new food product,
product developers must decide what product will be produced, discover who will buy the
product and how to make it unique, define what is in the product, develop all aspects of the
product, and deploy the product into the marketplace. Product development is one of the most
popular and exciting areas of food science.

The food industry, comprising food processing, handling, preparing, and serving, is the largest industry
in the United States and the world, employing tens of millions of people. Further, the United States food
industry grosses hundreds of billions of dollars annually.

FOOD FIGHT! iii

The FOOD FIGHT! activity series uses food product development to incorporate food science into the
high school science classroom with the goals of increasing student interest and engagement in science
and introducing students to the countless academic and career opportunities in food science. By
bringing FOOD FIGHT! into your classroom, you and your students will become food scientists as you
develop a new food product. FOOD FIGHT! will introduce you to key concepts in food product
development and guide you through the product development process.

Thank you for your interest in the FOOD FIGHT! activity series. We hope that you and your students
will find the activities to be engaging and beneficial. If you are interested in additional food science-
based classroom activities, please visit our website (www.uga.edu/discover/sbof) or contact us directly.

Thank you,

Amy Rowley Jeremy Peacock

NSF Graduate Teaching Fellow NSF Graduate Teaching Fellow
Dept. of Food Science and Technology Dept. of Food Science and Technology
The University of Georgia The University of Georgia
Athens, Georgia 30602 Athens, Georgia 30602
(706) 369-9799 (706) 248-7745
[email protected] [email protected]

FOOD FIGHT! iv
FOOD FIGHT! Contents
Contributors ................................................................................................................................................ ii

Welcome to FOOD FIGHT! An Introduction for Teachers ...................................................................... iii

FOOD FIGHT! Contents ............................................................................................................................ v

FOOD FIGHT! An Introduction to Product Development......................................................................... 1

FOOD FIGHT! Product Development Project

Teacher’s Guide ....................................................................................................................................... 3
Suggested Project Schedule ..................................................................................................................... 6
Intent to Purchase Evaluation Scorecards................................................................................................ 7
Scoring Rubric ......................................................................................................................................... 8
Student Handout..................................................................................................................................... 11

Ingredient Functionality
How Sweet It Is!
Lesson Plan ......................................................................................................................................... 15
Student Handout.................................................................................................................................. 19

Formulation
The Chemist's Cookbook
Lesson Plan ......................................................................................................................................... 21
Scoring Rubric .................................................................................................................................... 26
Student Handout.................................................................................................................................. 28

Sensory Evaluation
One of These Things is Not Like the Other
Lesson Plan ......................................................................................................................................... 31
Student Handout.................................................................................................................................. 34
The Tomato…Flavorful or Flavorless?!?
Lesson Plan ......................................................................................................................................... 37
Student Handout.................................................................................................................................. 41

Packaging
The Perfect Package
Lesson Plan ......................................................................................................................................... 43
Scoring Rubric .................................................................................................................................... 46
Student Handout.................................................................................................................................. 48

Marketing
Can You Believe Everything You See?
Lesson Plan ......................................................................................................................................... 49
Scoring Rubric .................................................................................................................................... 52
Student Handout.................................................................................................................................. 55
FOOD FIGHT! v
FOOD FIGHT! vi
FOOD FIGHT!
An Introduction to Product Development

What do Lipton Brisk Lemonade®, Chick-fil-A Cool Wraps®, and the McDonald’s McSalad Shaker®
have in common? These and many other new food products were developed with the help of University
of Georgia Department of Food Science and Technology students and faculty.

Food scientists develop new products through a process that combines biology, chemistry,
microbiology, biotechnology, nutrition, psychology, physics, and engineering with business and
marketing to identify and satisfy ever-changing consumer needs. In fact, food scientists working in
industry and university laboratories develop more than 100,000 new products each year. Of these new
products, only about 10,000 actually make it onto store shelves or restaurant menus. What’s more,
about 9,000 of those products that make it into the market fail. In the end, only one out of every 100
new food products is successfully marketed. In order to increase the chances of success in the face of
these odds, food scientists have developed a process for product development that allows the product
development team to address the many complex issues involved in developing a new product in a
manageable way.

In order to develop a new food product, the product development team must…

…DECIDE what product will be produced,

…DISCOVER who will buy the product and how to make it unique,

…DEFINE what is in the product,

…DEVELOP all aspects of the product, and

…DEPLOY the product into the marketplace.

DECIDE
The product development team must first decide what product will be produced. The team should
brainstorm a list of possible ideas, discuss the requirements for each of the ideas, and determine the
feasibility of each idea.

DISCOVER
The product development team should keep in mind that any successful product must meet a perceived
consumer need. Therefore, the team must discover who will buy the product and how to make it unique.
To do this, the team might use individual interviews, focus groups, or surveys to identify consumer
needs, to determine how the new product will meet these needs, and to identify ways to make the new
product stand out from the competition.

DEFINE
Once a product has been selected, the product development team must define the key elements of the
product, including product formulation, processing, packaging, and storage. Definition enables the
product development team to establish a starting point for consumer testing of the product.

FOOD FIGHT! 1
DEVELOP
With a clear definition of the product in hand, the product development team must develop all aspects of
the new product, including its formulation, processing, packaging, and storage. The team should first
assemble a prototype of the product to see what is necessary to transform the idea into a reality. A
technique often used at this stage of the process is “benchmarking,” in which food scientists analyze
competing products in order to identify key ingredients and characteristics. Once the prototype has been
developed, the team must conduct intensive consumer testing and sensory analyses, which allows them
to determine consumer acceptability of the product and to make any necessary adjustments.

DEPLOY
Before a new product can be deployed to grocery store shelves or local restaurants, the product
development team must finalize the package appearance to address marketing information and labeling
requirements; determine a profitable pricing structure for the product; and plan the schedule of
production, distribution, and promotion. With these plans in place, the product is produced on a large
scale, deployed to the marketplace, and hopefully purchased by consumers who see the new product as
the perfect solution to their daily needs.

After all that work, it might seem like it is time for a break. However, the product development team
must turn its attention to the future of the product, including line extensions and follow-up products.
The job of a food scientist, especially a product development team member, is never boring. Keeping up
with ever-changing consumer demands and remaining one step ahead of the competition requires
flexibility, dedication, creativity, and teamwork, not to mention scientific expertise.

Reference:
The following video provides an introduction to the product development process and served as the
basis for this article.

• From Concept to Consumer: Food Product Development, 21:40 min., Institute of Food
Technologists (IFT)

FOOD FIGHT! 2
FOOD FIGHT!
Product Development Project – Teacher’s Guide

Annotation:
The FOOD FIGHT! project challenges students to become food scientists as they apply physical
science, biology, chemistry, and physics concepts to the development of a new food product. Through a
series of laboratory exercises, classroom activities, and assignments, students will learn the stages of
product development and apply this knowledge to the development of an original food item.

The University of Georgia Food Science Club sponsors a New Product Fair held at the Food Science
and Technology Building on the University of Georgia campus each semester. Winning teams from
each class are invited to participate.

Primary Learning Outcomes:

Students will apply physical science, biology, chemistry, and physics concepts to the development of a
new food product.

Students will acquire knowledge of food product development, food quality, food safety, food
processing and preparation, packaging, product storage, and the marketing of new food products.

Students will develop an understanding of and appreciation for food science and the food industry.

Students will communicate clearly and effectively by oral and written means.

Students will develop and demonstrate leadership, team working, and creative thinking skills.

Georgia Performance Standards:

SCSh1. Students will evaluate the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism in science.

SCSh2. Students will use standard safety practices for all classroom laboratory and field investigations.

SCSh3. Students will identify and investigate problems scientifically.

SCSh4. Students use tools and instruments for observing, measuring, and manipulating scientific
equipment and materials.

SCSh5. Students will demonstrate the computation and estimation skills necessary for analyzing data
and developing reasonable scientific explanations.

SCSh6. Students will communicate scientific investigations and information clearly.

SCSh7. Students analyze how scientific knowledge is developed.

SCSh8. Students will understand important features of the process of scientific inquiry.

FOOD FIGHT! 3
Duration:
FOOD FIGHT! consists of eleven sessions that can be adapted to fit within the normal class schedule.
In order to maximize the effectiveness of the project, it is anticipated that roughly one class period every
one to two weeks be dedicated to FOOD FIGHT! activities.

Procedures:
The FOOD FIGHT! lesson plans included in this book can be used to guide you and your students
through the product development process. Students will develop an original food item, complete a
written product proposal, and orally present their product and proposal to the class. Students should
work in groups of two to four members. A suggested project schedule can be found on page 6.

Product Theme:
A new product theme for competition in the UGA Food Science Club New Product Fair is selected each
semester. For the current theme, please contact Amy Rowley ([email protected]) or Jeremy Peacock
([email protected]). If you do not plan to have students compete in the New Product Fair, you and
your students may select your own product theme. Examples might include: a healthy snack item, a
school lunch item, or a chocolate item.

Project Requirements:
1. Each team must prepare a product proposal that follows the outline below.
a. Name of New Food Product
b. Product Description (~1 paragraph)
c. Target Market (~1 paragraph)
d. Product Recipe (Abbreviations and brand names should not be used in the recipe.)
i. List of Ingredients and Ingredient Functions
ii. Instructions for Preparation
e. Package Design (~2-3 paragraphs)
f. Storage and Display Plan (~1-2 paragraphs)
g. Marketing Plan

2. Each team must give a brief oral presentation to introduce and describe the new product to the
class. Students must provide the product package (or a detailed drawing of the package design)
and enough product sample for a class evaluation of the product. Note: Intent to purchase
evaluation scorecards are provided on page 7.

Assessment:
Class Competition:
Each participating class should hold a new product competition. Class competitions should be judged
by the teacher and students and should be scored based on the FOOD FIGHT! Scoring Rubric provided
on page 8.

Food Science Club New Product Fair:

The University of Georgia Food Science Club sponsors a New Product Fair held at the Food Science
and Technology Building on the University of Georgia campus each semester.

Eligibility:
Winning teams from any participating high school science class in Georgia are invited to compete.
Project teams must consist of a minimum of 2 students and a maximum of 4 students. To compete, each

FOOD FIGHT! 4
participating teacher should notify Amy Rowley ([email protected]) or Jeremy Peacock
([email protected]) of their participation at the beginning of the semester.

Awards:
The New Product Fair selects one winning product. Each member of the winning team is awarded a
New Product Fair certificate and a $50 savings bond.

Judging:
Teams must give a 15 minute oral presentation. In addition to the product name, description, recipe,
target market, storage and display plan, and marketing plan, the presentation must also include the actual
product and product package (or a detailed drawing of the package design). Product proposals and
presentations will be judged by students and faculty of the University of Georgia Department of Food
Science and Technology. Projects at the New Product Fair will be scored similarly to the classroom
judging. Teams registering with the fair will be provided with a New Product Fair competition rubric.

Resources:
The following video provides an introduction to the product development process.
• From Concept to Consumer: Food Product Development, 21:40 min., Institute of Food
Technologists (IFT)

The following websites may be useful during the product development process.
• IFT – http://www.ift.org
• Institute of Food Technologists Student Association (IFTSA) Product Development Competition
– http://www.ift.org/iftsa/competitions/pdc.html
• Food Product Design Editorial Library
– http://www.foodproductdesign.com/archive/editorial.html
• The Department of Food Science and Technology - http://www.uga.edu/fst/
• The Extension Food Science and Food Safety – http://fsext-outreach.ces.uga.edu/

FOOD FIGHT! 5
FOOD FIGHT!
Product Development Project – Suggested Project Schedule
In-Class Activity Assignment Teacher
Assign Collect
1 Introduction; Announce Product Theme; Individual Product NA NA
Group Selection Idea
Resources Needed: FOOD FIGHT! An
Introduction to Product Development; FOOD
FIGHT! Product Development Project –
Teacher’s Guide & Student Handouts
2 Team Meeting to Share & Rank Product Ideas Team Rankings Individual Provide Feedback
Product Ideas & on Product Ideas &
Team Rankings Rankings
3 Team Meeting to Review Feedback & Select Final Product Idea; Final Product Idea NA
Final Product Idea Product Name,
Description, &
Target Market
4 Ingredient Functionality List of Ingredients & Product Name, Provide Feedback
Resources Needed: How Sweet It Is! Lesson Functions Description, & on Product Name,
Plan & Student Handouts Target Market Description &
Target Market
5 Formulation Instructions for List of Ingredients Provide Feedback
Resources Needed: The Chemist’s Cookbook Preparation & Functions on List of
Lesson Plan & Student Handouts Ingredients &
Functions
6 Sensory Evaluation Product Sample Instructions for Provide Feedback
Resources Needed: One of These Things Is Not Preparation on Instructions for
Like The Other Lesson Plan & Student Preparation
Handouts; The Tomato…Flavorful or
Flavorless Lesson Plan & Student Handouts
7 Product Sampling & Intent to Purchase Analyze Intent to Product Sample Provide Feedback
Evaluation Purchase Data & on Product Sample
Resources Needed: Intent to Purchase Calculate Score
Evaluation Scorecards
8 Packaging Package Design & Intent to Purchase NA
Resources Needed: The Perfect Package Lesson Explanation; Storage Score
Plan & Student Handouts & Display Plan; &
Review Product
Suggestions
9 Marketing Marketing Plan Package Design Provide Feedback
Resources Needed: Can You Believe Everything & Explanation; on Package Design
You See? Lesson Plan & Student Handouts Storage & & Explanation;
Display Plan Storage & Display
Plan
10 Final Preparation Final Proposal, Marketing Plan Provide Feedback
Presentation, on Marketing Plan
Product Sample, &
Package
11 FOOD FIGHT! Competition Final Proposal, Judge Projects,
Presentation, Compile Scores, &
Product Sample, Select Winning
& Package Team

FOOD FIGHT! 6
FOOD FIGHT!
Product Development Project – Intent to Purchase Evaluation Scorecards

Note: Copy and cut for use in peer judging of products.

Peer Intent to Purchase Evaluation:

Peer Intent to Purchase Evaluation:
Product Name: __________________
Product Name: __________________
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being least likely and 5
being most likely), indicate with an “X” the On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being least likely and 5
likelihood that you would purchase this product if being most likely), indicate with an “X” the
it were available for purchase. likelihood that you would purchase this
product if it were available for purchase.
1 _____
1 _____
2 _____
2 _____
3 _____
3 _____
4 _____
4 _____
5 _____
5 _____

Peer Intent to Purchase Evaluation:

Peer Intent to Purchase Evaluation:
Product Name: __________________
Product Name: __________________
On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being least likely and 5
being most likely), indicate with an “X” the On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being least likely and 5
likelihood that you would purchase this product if being most likely), indicate with an “X” the
it were available for purchase. likelihood that you would purchase this
product if it were available for purchase.
1 _____
1 _____
2 _____
2 _____
3 _____
3 _____
4 _____
4 _____
5 _____
5 _____

FOOD FIGHT! 7
FOOD FIGHT!
Product Development Project – Scoring Rubric

CRITERIA 10 9-8 7-5 4-0

Product Name Product name is original, Product name is descriptive. Product name is not Product name or produ
and Description descriptive, and marketable. Product description provides a descriptive. Product description is missing
Product description provides a clear explanation of what the description provides an shows little effort. Pro
clear and detailed explanation product is but an unclear or unclear explanation of what idea is unrelated to ass
of what the product is, how it incomplete explanation of the product is. Product idea is product theme.
is unique, and how it meets a how the product is unique, and somewhat congruent with
specific consumer need. how it meets a specific assigned product theme.
Product idea is congruent with consumer need. Product idea
assigned product theme. is congruent with assigned
Explanation of how product product theme.
addresses assigned theme is
provided.
Originality of Product is completely original. Product is mostly original but Product represents only minor Product is a copy of an
Product There is no other product like based on modifications of an modifications of an existing existing product.
it on the market. existing product. product.

Target Market Target market is clearly Target market is broadly Target market is defined but is Target market is missi
defined and an explanation is defined and is congruent with only somewhat congruent shows little effort.
provided as to why the the product theme. with the product theme.
particular audience was
chosen. Target market is
congruent with product theme.
Product Recipe Product recipe clearly lists, in Product recipe clearly lists all Product recipe provides an The list of ingredients
order of use, all ingredients ingredients used in the incomplete list of the explanations of ingred
used in the product, accurate product, reasonable, but ingredients used in the functions, or instructio
explanations of the specific general, explanations of the product, incomplete or preparation are missin
functions (based on physical, functions (based on physical, incorrect explanations of the show little effort.
chemical, or biological chemical, or biological ingredient functions, or
properties) of all product properties) of all ingredients, incomplete or unclear
ingredients, and detailed and procedures for procedures for preparation.
procedures for preparation. preparation.

FOOD FIGHT!
Package Design Package (or detailed drawing) Package (or detailed drawing) Package (or detailed drawing) Package or package de
contains an original design is made (or drawn) to scale. is not made (or drawn) to missing or shows little
feature and is made (or drawn) Visual design is professional, scale. Visual design is
to scale. Visual design is appeals to the target market, professional and appeals to
professional, appeals to the and provides required product target market, but required
target market, and provides information (product name, product information (product
required product information ingredients, nutritional name, ingredients, nutritional
(product name, ingredients, information, etc.). A general, information, etc.) is
nutritional information, etc.). but accurate explanation of the incomplete. An incomplete
A clear, detailed explanation selection of package materials explanation of the selection of
of the selection of package and design (based on the package materials and design
materials and design (based on physical, chemical, and is provided.
the physical, chemical, and biological properties of the
biological properties of the product and package) is
product and package) is provided.
provided.
Storage and Specific storage conditions General storage conditions General storage conditions are Storage or display plan
Display Plan (based on physical, chemical, (based on physical, chemical, specified. An inaccurate missing or shows little
and biological properties of and biological properties of estimate of product shelf-life
product and package) are product and package) are is provided. Display plan is
specified. A reasonable specified. An estimate of appropriate for target market.
estimate of product shelf-life product shelf-life is provided,
and a specific description of as well as a general
food safety concerns are description food safety
provided. Display plan is concerns. Display plan is
appropriate for target market. appropriate for target market.
Marketing Plan Marketing plan is appropriate Marketing plan is appropriate Marketing plan is Marketing plan is mis
for target audience, provides for target audience, provides inappropriate for target shows little effort.
detailed explanation of an explanation of marketing audience, provides an
marketing techniques to be techniques to be used, incomplete explanation of
used, provides multiple provides one sample marketing techniques to be
examples of marketing tools, marketing tool, and displays used, does not provide an
and displays professionalism professionalism and creativity. example of a marketing tool,
and creativity. and/or lacks professionalism
and creativity.
Written Written proposal follows Written proposal follows Written proposal follows Written proposal does
Communication assigned outline and is written assigned outline and is written assigned outline and is written follow assigned outlin
in paragraph form. Writing is in paragraph form. Writing is in paragraph form. Writing is not written in paragrap
clear and free of grammar, clear and contains no more unclear and/or contains 5 or Writing is unclear and
spelling, and typographical than 5 grammar, spelling, or more grammar, spelling, or contains many gramm
errors. typographical errors. typographical errors. spelling, or typograph
errors.

FOOD FIGHT!
Oral Students are well prepared, Students are prepared, and Students are somewhat Students are not prepa
Communication and oral presentation is oral presentation is complete. prepared, and oral oral presentation is
complete. Students speak Students speak clearly and presentation is complete. incomplete. Students
clearly and professionally and professionally and show an Students speak clearly and speak clearly or
show a full understanding of understanding of the professionally but show little professionally. Studen
the information presented. information presented. understanding of the not show an understan
Students are able to answer Students are able to answer information presented. the information presen
accurately almost all questions accurately most questions Students are able to answer Students are unable to
posed by classmates or posed by classmates or accurately few questions accurately questions p
instructor. instructor. posed by classmates or classmates or instructo
instructor.

Product Mean class intent to purchase score ______

Total Score (out o

Additional Teacher Comments:

FOOD FIGHT!
FOOD FIGHT!
Product Development Project – Student Handout

Introduction:
The FOOD FIGHT! project will challenge you to become a food scientist as you apply physical science,
biology, chemistry, and physics concepts to the development of a new food product. Through a series of
laboratory exercises, classroom activities, and assignments, you will learn the stages of product
development and develop an original food item.

The University of Georgia Food Science Club sponsors a New Product Fair held at the Food Science
and Technology Building on the University of Georgia campus each semester. The winning team from
your class is invited to participate.

Procedures:
You will develop an original food item, complete a written product proposal, and orally present your
product and proposal to the class. You will work in groups of two to four members. All assignments
must be typed in paragraph form. All activities and assignments will be completed according to the
schedule below.

Product Theme: _______________________________________

Schedule:
Assignment Due Date Complete
Individually develop an original product idea congruent with the
product theme.

Meet with your team and rank your product ideas.

Select the final product idea for your team.

Develop a name for your product and provide a brief product

description.

Provide a description of the specific target market for which your

product is designed (e.g. young children, teenagers, college
students, or young adults)

Provide a list of ingredients that will be used to make your product.

For each ingredient listed, provide a description of the ingredient’s
function based on its physical, chemical, or biological properties
(e.g. sugar used as a sweetener or flour used as thickener).

Provide detailed instructions for preparation of your product.

FOOD FIGHT! 11
 Provide a sample of your product. Students must provide enough
product sample for a class evaluation of intent to purchase.

Analyze the Intent to Purchase data compiled for your product and
calculate the Intent to Purchase score. Review any product
suggestions.

Provide a detailed drawing and description of your product

package. Provide an explanation of why the design is the best
package for your product. This explanation should be based on the
physical and chemical properties of the product and package.

Devise a plan for storing and displaying the product in the store,
including an estimate of how long the product can be safely stored.

Devise a marketing plan to promote and advertise your new

product. Examples of advertising methods that may be used are a
television commercial video or skit, a magazine or newspaper ad, a
billboard design, or a radio ad or jingle.

Prepare a product proposal for your product, as well as a brief oral

presentation to introduce and briefly describe your new product to
the class. You must provide the product package (or a detailed
drawing of the package design) and enough product sample for a
class evaluation of product intent to purchase.

Project Requirements:
1. Each team must prepare a product proposal that follows the outline below.
a. Name of New Food Product
b. Product Description (~1 paragraph)
c. Target Market (~1 paragraph)
d. Product Recipe (Abbreviations and brand names should not be used in the recipe.)
i. List of Ingredients and Ingredient Functions
ii. Instructions for Preparation
e. Package Design (~2-3 paragraphs)
f. Storage and Display Plan (~1-2 paragraphs)
g. Marketing Plan

2. Each team must give a brief oral presentation to introduce and describe the new product to the
class. Students must provide the product package (or a detailed drawing of the package design)
and enough product sample for a class evaluation of the product.

Class Competition:
You will compete with your classmates in a new product development competition. Your product,
package, written proposal, and oral presentation will be scored according to the FOOD FIGHT! Scoring
Rubric.

FOOD FIGHT! 12
Food Science Club New Product Fair:
The University of Georgia Food Science Club sponsors a New Product Fair held at the Food Science
and Technology Building on the University of Georgia campus. The winning team from your class will
be invited to compete against other Georgia high school students. The New Product Fair will select one
winning product. Each member of the winning team will be awarded a New Product Fair certificate and
a $50 savings bond.

Teams must give a 15 minute oral presentation. In addition to the product name, description, recipe,
target market, storage and display plan, and marketing plan, the presentation must also include the actual
product and product package (or a detailed drawing of the package design). Product proposals and
presentations will be judged by students and faculty of the University of Georgia Department of Food
Science and Technology. Projects at the New Product Fair will be scored similarly to the classroom
judging. Teams registering with the fair will be provided with a New Product Fair competition rubric.

FOOD FIGHT! 13
FOOD FIGHT! 14
How Sweet It Is!
Ingredient Functionality – Lesson Plan

Annotation:
In this classroom activity, students will explore the relationship of chemical structure to the functional
properties of food ingredients as they compare natural and artificial sweeteners.

Primary Learning Outcomes:

Students will be able to name common sweeteners found in food products.

Students will be able to classify sweeteners as organic compounds.

Students will be able to identify the chemical structures of sucrose, saccharin, and sucralose.

Students will be able to describe the relationship between the chemical structure and functional
properties of food ingredients.

Students will be able to explain the role of ingredient selection in the development of food products.

Georgia Performance Standards:

SCSh3. Students will identify and investigate problems scientifically.

SPS2. Students will explore the nature of matter, its classifications, and its system for naming types of
matter.

SC1 Students will analyze the nature of matter and its classifications.

Related Topics:
Structure and Properties of Matter
Organic Compounds

Duration:
Preparation: 45 minutes
Introduction: 20 minutes
Student Activity: 15 minutes
Conclusion: 15 minutes
Total Class Time: 50 minutes

Materials and Equipment:

For Teacher Preparation:
(Per class of 30 students)
1. ½ Cup sucrose (table sugar) 5. 4 Gallons of drinking water
2. ½ Cup sucralose (Splenda®) 6. Saltine® crackers
3. ½ Cup saccharin (Sweet’N Low®) 7. Napkins
4. 120, 5-oz. Plastic cups

FOOD FIGHT! 15
Per Student:
1. How Sweet It Is! student handout 5. 5-oz. Cup of water
2. 5-oz. Cup of Solution A 6. 2 Saltine® crackers
3. 5-oz. Cup of Solution B 7. Napkin
4. 5-oz. Cup of Solution C

Safety:
Because students will be allowed to eat during the activity, precautions should be taken to prevent
materials from coming into contact with laboratory equipment or surfaces. Materials should remain in
cups or on clean napkins at all times.

Technology Connection:
Not applicable

Procedures:
Teacher Preparation:
Use the attached template to prepare the How Sweet It Is! student handout for each student. To one
gallon of drinking water, add ½ cup of sucrose (table sugar) and mix thoroughly. Label this “Solution
A.” To a second gallon of drinking water, add ½ cup of sucralose (Splenda®) and mix thoroughly.
Label this “Solution B.” To a third gallon of drinking water, add ½ cup of saccharin (Sweet’N Low®)
and mix thoroughly. Label this “Solution C.” For each student, label 4 cups “A,” “B,” “C,” and
“water,” respectively. Fill each cup with the appropriate sample. Note: Although this procedure will not
provide solutions of equivalent molar concentrations, the relative concentrations are such that students
will obtain the desired results. Because saccharin and sucralose are significantly sweeter than sucrose,
they are packaged along with filler materials such as dextrose. For example, a one-gram packet of
Sweet’N Low® contains only 36 mg of saccharin along with 964 mg of filler and other ingredients.
Thus in order to create molar-equivalent solutions of sucrose and saccharin using materials found at the
grocery store, it would be necessary to adjust for the presence of filler in the commercially available
saccharin product.

Estimated Time:
45 minutes

Introduction:
Everything we see, touch, smell, and taste is chemical, whether it is the neon lights at your favorite
restaurant, the napkin you place in your lap, the aroma of fresh garlic, or the food that you eat.

During the development of a new food product, each ingredient (i.e. chemical) is selected because of its
specific function within the food. Sugar sweetens. Vanilla flavors. Flour thickens. Potassium sorbate
preserves. The specific function of an ingredient is a result of its chemical structure, and therefore, any
changes in the chemical structure alter the function of the ingredient. For example, L-carvone and D-
carvone are enantiomers, or isomers whose structures are mirror images of one another. In this case, L-
carvone exhibits a spearmint aroma; whereas, D-carvone exhibits a caraway, or rye cracker-like, aroma.
Structural changes in ingredients can result indirectly from heating, processing, and storage or can result
directly from the efforts of food scientists to manipulate specific functional properties of an ingredient.
Therefore, knowledge of the relationship between the structure and function of ingredients is critical in
food science.

FOOD FIGHT! 16
Explain to students that they will be sampling sucrose, saccharin, and sucralose. Each of these is an
organic compound that is used as a sweetener in food and beverage products. Organic compounds are
often simplified to include those compounds that contain the element carbon. For example, aspirin,
C9H8O4, is an organic compound. Organic compounds do contain carbon, and most organic compounds
also contain hydrogen. Those compounds that consist solely of carbon and hydrogen are called
hydrocarbons. Butane, C4H10, is an example of a hydrocarbon. Other organic compounds may contain
oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorus, or one of the halogens. These groups of atoms containing elements
other than carbon and hydrogen constitute functional groups. Each functional group is important
because it provides the compound with unique chemical properties. Furthermore, organic compounds
are commonly classified by the functional groups they contain.

As with any ingredient function, it is the chemical structure of sweeteners that allows them to function
as such. Food scientists have determined that a specific arrangement of organic functional groups
allows a compound to interact with taste bud receptors to register a sweet sensation. A compound must
contain an –OH or –NH group, a basic N or C atom, and a hydrophobic group such as –CH3 in a triangle
with specific angles and distances in order to act as a sweetener. Among the more than 50 sweeteners
known to food scientists, the natural sugars, such as sucrose and fructose, are the best known.

Sucrose (Figure 1), or common table sugar, is a carbohydrate and is a major source of calories and
energy in the human diet. Sucrose is actually a disaccharide that is composed of the two
monosaccharides glucose and fructose. Table sugar is refined from sugarcane and sugar beets and is
considered the standard when measuring the sweetness of compounds.

Figure 1: Sucrose

Because of the interest in low-calorie and low-sugar foods that has developed over the last few decades,
interest has grown in using low-calorie or no-calorie sweeteners. These sweeteners, such as sucralose,
saccharin, cyclamate, and aspartame, are either not metabolized or are so intensely sweet that very small
quantities can be used.

Sucralose (Figure 2) is the newest artificial sweetener to enter the market and is known by the trade
name Splenda®. Sucralose is made through a process that converts sucrose to a non-caloric, non-
carbohydrate sweetener by replacing three –OH groups on the sucrose molecule with three Cl atoms.
The result is a stable compound, 600-times sweeter than sucrose, that is not metabolized by the body and
is stable at high temperatures. Aside from its use in manufactured products and as a tabletop sweetener,
Splenda® is sold as a sucrose-sucralose blend for baking, as sucrose can have important functions in the
texture and appearance of baked foods.

Figure 2: Sucralose
FOOD FIGHT! 17
Saccharin (Figure 3), the world’s oldest low-calorie sweetener, was discovered accidentally in 1879
when a researcher at Johns Hopkins University spilled the compound on his hand and later noticed his
hand to have a sweet taste. Saccharin is a heterocyclic compound that is derived from toluene or methyl
anthranilate and is 300-times sweeter than sucrose. It is not metabolized by the body, and although
there has been much controversy concerning its health effects, saccharin has been shown to be a safe
alternative to sugar. Today, saccharin is sold as a tabletop sweetener under the trade name Sweet’N
Low® and is used in such products as baked goods, gum, candy, and salad dressings.

Figure 3: Saccharin

Estimated Time:
20 minutes

Activity:
Provide each student with the materials listed above. Ask students to sample the solutions and rank the
relative sweetness intensities according to the instructions given on the How Sweet It Is! student
handout. Before sampling each solution, students should use the water and crackers to cleanse their
palates.

Estimated Time:
15 minutes

Conclusion:
On the board, note the consensus of student rankings. Confirm the correct rankings and discuss any
differences observed by the students. Have students individually answer the post-laboratory questions
found on the How Sweet It Is! student handout.

Estimated Time:
15 minutes

Assessment:
Assessment should be based on completion of the How Sweet It Is! student handout.

References:
• Christen, G.L. and J.S. Smith (Eds.). 2000. Food Chemistry: Principles and Applications.
Science Technology System, West Sacramento, California.
• Emsley, J. 1988. Artificial Sweeteners. ChemMatters. February: 4-8.
• Gilman, V. 1988. Artificial Sweeteners: No-calorie sugar substitutes provide options for
enjoying the sweet life.. Chemical and Engineering News. 82(25): 43.
• http://www.saccharin.org/ Deleted: <#>http://www.aspartame.org
/¶
• http://www.splenda.com/
• http://www.sweetnlow.com/

FOOD FIGHT! 18
How Sweet It Is!
Ingredient Functionality – Student Handout

Introduction:
Sucrose (Figure 1), or common table sugar, is a carbohydrate and is a major source of calories and
energy in the human diet. Because of the interest in low-calorie and low-sugar foods that has developed
over the last few decades, interest has grown in using low-calorie or no-calorie sweeteners. Sucralose
(Figure 2) is the newest artificial sweetener to enter the market and is known by the trade name
Splenda®. Sucralose is made through a process that converts sucrose to a non-caloric, non-carbohydrate
sweetener by replacing three –OH groups on the sucrose molecule with three Cl atoms. Saccharin
(Figure 3), the world’s oldest low-calorie sweetener, is known by the trade name Sweet’N Low®.
Saccharin is a synthetic compound derived from toluene.

Figure 1: Sucrose Figure 2: Sucralose

Figure 3: Saccharin

Table sugar is refined from sugarcane and sugar beets and is considered the standard when measuring
the sweetness of compounds. Compared to sucrose, artificial sweeteners exhibit much more intense
sweetness. Saccharin is 300-times sweeter than sucrose, while sucralose is 600-times sweeter than
sucrose.

Purpose:
To identify common food sweeteners, sucrose, saccharin, and sucralose, by comparing sweetness
intensity rankings of solutions of each compound.

Materials:
1. 3 Sweetener solutions (A, B and C)
2. Cup of water
3. Saltine® crackers
4. Napkin

FOOD FIGHT! 19
Intensity Ranking:
Sample each solution, from A to C. Rank (1 being least intense and 3 being most intense) the sweetness
of each solution.

Sweetness Intensity
Sample Ranking Comments

A __________ _________________________

B __________ _________________________

C __________ _________________________

Post-Laboratory Questions:
1. Identify solutions A, B, and C as sucrose, saccharin, or sucralose based on your sweetness
intensity rankings.
2. Other than sweetness intensity, what differences did you detect among the samples?
3. Sucralose is stable at high temperatures. However, for baking applications, Splenda® is sold as
a sucrose-sucralose blend. Identify two functions, other than sweetening, that sucrose might
have in baked food products that sucralose does not fulfill.
4. Carotenoids are a class of compounds responsible for many of the red, orange, and yellow hues
of plant leaves, fruits, and flowers, as well as the colors of some birds, insects, fish, and
crustaceans. Examine and compare the chemical structures found below. Lycopene is a
carotenoid found in tomatoes. Based on your comparison, would you expect β-carotene to
exhibit the properties of a carotenoid? Why or why not?

FOOD FIGHT! 20
The Chemist’s Cookbook
Formulation – Lesson Plan

Annotation:
In this laboratory exercise, students will explore product formulation and quality control, perform metric
conversions, and evaluate accuracy and precision as they follow a scientific protocol to prepare cookies.

Primary Learning Outcomes:

Students will be able to convert metric measurements to standard measurements.

Students will be able to define the terms accuracy and precision.

Students will be able to calculate the arithmetic mean and relative standard deviation of a dataset.

Students will be able to use relative standard deviation to describe the precision of a set of
measurements.

Students will be able to calculate the mean percent difference between an observed mean and a given,
standard value.

Students will be able to use mean percent difference to describe the accuracy of a set of measurements.

Students will be able to define the term quality control and describe its importance in the production of
a food product.

Students will be able to explain the importance of product formulation in the design of a new food
product.

Georgia Performance Standards:

SCSh2. Students will use standard safety practices for all classroom laboratory and field investigations.

SCSh3. Students will identify and investigate problems scientifically.

SCSh4. Students will use tools and instruments for observing, measuring, and manipulating scientific
equipment and materials.

SCSh5. Students will demonstrate the computation and estimation skills necessary for analyzing data
and developing reasonable scientific explanations.

SCSh6. Students will communicate scientific investigations and information clearly.

Related Topics:
Metric Conversions
Data Analysis
• Accuracy and Precision
• Standard Deviation

FOOD FIGHT! 21
 • Mean Percent Difference
Duration:
Preparation: 70 minutes
Introduction: 30 minutes
Student Activity: 90 minutes
Conclusion: 30 minutes
Total Class Time: 150 minutes

Materials and Equipment:

1. All-purpose flour 11. Measuring spoons
2. Baking soda 12. Small mixing bowl
3. Salt 13. Large mixing Bowl
4. Butter 14. Mixing spoon
5. Granulated [white] sugar 15. Hand mixer
6. Brown sugar 16. 4 Non-stick baking sheets
7. Imitation vanilla flavoring 17. Oven mitts
8. Eggs 18. Oven
9. Semi-sweet chocolate chips 19. Balance
10. Measuring cup 20. Metric ruler

Per Student:
1. The Chemist’s Cookbook student handout

Safety:
The primary safety concern in this laboratory exercise is the heat produced during cooking. Ensure that
students wear dry oven mitts and use caution when handling hot objects. Because students will consume
the product of this activity, be sure to prepare the cookies outside the laboratory (e.g. in a home
economics classroom or the school cafeteria). Use ingredients and equipment that are not used or stored
in the laboratory.

Technology Connection:
At the teacher’s discretion, students may use calculators or computer spreadsheet software to complete
required calculations.

Procedures:
This laboratory exercise is organized in three sessions as outlined below.

SESSION ONE:
• Introduce the activity to students by reviewing the introduction provided below.
• Provide students with The Chemist’s Cookbook student handout and review the overall
assignment.
• Instruct students to complete, as homework, the pre-laboratory assignment found on The
Chemist’s Cookbook student handout.

SESSION TWO:
• Have students complete the laboratory assignment and post-laboratory questions found on The
Chemist’s Cookbook student handout.

SESSION THREE:

FOOD FIGHT! 22
 • Conclude the activity as described in the conclusion below.
Teacher Preparation:
SESSION ONE:
Use the attached template to prepare a copy of The Chemist’s Cookbook student handout for each
student.

Estimated Time:
10 minutes

SESSION TWO:
Teacher Preparation:
The standard chocolate chip cookie recipe follows.

1. 2 ¼ c. All-purpose flour
2. 1 tsp. Baking soda
3. 1 tsp. Salt
4. 1 c. Butter, softened
5. ¾ c. Granulated [white] sugar
6. ¾ c. Packed brown sugar
7. 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
8. 2 Eggs
9. 12 oz. Semi-sweet chocolate chips

Following the procedures given on The Chemist’s Cookbook student handout, this recipe will make
approximately 36 cookies. Obtain enough of the above materials to allow each group to complete the
full recipe. Arrange for access to the equipment listed above and arrange to complete the activity
outside of the laboratory. Ideally, the activity can be completed in a home economics classroom that is
stocked with the required measuring and cooking equipment. Prepare student stations by placing
necessary materials and equipment at each station. Note: This exercise may also be completed using
store-bought cookies. Cookies purchased from a bakery generally exhibit greater variability and are
preferable to commercially produced, brand-name cookies.

Estimated Time:
60 minutes

Introduction:
Stop and think about opening a new bag of Chips Ahoy® chocolate chip cookies. Each cookie seems to
be exactly the same shape, size, and color. Every cookie has just the right number of chocolate chips,
and as you bite into each cookie, you get the same perfect crunch.

We have all come to expect perfection in our foods. That means that food manufacturers must dedicate
more and more resources to delivering consistently high quality foods with no mistakes and no excuses.
All food companies employ some form of quality control, i.e. a system by which a desired standard of
quality in a product or process is maintained. No matter what form a quality control system takes, the
foundation is formed by solid, science-based product formulation. When developing a new food
product, the product formulation provides a standardized recipe and protocol for production of a high-
quality product. In order to maintain product consistency, samples of the product are regularly
evaluated against standards for size, shape, color, flavor, texture, and nutrient content. Any products

FOOD FIGHT! 23
found that do not meet these standards are never allowed to reach the consumer. Thus, a well-tested
product formulation is the basis for any successful new product.
Explain to students that in this activity, they will perform their own quality control as they follow a
standard formulation to make chocolate chip cookies and then evaluate their cookies against product
standards. In particular, students will compare the average mass and average diameter of their cookies
to standard values. Any time we wish to evaluate observed values against a standard, there are two
critical concepts to keep in mind: accuracy and precision. Accuracy refers to the extent to which a
measurement agrees with the true value or standard. To use a classic example, if a marksman takes
several shots at a bulls-eye, accuracy describes how close those shots are to hitting the bulls-eye. In this
activity, accuracy will refer to how close students’ cookies are to matching product standards.
Precision, on the other hand, refers to the extent to which individual measurements of the same quantity
agree. In our classic example, precision refers to how close the marksman’s shots are to one another. In
this activity, precision will refer to the consistency of students’ cookies (i.e. How much do mass and
diameter vary between individual cookies?).

Note: In order to evaluate the accuracy and precision of their cookie production, students will use the
statistical concepts of arithmetic mean, mean percent difference, and relative standard deviation.
Students will also use the concept of mean percent difference. Before assigning these calculations,
review or introduce these concepts to your students. For the purposes of this activity, mean ( x ) is taken
to be the average value of a set of numbers and is calculated using the following equation,

( x 1+ x 2:::+ x n)
x = n

where x 1; x 2; :::; x n are the individual observations and n is the total number of observations.

Accuracy of students’ cookie production will be evaluated by comparing the mean values of mass and
diameter to the respective standards by calculating the mean percent difference (MPD), which is
calculated using the following equation,

x obsà x Std
M PD = x Std
â 100%

where x obs is the observed mean and x Std is the standard value.
The precision of students’ cookie production will be evaluated by calculating the standard deviation of
the data sets for mass and diameter, respectively. Standard deviation (s) is a measure of how a set of
data varies from its mean and is given by the equation
s
2 2 (x 1+ :::+ x n) 2
( x + :::+ x n) à
s = 1 n
nà 1

where x 1; x 2; :::; x n are the individual observations and n is the total number of observations.

FOOD FIGHT! 24
In order to obtain a more meaningful value for precision, standard deviation can be adjusted by
calculating the relative standard deviation (RSD). RSD expresses standard deviation as a percentage of
the mean and is given by the following equation.

s
RSD = x â 100%
Estimated Time:
30 minutes

Student Activity:
Pre-Laboratory Assignment:
Students should…
1. Familiarize themselves with the laboratory procedures.
2. Write in their laboratory notebooks an introduction summarizing the information presented to
them during the introductory lecture.
3. Write in their laboratory notebooks the purpose, materials, procedures provided on The
Chemist’s Cookbook student handout.
4. Review the list of reagents and identify and record in a table in their laboratory notebooks the
common name of each ingredient.
5. Convert all metric values found in the reagent list and procedures to their standard equivalents
and record in a table in their laboratory notebooks. (Show all calculations.)

Laboratory Assignment:
Students should follow the laboratory procedures set forth in The Chemist’s Cookbook student handout
and prepare a laboratory report communicating their results.

Estimated Time:
90 minutes

Conclusion:
Compile class data on the board. Discuss with students their accuracy and precision in making cookies.
Also discuss measures taken by the food industry to ensure the quality and consistency of their products.

Estimated Time:
30 minutes

Assessment:
Assessment should be based on The Chemist’s Cookbook Scoring Rubric provided on page 28.

References:
• Christen, G.L. and J.S. Smith (Eds.). 2000. Food Chemistry: Principles and Applications.
Science Technology System, West Sacramento, California.

FOOD FIGHT! 25
The Chemist’s Cookbook
Formulation – Scoring Rubric
CRITERIA 10 9-8 7-5 4-0
Introduction Introduction is a clear, Introduction is a brief Introduction is too brief, Introduction is a copy of
concise, and thoughtful description of the unrelated to the laboratory material provided or is
description of the laboratory background of the laboratory exercise, or provides little or missing.
exercise. It reflectively exercise. no background information.
shows how the laboratory
exercise fits into the
curriculum.

Purpose Purpose of the laboratory Purpose of the laboratory Purpose of the laboratory Purpose of the laboratory
exercise is clearly identified exercise is identified, but is exercise is partially exercise is erroneous or
and stated. stated in a somewhat unclear identified, and is stated in a missing.
manner. somewhat unclear manner.

Materials All materials and equipment Almost all materials and Most of the materials and Many materials or
used in the laboratory equipment used in the equipment used in the equipment used in this
exercise are clearly and laboratory exercise are laboratory exercise are laboratory exercise are
accurately described. clearly and accurately accurately described. described inaccurately or
described. not described at all or are
missing.

Procedures All procedures are listed in All procedures are listed in a All procedures are listed but Procedures do not accura
clear steps. Each step is logical order, but steps are are not in a logical order or list the steps of the
numbered and is a complete not numbered and/or are not are difficult to follow. experiment or are missin
sentence. in complete sentences.

Data Collection Data is accurate and is Data is accurate and Data is accurate and Data are not shown or ar
presented in a professional recorded with the recorded with the inaccurate.
manner. Data is recorded appropriate precision. appropriate precision.
with appropriate precision. Graphs and tables are Graphs and tables are not
Graphs and tables are labeled and titled. used or are incorrectly
correctly labeled and titled. labeled and titled.

FOOD FIGHT!
Data Analysis All calculations are shown Some calculations are shown Some calculations are shown No calculations are show
and the results are correct and the results are correct and the results labeled results are inaccurate or
and labeled appropriately. and labeled appropriately. appropriately. mislabeled.

Results MPD < 10% 10% < MPD < 25% 25% < MPD < 50% MPD > 50%
RSD < 10% 10% < RSD < 25% 25% < RSD < 50% RSD > 50%

Discussion Discussion is a clear, Discussion is a sufficient but Discussion is unclear or a Discussion disregards po
complete, and thoughtful brief response to the post- superficial or inaccurate laboratory questions, sho
response to the post- laboratory questions. response to the post- little effort, or is missing
laboratory questions. Discussion is written in laboratory questions.
Discussion is written in paragraph form but is Discussion may not be
paragraph form and is free of somewhat unclear. written in paragraph form or
grammar and spelling errors. may contain many grammar
and spelling errors.

Safety Laboratory exercise is Laboratory exercise is Laboratory exercise is Safety procedures were
carried out with full generally carried out with carried out with some ignored and/or some aspe
attention to relevant safety attention to relevant safety attention to relevant safety of the laboratory exercise
procedures. No part of the procedures. No part of the procedures. No part of the posed a threat to the safe
laboratory exercise posed a laboratory exercise posed a laboratory exercise posed a of the student or others.
safety threat to any safety threat to any safety threat to any
individual. individual, but at least one individual, but several safety
safety procedure was not procedures were not
followed. followed.

Participation Student used time well in the Student used time pretty Student did the laboratory Student participation was
laboratory and focused well in the laboratory and exercise but did not appear minimal, or student did n
attention on the exercise. stayed focused on the very interested. Focus was clean and return all
Student cleaned and returned exercise most of the time. lost on several occasions. equipment to its proper
all equipment to its proper Student cleaned and returned Student cleaned and returned location.
location. all equipment to its proper all equipment to its proper
location. location.

Total Score (out of 10

FOOD FIGHT!
The Chemist’s Cookbook
Formulation – Student Handout

Introduction:
Stop and think about opening a new bag of Chips Ahoy® chocolate chip cookies. Each cookie seems to
be exactly the same shape, size, and color. Every cookie has just the right number of chocolate chips,
and as you bite into each cookie, you get the same perfect crunch.

Because we have all come to expect perfection in our foods, food companies must employ strict quality
control measures in order to maintain product consistency. Product samples are regularly evaluated
against standards for size, shape, color, flavor, texture, and nutrient content. Thus, a well-tested product
formulation is the basis for any successful new product.

In this activity, you will perform quality control as you follow a standard formulation to make chocolate
chip cookies and then evaluate your cookies against product standards. You will compare the average
mass and average diameter of your cookies to standard values.

Purpose:
To follow a standard formulation to produce a consistent, high-quality food product—chocolate chip
cookies.

Pre-Laboratory Assignment:
1. Familiarize yourself with the laboratory procedures.
2. Write in your laboratory notebook an introduction summarizing the information presented to you
during the introductory lecture.
3. Write in your laboratory notebook the purpose, materials, procedures provided.
4. Review the list of reagents below. Identify and record on the student handout the common name
of each ingredient.
5. Convert all metric values found in the reagent list and procedures to their standard equivalents
and record on the student handout.

Useful Conversions:
1 cup = 8 fl. oz. = 16 tbsp. = 48 tsp. = 237 mL
Density of butter = 0.954 g/mL
1 lb. = 454 g = 16 oz.

Materials and Equipment:

Equipment:
1. Measuring cup 7. 4 Non-stick baking sheets
2. Measuring spoons 8. Oven mitts
3. Small mixing bowl 9. Oven
4. Large mixing Bowl 10. Balance
5. Mixing spoon 11. Metric ruler
6. Hand mixer

FOOD FIGHT! 28
Reagents:
Metric Description Standard Common Name
Value Value
533.25 mL Finely milled wheat grains

5 mL NaHCO3

5 mL Iodized, granular NaCl

226 g 80% Milkfat, water-in-oil

emulsion

177.75 mL Granular, crystalline sucrose

177.75 mL Sucrose-molasses mixture

5 mL Vanillin-ethanol solution

2 Unfertilized reproductive
bodies of Gallus
domesticum

340 g Semi-sweet Theobroma

cacao chips

Procedure:
1. Preheat oven to 191°C ( _______°F).
2. Combine reagents 1, 2, and 3 in a small mixing bowl and set aside.
3. Soften reagent 4 by heating in a microwave oven for 60 seconds ( _______min.).
4. Thoroughly mix reagents 4, 5, 6, and 7 in a large mixing bowl.
5. Add reagent 8, one at a time, to the large mixing bowl, mixing thoroughly after each addition.
6. Gradually add mixture from step 2 to the large mixing bowl and continue mixing.
7. Gently stir reagent 9 into the large mixing bowl.
8. Place 30-mL ( _______tbl.) portions of cookie dough onto ungreased baking sheet.
9. Bake in 191°C ( _______°F) oven for 600 seconds ( _______min.) or until golden brown.
10. Let stand to cool completely.

Data Collection:
1. Record below the total number of cookies made by your group.
2. Select a sample of 10 cookies and set aside for quality control evaluation.
3. Measure the mass (to the nearest gram) and the diameter (to the nearest 0.1 cm) of each of the 10
sample cookies and record values in a table (Table 3) in your laboratory notebook.

FOOD FIGHT! 29
Data Analysis:
(Show all calculations.)
1. Calculate and record the mean (average), standard deviation, and relative standard deviation of
your sample masses.
2. The standard mass value for this chocolate chip cookie protocol is 31 g. Calculate and record the
mean percent difference between the mean mass of your cookies and the standard mass value.
3. Calculate and record the mean (average), standard deviation, and relative standard deviation of
your sample diameters.
4. The standard diameter value for this chocolate chip cookie protocol is 9.7 cm. Calculate and
record the mean percent difference between the mean diameter of your cookies and the standard
diameter value.

Post-Laboratory Discussion:
Write in your laboratory notebook a discussion of your findings and conclusions. Be sure to answer in
your discussion the following questions.
1. Define quality control.
2. Why is quality control important in food production?
a. Define accuracy and precision as they relate to food quality control.
3. Using the mean percent differences calculated for mass and diameter, respectively, describe your
accuracy in making cookies.
4. Using the relative standard deviations calculated for mass and diameter, respectively, describe
your precision in making cookies.
5. How might you improve the accuracy and precision of your cookie-making process?
6. How do you think food scientists at Nabisco®, the makers of Chips Ahoy® cookies, ensure the
quality and consistency (i.e. accuracy and precision) of their products?
7. Name another area in which quality control is very important and explain why.

FOOD FIGHT! 30
One of These Things is Not Like the Other
Sensory Evaluation – Lesson Plan

Annotation
In this classroom activity, students will explore the principles of sensory evaluation as they conduct and
analyze a cola triangle test—a test used to determine whether there is a sensory difference between two
products.

Primary Learning Outcomes:

Students will be able to define the term triangle test and explain its use.

Students will be able to calculate percentages based on a data set.

Students will be able to explain the importance of sensory evaluation in food science.

Assessed Georgia Performance Standards:

SCSh1. Students will evaluate the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism in science.

SCSh3. Students will identify and investigate problems scientifically.

SCSh5. Students will demonstrate the computation and estimation skills necessary for analyzing data
and developing reasonable scientific explanations.

Related Topics:
Taste & Sensory Perception
Data Analysis

Duration:
Preparation: 30 minutes
Introduction: 15 minutes
Student Activity: 10 minutes
Conclusion: 15 minutes
Total Class Time: 40 minutes

Materials and Equipment:

For Teacher Preparation:
(Per class of 30 students)
1. 120, 5-oz. Plastic cups
2. 2-L Bottle of Pepsi®
3. 2, 2-L Bottles of Coca-Cola®
4. Gallon of drinking water
5. Saltine® crackers
6. Napkins
7. 12-oz. Can of Sprite® (For Optional Extension)
8. Blindfold (For Optional Extension)

FOOD FIGHT! 31
Per Student:
1. One of These Things is Not Like the Other student handout
2. 5-oz. Cup of Sample A
3. 5-oz. Cup of Sample B
4. 5-oz. Cup of Sample C
5. 5-oz. Cup of water
6. 2 Saltine® crackers
7. Napkin

Safety:
Because students will be allowed to drink during the activity, precautions should be taken to prevent
materials from coming into contact with laboratory equipment or surfaces. Materials should remain in
cups or on clean napkins at all times.

Technology Connection:
Not applicable

Procedures:
Teacher Preparation:
Use the attached template to prepare a One of These Things is Not Like the Other student handout for
each student. For each student, label 4 cups “A,” “B,” “C,” and “water,” respectively. Remove all
labels and markings from the soft drink bottle. Label the 2-L bottle of Pepsi® “A.” Label one 2-L
bottle of Coca-Cola® “B” and the second “C.” Fill each cup roughly half full with the appropriate
sample.

Estimated Time:
30 minutes

Introduction:
Sensory evaluation, an important area of food science, is a tool used to analyze and interpret human
sensory responses to food products based on the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.
Sensory evaluation is used to improve existing food products or to determine consumer acceptability of
new food products. Several types of sensory tests are used. A triangle test is a difference test that is
used to determine whether there is a sensory difference between two products. For example, do
consumers detect a difference between generic and name-brand food items? During a triangle test,
panelists are presented with three samples and asked to identify the sample they believe to be different
from the other two. Data is compiled from a number of panelists and analyzed to determine whether
there is a detectable difference between the products. A detectable difference is often considered to be
one in which fifty percent or more of panelists are able to correctly distinguish the odd sample from the
other two. However, food companies and researchers may adjust these levels according to their
particular interests or needs.

Explain to students that they will be sampling three cola beverages: two are the same and one is
different. Their task is to identify the odd cola sample.

Estimated Time:
15 minutes

FOOD FIGHT! 32
Activity:
Provide each student with the materials listed above. Ask students to sample each of the three colas.
Advise them to pay close attention to the color and flavor of each sample. Ask students to indicate the
odd sample on the One of These Things is Not Like the Other student handout. Students should use the
water and crackers to cleanse their palates between samples.

Estimated Time:
10 minutes

Optional Extension: Ask one or two students to step out of the classroom. As the class watches, pour,
for each student sent out of the room, two cups of Coca-Cola® and one cup of Sprite®. Appoint a
student to escort each student, one at a time, back into the classroom, blindfolded. Ask the student(s) to
sample each of the three samples and identify the odd sample. In a blind sensory test, many individuals
find it difficult to detect a difference between Coca-Cola® and Sprite®.

Conclusion:
Reveal to students the odd sample. As a class, compile the following data on the board: the number of
students that were able to detect the odd sample, the number of male students that were able to detect the
odd sample, and the number of female students that were able to detect the odd sample. Discuss with
students any difficulties experienced in determining the odd sample. Have students answer the post-
laboratory questions found on the One of These Things is Not Like the Other student handout.

Estimated Time:
15 minutes

Assessment:
Assessment should be based on completion of the One of These Things is Not Like the Other student
handout.

Reference:
• Meilgaard, M., Civille G.V., and Carr B.T. 1991. Sensory Evaluation Techniques. CRC Press.
Boca Raton, Florida.

FOOD FIGHT! 33
One of These Things is Not Like the Other
Sensory Evaluation – Student Handout

Introduction:
Sensory evaluation, an important area of food science, is a tool used to analyze and interpret human
sensory responses to food products based on the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.
Sensory evaluation is used to improve existing food products or to determine consumer acceptability of
new food products.

A triangle test is a difference test that is used to determine whether there is a sensory difference between
two products. For example, do consumers detect a difference between generic and name- brand food
items? During a triangle test, panelists are presented with three samples and asked to identify the
sample they believe to be different from the other two. Data is compiled from a number of panelists and
analyzed to determine whether there is a detectable difference between the products. In this assignment,
a detectable difference is assumed to be one in which fifty percent or more of panelists are able to
correctly distinguish the odd sample from the other two.

In this activity, you will be sampling three cola beverages: two are the same and one is different. Your
task is to identify the odd cola sample.

Purpose:
To use triangle testing to determine the odd cola sample from a set of three cola samples.

Materials:
1. 3 Cola samples (A, B, and C)
2. Cup of water
3. Saltine® crackers
4. Napkin

Cola Triangle Test:

Sample each of the three cola beverages from A to C. Two samples are identical; one is different.
Select the odd/different sample and indicate by placing an “X” next to the letter of the odd sample.

Indicate
Sample Odd Sample Comments

A __________ _________________________

B __________ _________________________

C __________ _________________________

FOOD FIGHT! 34
Calculations:
(Show all calculations on a separate sheet of paper.)
1. What percentage of students in the class was able to distinguish the odd sample?
2. What percentage of male students was able to distinguish the odd sample?
3. What percentage of female students was able to distinguish the odd sample?

Post-Laboratory Questions:
1. Assume that in this sensory evaluation a detectable difference among samples is one in which
thirty-five percent or more panelists are able to distinguish the odd sample from the other two.
Based on the class data, is there a detectable difference among the samples?
2. Describe three factors that might account for the differences detected between the cola samples?
3. Why can some students detect differences between the samples while other students cannot?
4. During actual sensory evaluation, measures must be taken to reduce panelist bias towards food
products. Describe three measures that could have been taken in this experiment to improve the
reliability of the results?

FOOD FIGHT! 35
FOOD FIGHT! 36
The Tomato…Flavorful or Flavorless?!?
Sensory Evaluation – Lesson Plan

Annotation
In this classroom activity, students will explore the principles of sensory evaluation as they conduct and
analyze an intent to purchase evaluation—a type of consumer acceptability test that is used to determine
the likelihood that consumers would purchase a particular product.

Primary Learning Outcomes:

Students will be able to define the term intent to purchase evaluation and explain its use.

Students will be able to analyze data by calculating and interpreting arithmetic means and numerical
ranges.

Students will be able to explain the importance of sensory evaluation in food science.

Assessed Georgia Performance Standards:

SCSh1. Students will evaluate the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism in science.

SCSh3. Students will identify and investigate problems scientifically.

SCSh5. Students will demonstrate the computation and estimation skills necessary for analyzing data
and developing reasonable scientific explanations.

SC1 Students will analyze the nature of matter and its classifications.

SPS2. Students will explore the nature of matter, its classifications, and its system for naming types of
matter.

Related Topics:
Data Analysis
Organic Compounds

Duration:
Preparation: 15 minutes
Introduction: 20 minutes
Student Activity: 10 minutes
Conclusion: 15 minutes
Total Class Time: 45 minutes

Materials and Equipment:

For Teacher Preparation:
(Per class of 30 students)
1. 4 Supermarket tomatoes
2. Cutting board
3. Knife

FOOD FIGHT! 37
 4. 30 Paper plates
5. 30, 5-oz. Plastic cups
6. Gallon of drinking water
7. Saltine® crackers
8. Napkins
9. 4 Vine-ripened tomatoes (For Optional Extension)

Per Student:
1. The Tomato…Flavorful or Flavorless student handout
2. Tomato sample
3. 5-oz. Cup of water
4. 2 Saltine® crackers
5. Napkin

Safety:
Because students will be allowed to eat during the activity, precautions should be taken to prevent
materials from coming into contact with laboratory equipment or surfaces. Materials should remain in
cups or on clean napkins at all times.

Technology Connection:
Not applicable

Procedures:
Teacher Preparation:
Use the attached template to prepare The Tomato…Flavorful or Flavorless student handout for each
student. Slice each tomato into eight sections. For each student, place one section onto a plate.

Estimated Time:
15 minutes

Introduction:
Sensory evaluation, an important area of food science, is a tool used to analyze and interpret human
sensory responses to food products based on the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.
Sensory evaluation is used to improve existing food products or to determine consumer acceptability of
new food products. Several types of sensory tests are used. Consumer acceptability tests measure the
acceptability of a product to the consumer. An intent to purchase evaluation is a type of consumer
acceptability test that is used to determine the likelihood that consumers would purchase a particular
product. During an intent to purchase evaluation, panelists are presented with a sample and asked to
rate, most often on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being least likely and 5 most likely), the likelihood that they
would purchase the item if it were available for purchase. Data is compiled from the panelists and
analyzed to determine the overall likelihood that consumers would purchase the product (the mean
response), and thus, consumer acceptability of that product.

Do you eat tomatoes? Most Americans do. In fact, Americans consume more than 12 million tons of
tomatoes annually, averaging per person roughly 18 pounds of fresh tomatoes and nearly 70 pounds in
processed forms such as ketchup and tomato sauce.

Explain to students that they will be sampling tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum. Botanically a berry
fruit, the tomato was domesticated in Mexico and is consumed as a vegetable. The tomato is among the

FOOD FIGHT! 38
most popular fruits and vegetables consumed in the world; however, that was not always the case. Upon
introduction, Americans were reluctant to consume the tomato for fear that it was poisonous. This fear
was based on the tomato’s place in the Solanaceae family, a family that also includes poisonous
nightshades. Not until September of 1820, when Robert Gibbon Johnson ate the fearful fruit and
survived, did Americans begin to confront their tomato phobia. Today the tomato is the second-largest
vegetable crop in dollar value consumed in the United States.

Although the tomato is a popular fresh produce item, consumers often complain that supermarket
tomatoes lack the characteristic flavor of the “garden-grown” variety. Flavor is defined as the
combination of taste, perceived on the tongue, and aroma, perceived in the nose. Fresh tomato flavor
results from a combination of non-volatile taste compounds, such as sugars (glucose and fructose) and
organic acids (citric and malic acids) and approximately thirty volatile aromatic compounds, including
hexanal, cis-3-hexenal, and trans-2-hexenal. These compounds or their precursors are formed during
ripening of the fruit.

Tomatoes are either allowed to ripen on the vine (vine-ripened) or are picked green and artificially
ripened. The method of ripening greatly impacts tomato flavor. In contrast to vine-ripened tomatoes,
most supermarket tomatoes are artificially ripened. Artificially ripened tomatoes are harvested while
they are still green and ripened with ethylene (C2H4; Figure 1) to enhance yield, fruit size, lack of
defects, and disease resistance. During this artificial ripening process, ethylene, a naturally occurring
plant hormone that is responsible for plant ripening, is applied to fruit in the form of ethylene gas. Early
harvest and gas treatment of supermarket tomatoes blocks the production of many important tomato
flavor compounds, thus greatly decreasing the overall flavor of the fruit. In addition, artificial ripening
greatly impacts the color and texture of the fruit.

Figure 1: Ethylene

After harvest, tomatoes are often transported long distances before reaching the consumer. Green,
unripened tomatoes have a firmer flesh that softens during ripening. Thus, picking tomatoes early and
shipping while still firm prevents physical damage to the fruit. This however, provides consumers with
a less flavorful product. In 1994, the Flavr Savr tomato, the world’s first genetically modified fruit or
vegetable approved by the FDA, was introduced in the United States. The Flavr Savr tomato, developed
using antisense technology, was designed to provide supermarket shoppers with a genuine vine-ripened
product. The tomato was modified to block the gene that produces polygalacturonase, an enzyme that
degrades pectin and softens fruit. This allowed the tomato to ripen longer on the vine, thus enhancing
the flavor, while also maintaining firmness of the fruit and preventing damage to the fruit during
transport. The Flavr Savr tomato was removed from the market after only three years due to business
complications and lack of consumer interest.

Explain to students that their task is to sample the tomato and indicate the likelihood that they would
purchase that particular tomato.

Estimated Time:

FOOD FIGHT! 39
20 minutes

Activity:
Provide each student with the materials listed above. Ask students to sample the tomato and indicate on
The Tomato…Flavorful or Flavorless student handout the likelihood that they would purchase that
particular tomato. Students should use the water and crackers to cleanse their palates before sampling.

Estimated Time:
10 minutes

Optional Extension: If possible, obtain vine-ripened tomatoes from a local farmer’s market or produce
stand. Have students sample the vine-ripened tomatoes and indicate their likelihood of purchase. As a
class, compile and compare results with those for the supermarket tomatoes.

Conclusion:
As a class, compile the data on the board. Discuss with students reasons for their selections. Have
students individually answer the post-laboratory questions found on The Tomato…Flavorful or
Flavorless student handout.

Estimated Time:
15 minutes

Assessment:
Assessment should be based on completion of The Tomato…Flavorful or Flavorless student handout.

References:
• Cardulla, F. 1999. Spoiled Produce – The Long and Short of It. ChemMatters. April: pp. 7-8.
• Meilgaard, M., Civille G.V., and Carr B.T. 1991. Sensory Evaluation Techniques. CRC Press.
Boca Raton, Florida.
• Petro-Turza, M. 1987. Flavor of tomato and tomato products. Food Reviews International. 2(3):
pp. 309-351.

FOOD FIGHT! 40
The Tomato…Flavorful or Flavorless?!?
Sensory Evaluation – Student Handout

Introduction:
Sensory evaluation, an important area of food science, is a tool used to analyze and interpret human
sensory responses to food products based on the five senses: sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch.
Sensory evaluation is used to improve existing food products or to determine consumer acceptability of
new food products.

An intent to purchase evaluation is a type of consumer acceptability test that is used to determine the
likelihood that consumers would purchase a particular product. During an intent to purchase evaluation,
panelists are presented with a sample and asked to rate, most often on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being least
likely and 5 most likely), the likelihood that they would purchase the item if it were available for. Data
is compiled from the panelists and analyzed to determine the overall likelihood that the consumers
would purchase the product (the mean response), and thus, consumer acceptability of the product.

In this activity, you will be sampling tomato. Your task is to determine the likelihood that you would
purchase a particular tomato.

Purpose:
To use intent to purchase testing to determine the likelihood of purchase of a tomato sample.

Materials:
1. Tomato sample
2. Cup of water
3. 2 Saltine® crackers
4. Napkin

Tomato Intent to Purchase Evaluation:

On a scale of 1 to 5 (1 being least likely and 5 being most likely), indicate with an “X” the likelihood
that you would purchase this product if it were available for purchase.

1 _____
2 _____
3 _____
4 _____
5 _____

Post-Laboratory Questions:
1. What is the average likelihood of students in the class to purchase the tomato? Include in your
answer the mean score and range for the class data.
2. Based on the class data, how well do you think the tomato would sell in a local supermarket?

FOOD FIGHT! 41
FOOD FIGHT! 42
The Perfect Package
Packaging – Lesson Plan

Annotation
In this assignment, students will act as food packaging engineers as they evaluate an existing food
package and propose improvements needed to make it the “perfect” package.

Primary Learning Outcomes:

Students will be able to define the term package and explain the basic functions of a food package.

Students will be able to name and describe commonly used packaging materials and package types.

Students will be able to apply physical, chemical, and biological principles to the evaluation of a food
package.

Students will be able to communicate effectively scientific information through written means.

Students will be able to explain the importance of food packaging to the food industry.

Assessed Georgia Performance Standards:

SCSh3. Students will identify and investigate problems scientifically.

SCSh6. Students will communicate scientific investigations and information clearly.

Duration:
Preparation: 15 minutes
Introduction: 20 minutes
Student Assignment: Adaptable to class schedule
Conclusion: Adaptable to class schedule
Total Class Time: Adaptable to class schedule

Materials and Equipment:

Various food packages provided by students

Safety:
There are no significant safety concerns associated with this activity.

Technology Connection:
Students may use all available information resources (e.g. internet search, library research, online
databases, books, and periodicals) to aid them in completing the assignment.

Procedures:
Teacher Preparation:
Use the attached template to prepare a copy of The Perfect Package student handout for each student.

Estimated Time:

FOOD FIGHT! 43
15 minutes
Introduction:
Name any material that you can think of, and it was probably used at some time as a food packaging
material. Did you know?
• The earliest food packaging was provided by nature in the form of gourds, shells, leaves,
hollowed logs, woven grasses, and animal organs.
• The first commercial cardboard box was produced in England in 1817, more than two hundred
years after the Chinese invented cardboard.
• The can opener was invented in 1875.
• The first glass bottle-making machines were invented in the United States in 1882.
• The polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle became available in 1977 for use in the beverage
industry.

Food packaging is an extremely important area of food science. From the time a food product leaves the
factory until it is consumed by the public, it is the package that is primarily responsible for maintaining
the integrity of the product. Many definitions are used in the food industry to define the term package.
However, the basic definition of a package is an enclosure of a food product that serves one or more of
the following functions.

• Containment – Products must be contained in order to be moved from the factory to the grocery
store to the pantry shelf.
• Protection – Products must be protected from physical damage (e.g. drops or falls),
environmental effects (e.g. water, light, or oxygen), and contaminants (e.g. dust,
microorganisms, or chemicals).
• Communication – The package must attract consumers for purchase. It also communicates
product information such as nutritional content, ingredients, and net weight.
• Convenience – The package must conveniently fit into the consumer’s lifestyle.

Food packaging dates back to the dawn of human civilization when food was contained in materials
such as leaves, cloth, and pottery. Modern food packages consist of materials such as paper, metal,
glass, and plastics. Recently, a number of different plastics are becoming increasingly important in new
package development. As packaging materials, plastics provide visibility of the product, strength,
flexibility, and a barrier to moisture and gases. Plastics are polymers, or long chains of repeating
molecules. In addition to carbon, these chains may also contain elements such as oxygen, nitrogen, and
sulfur. These additional elements, along with the length and shape of the carbon chains, determine the
type of plastic produced. The plastics most commonly used in the packaging industry are polyethylene,
polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET). While there are a variety of packaging
materials available, the material selected for a particular food product must be compatible with the
product, thus protecting and maintaining product quality.

Explain to students that in this assignment they will evaluate a current product package and determine
whether the package is best suited to meet the packaging needs of that product.

Estimated Time:
20 minutes

FOOD FIGHT! 44
Student Assignment:
Students should select and provide a food package and follow the guidelines provided in The Perfect
Package student handout to complete an evaluation of the product package. Students may work
individually or in small groups.

Estimated Time:
Adaptable to class schedule

Conclusion:
Have students share with the class the findings of their package evaluations.

Estimated Time:
Adaptable to class schedule

Assessment:
Assessment should be based on The Perfect Package Scoring Rubric.

References:
• Kadoya, T., ed. 1990. Food Packaging. Academic Press, Inc. San Diego, California.
• Robertson, G.L. 1993. Food Packaging: Principles and Practice. Marcel Dekker, Inc. New
York, New York.

FOOD FIGHT! 45
The Perfect Package
Packaging – Scoring Rubric
CRITERIA 10 9-8 7-5 4-0
Product Name & Product name and a clear, Product name and a Product name and a Product name or product
Description detailed description of the description of the product superficial or unclear description is missing or
product are provided. are provided. description of the product shows little effort.
are provided.

Package Clear, detailed package Basic package description is Package description is Package description is
Description description is provided, provided, including package incomplete or unclear. missing or shows little
including package type, type, materials used, effort.
materials used, appearance, appearance, and size.
and size.
Containment Clear, detailed explanation Basic explanation of how Basic explanation of how Explanation of how pack
of how package achieves package achieves package achieves achieves containment is
containment and why this is containment and why this is containment is provided. missing or shows little
important is provided. important is provided. effort.

Protection Clear, detailed explanation Basic explanation of how Basic explanation of how Explanation of how pack
of how package achieves package achieves protection package achieves protection achieves protection is
protection and why this is and why this is important is is provided. missing or shows little
important is provided. provided. effort.

Communication Clear, detailed explanation Basic explanation of how Basic explanation of how Explanation of how pack
of how package achieves package achieves package achieves achieves communication
communication and why this communication and why this communication is provided. missing or shows little
is important is provided. is important is provided. effort.

Convenience Clear, detailed explanation Basic explanation of how Basic explanation of how Explanation of how pack
of how package achieves package achieves package achieves achieves convenience is
convenience and why this is convenience and why this is convenience is provided. missing or shows little
important is provided. important is provided. effort.

FOOD FIGHT!
Package Detailed evaluation of the Somewhat detailed Evaluation of the package is Package evaluation is
Evaluation package is clearly based on evaluation of the package is somewhat based on the missing or shows little
the discussion of how the clearly based on the discussion of how the effort.
package achieves the four discussion of how the package achieves the four
basic functions. package achieves the four basic functions.
basic functions.

Package Detailed and thoughtful Detailed and thoughtful Superficial explanation of Explanation of package
Improvements explanation of two or more explanation of one package one package improvement is improvements is missing
package improvements are improvement is given. given. Improvement may or shows little effort.
given. Improvements are Improvement is based on the may not be based on the four
based on the four basic four basic functions of a basic functions of a package.
functions of a package. package.

Written Written proposal follows Written proposal follows Written proposal follows Written proposal does no
Communication assigned outline and is assigned outline and is assigned outline and is follow assigned outline o
written in paragraph form. written in paragraph form. written in paragraph form. not written in paragraph
form.

Spelling, One or fewer errors in Two or three errors in Four errors in spelling, More than 4 errors in
Punctuation and spelling, punctuation and spelling, punctuation and punctuation and grammar in spelling, punctuation and
Grammar grammar in the report. grammar in the report. the report. grammar in the report.

Total Score (out of 10

Additional Teacher Comments:

FOOD FIGHT!
The Perfect Package
Packaging – Student Handout

Introduction:
Name any material that you can think of, and it was probably used at some time as a food packaging
material. Did you know?
• The earliest food packaging was provided by nature in the form of gourds, shells, leaves,
hollowed logs, woven grasses, and animal organs.
• The first commercial cardboard box was produced in England in 1817, more than two hundred
years after the Chinese invented cardboard.
• The can opener was invented in 1875.
• The first glass bottle-making machines were invented in the United States in 1882.
• The polyethylene terephthalate (PET) bottle became available in 1977 for use in the beverage
industry.

In this assignment, you will select a food product and evaluate its current package. Your task is to
determine whether the package is a “perfect” fit for the product.

Purpose:
To evaluate a current product package and to determine whether the package is best suited to meet the
packaging needs of that product.

Assignment:
1. Select and provide a food package for evaluation.
2. On separate paper, complete the following Product Package Evaluation for the package you
have selected.

Product Package Evaluation:

Evaluate your product package and prepare a written report of your findings. Your report should follow
the outline below.
1. Product Name & Description – Provide the name and a brief description of the product you have
selected.
2. Package Description – Provide a detailed description of the product package, including package
type, materials used, appearance, and size of the package.
3. Package Function
a. Containment – Explain how the package achieves containment. Why is this important?
b. Protection – Explain how the package achieves protection. Why is this important?
c. Communication – Explain how the package achieves communication. Why is this
important?
d. Convenience – Explain how the package achieves convenience. Why is this important?
4. Package Evaluation – In your opinion, is the existing package the best-suited package for the
product? If yes, why? If no, why not?
5. Package Improvements – Describe any improvements that could be made to enhance the
function of the product package.

FOOD FIGHT! 48
Can You Believe Everything You See?
Marketing – Lesson Plan

Annotation
In this laboratory exercise, students will explore the allure of marketing as they use the scientific method
to evaluate a popular food-related, science-based television, radio, or print marketing claim.

Primary Learning Outcomes:

Students will be able to identify a testable hypothesis and variables of interest.

Students will be able to develop appropriate procedures to test a hypothesis.

Students will be able to collect, organize, and record appropriate data.

Students will be able to analyze and draw appropriate conclusions from experimental data.

Students will be able to evaluate whether conclusions are reasonable by reviewing all available
information.

Students will be able to use evidence to support or refute scientific arguments or claims.

Students will be able to communicate effectively scientific information through written and oral means.

Students will be able to recognize that scientific principles can be applied to everyday decisions.

Students will be able to identify likely faults in science-based or science-related claims.

Students will be able to explain the importance of marketing to the food industry.

Assessed Georgia Performance Standards:

SCSh1. Students will evaluate the importance of curiosity, honesty, openness, and skepticism in science.

SCSh2. Students will use standard safety practices for all classroom laboratory and field investigations.

SCSh3. Students will identify and investigate problems scientifically.

SCSh4. Students use tools and instruments for observing, measuring, and manipulating scientific
equipment and materials.

SCSh5. Students will demonstrate the computation and estimation skills necessary for analyzing data
and developing reasonable scientific explanations.

SCSh6. Students will communicate scientific investigations and information clearly.

SCSh7. Students analyze how scientific knowledge is developed.

FOOD FIGHT! 49
SCSh8. Students will understand important features of the process of scientific inquiry. Students will
apply the following to inquiry learning practices:

Duration:
Preparation: 10 minutes
Introduction: 20 minutes
Student Assignment: Adaptable to class schedule
Conclusion: Adaptable to class schedule
Total Class Time: Adaptable to class schedule

Materials and Equipment:

Materials and equipment needs will be determined by the experimental procedures developed by
students.

Safety:
Safety concerns associated with this activity will be determined by the experimental procedures
developed by students.

Technology Connection:
Students may use all available information resources (e.g. internet search, library research, online
databases, books, and periodicals) to aid them in completing the assignment.

Procedures:
Teacher Preparation:
Use the attached template to prepare a copy of the Can You Believe Everything You See? student
handout for each student.

Estimated Time:
10 minutes

Introduction:
Have you ever wondered whether all of the marketing claims you see and hear are true? They all sound
so scientific that they must have research to back them up, right? Well, maybe.

• Bounty: “The quilted, quicker picker-upper”

• “Gatorade is thirst aid for that deep down body thirst.”

• Coca-Cola C2: “½ The Carbs, ½ The Cals, All The Great Taste”

Marketing is an important area of food science, particularly in new product development. No matter
how many hours or how much quality science goes into the development of a new product, the product
cannot be successful without an effective marketing plan. Food marketing involves everything from the
appearance of the package to pricing promotions to television, radio, and print advertising. Often,
marketing involves the use of science-based product claims. Any science-based marketing claim must
be backed by strong evidence because a false marketing claim exposed by a competitor could be fatal to
a product or company.

FOOD FIGHT! 50
Provide students with the Can You Believe Everything You See? student handout. Explain to them that
in this activity they will use the scientific method to evaluate a popular television, radio, or print
marketing claim. As a homework assignment, ask students to watch television, listen to the radio, read
the newspaper or magazines, and pay special attention to advertisements that include a food-related,
science-based marketing claim. Students should select three food-related, science-based marketing
claims that they would be interested in testing. Students should record the names of the products, the
manufacturers, and the marketing claims to be tested. Each claim may be a comparison of two or more
products or a claim made only about the product of interest. The products selected by the students must
be readily available consumer products that THEY can legally purchase. Also, the claims must be
reasonable for testing within the classroom. Food-related medical products can only be selected if
the claim can be tested without consumption.

Estimated Time:
20 minutes

Student Activity:
This activity may be completed as a class or in small groups. Students should follow the guidelines
provided in the Can You Believe Everything You See? student handout to complete the activity. Provide
continuous feedback to students and approve the completion of each step before allowing students to
move to the next step. Space is provided on the Can You Believe Everything You See? student handout
for recording due dates and teacher approval.

Estimated Time:
Adaptable to class schedule.

Conclusion:
Students should give an oral presentation to the class that describes the claim tested, experimental design
and procedures, results, and conclusion. Students should conclude the presentation with a new, revised
marketing claim or slogan based on the experimental results. At the conclusion of the presentations,
discuss with students any interesting procedures or findings. In addition, discuss the roles of skepticism
and evidence in science and their importance in consumer decision making.

Estimated Time:
Adaptable to class schedule

Assessment:
Assessment should be based on the Can You Believe Everything You See? Scoring Rubric.

FOOD FIGHT! 51
Can You Believe Everything You See?
Marketing – Scoring Rubric
CRITERIA 10 9-8 7-5 4-0
Introduction Introduction is a clear, Introduction is a brief Introduction is too brief, Introduction is missing o
concise, and thoughtful explanation of the claim to unrelated to the experiment, shows little effort.
explanation of the claim to be tested and any needed or provides little or no The purpose of the
be tested and any needed background information. background information. experiment or the questio
background information. The purpose of the The purpose of the to be answered during th
The purpose of the experiment or the question experiment or the question experiment is erroneous
experiment or the question to be answered during the to be answered during the irrelevant.
to be answered during the experiment is identified, but experiment is partially
experiment is clearly is stated in a somewhat identified, and is stated in a
identified and stated. unclear manner. somewhat unclear manner.

Materials & All materials and equipment Almost all materials and Most of the materials and Many materials are
Procedures used in the experiment are equipment used in the equipment used in the described inaccurately O
clearly and accurately experiment are clearly and experiment are accurately are not described at all.
described. Procedures are accurately described. described. Procedures are Procedures do not accura
listed in clear steps. Each Procedures are listed in a listed but are not in a logical list the steps of the
step is numbered and is a logical order, but steps are order or are difficult to experiment.
complete sentence. not numbered and/or are not follow.
in complete sentences.

Experimental Experimental design is a Experimental design is Experimental design is Experimental design is n

Design well-constructed test of the adequate to test the relevant to the hypothesis, relevant to the hypothesi
stated hypothesis. hypothesis, but leaves some but is not a complete test.
unanswered questions.

Replicability Procedures appear to be Procedures appear to be All steps are outlined, but Several steps are not
replicable. Steps are outlined replicable. Steps are outlined there is not enough detail to outlined AND there is no
sequentially and are and are adequately detailed. replicate procedures. enough detail to replicate
adequately detailed. procedures.

FOOD FIGHT!
Safety Experiment is carried out Experiment is carried out Experiment is carried out Safety procedures were
with full attention to relevant with attention to relevant with some attention to ignored and/or some aspe
safety procedures. The set- safety procedures. The relevant safety procedures. of the experiment posed
up, experiment, and tear- experiment posed no safety The experiment posed no threat to the safety of the
down posed no safety threat threat to any individual, but safety threat to any student or others.
to any individual. one safety procedure needs individual, but several safety
to be reviewed. procedures need to be
reviewed.

Data Professional looking and Accurate representation of Accurate representation of Data are not shown OR a
accurate representation of the data in tables and/or the data in written form, but inaccurate.
the data in tables and/or graphs. Graphs and tables no graphs or tables are
graphs. Graphs and tables are accurately labeled and presented.
are accurately labeled and titled.
titled.

Analysis The relationship between the The relationship between the The relationship between the The relationship between
variables is discussed and variables is discussed and variables is discussed but no variables is not discussed
trends/patterns logically trends/patterns logically patterns, trends or
analyzed. Predictions are analyzed. predictions are made based
made about what might on the data.
happen if part of the lab
were changed or how the
experimental design could
be changed.

Conclusion Conclusion includes whether Conclusion includes whether Conclusion includes what No conclusion was inclu
the findings supported the the findings supported the was learned from the in the report OR shows li
hypothesis, possible sources hypothesis and what was experiment. Conclusion effort and reflection.
of error, and what was learned from the experiment. illustrates a limited Conclusion illustrates
learned from the experiment. Conclusion illustrates an understanding of scientific inaccurate understanding
Conclusion illustrates an accurate understanding of concepts underlying the scientific concepts
accurate and thorough most scientific concepts experiment. underlying the experimen
understanding of scientific underlying the experiment.
concepts underlying the
experiment.

FOOD FIGHT!
Spelling, One or fewer errors in Two or three errors in Four errors in spelling, More than 4 errors in
Punctuation and spelling, punctuation and spelling, punctuation and punctuation and grammar in spelling, punctuation and
Grammar grammar in the report. grammar in the report. the report. grammar in the report.

Participation Used time well in lab and Used time pretty well. Did the lab but did not Participation was minima
focused attention on the Stayed focused on the appear very interested. OR student was hostile
experiment. experiment most of the time. Focus was lost on several about participating.
occasions.

Total Score (out of 10

Additional Teacher Comments:

FOOD FIGHT!
Can You Believe Everything You See?
Marketing – Student Handout

Introduction:
Have you ever wondered whether all of the marketing claims you see and hear are true? They all sound
so scientific that they must have research to back them up, right? Well, maybe.

• Bounty: “The quilted, quicker picker-upper”

• “Gatorade is thirst aid for that deep down body thirst.”

• Coca-Cola C2: “½ The Carbs, ½ The Cals, All The Great Taste”

Now is your opportunity to pick one popular, science-based marketing claim and put it to the test.

Purpose:
To use the scientific method to evaluate a popular food-related, science based television, radio, or print
marketing claim.

Assignment:

Step Due Date Complete

1. Watch television, listen to the radio, read the newspaper or

magazines, and pay special attention to advertisements that
include a food-related, science-based marketing claim.
2. Select three food-related, science-based marketing claims that
you would be interested in testing. Record the names of the
products, the manufacturers, and the marketing claims to be
tested. Each claim may be either a comparison of two or more
products or a claim made only about the product of interest.
(Note: The product you select must be a readily available
consumer product that YOU could legally purchase. Also, the
claim must be reasonable for testing within the classroom.
Food-related medical products can only be selected if the claim
can be tested without consumption.)
3. Meet with your laboratory group and select the one marketing
claim that your group will test. Have your teacher approve your
group’s selection.
4. Identify and record the hypothesis that will be tested.
5. Meet with your group to develop an experimental procedure that
will allow you to test your stated hypothesis. Write a brief
outline of your proposed procedure and have it approved by your
teacher. You should include in your outline the independent and
dependent variables of interest, experimental controls, what data
will be collected, and how you will analyze that data.

FOOD FIGHT! 55
 6. Write a detailed experimental procedure and list of materials.
Have these approved by your teacher.
7. Set up and conduct your experiment.
8. Compile and analyze your data. Construct tables or graphs as
needed.
9. Meet with your group to discuss and write up your findings and
conclusions. Remember that all conclusions must be based on
data collected during the experiment.
10. Give an oral presentation to the class that describes the claim you
tested, your experimental design and procedures, the results, and
conclusion. Use visual aids to help in your explanation.
Conclude your presentation with a new, revised marketing claim
or slogan based on the experimental results you obtained.

FOOD FIGHT! 56
 FOOD FIGHT!
Product Development in the
Science Classroom

Amy Rowley

Jeremy Peacock
 The University of Georgia
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences
College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences