Case studies: product development in the food system The four basic stages in the PD Process are the same for all food product development, but there are significant differences in the activities, techniques and timings for new product development in the primary production, industrial food processing, and food manufacturing industries Primary productions product development is based on either a breeding process from cultivated varieties or capturing a new species from the wild. The development of new plants, animals and fish takes a great deal of time and depends on times of growing and harvesting. There can be a general product concept based on perceived consumer or industrial wants and needs, and on echnical knowledge to identify the possible parents for the new varieties. But it takes generations to develop the suitable variants. This is described in the first Case Study on starting a new apple variety. The industrial ambience is of a farmers'cooperative fruit processing and exporting enterprise with a national horticultural research institution. The second Case Study looks at another fresh fruit project, on mangoes. This time the emphasis is strongly on the consumer,using statistical and other quantitative techniques to build up the consumers preference image, and then to use this consumer image and information in assessing current varieties, and moving towards improvements This is in the framework of government/university research, a national growers organisation and private exporters and marketers Industrial food processings product development is very strongly processing based, both in the ingredient supplying and the buying companies. Food manufacture is usually directed towards providing a wide variety of products for consumers, which is continually changing. There are major differences between the activities in the PD Process for industrial and consumer products, as shown Fg.7.1The four basic stages in the PD Process are the same for all food product development, but there are significant differences in the activities, techniques and timings for new product development in the primary production, industrial food processing, and food manufacturing industries. Primary production’s product development is based on either a breeding process from cultivated varieties or capturing a new species from the wild. The development of new plants, animals and fish takes a great deal of time and depends on times of growing and harvesting. There can be a general product concept based on perceived consumer or industrial wants and needs, and on technical knowledge to identify the possible parents for the new varieties. But it takes generations to develop the suitable variants. This is described in the first Case Study on starting a new apple variety. The industrial ambience is of a farmers’ cooperative fruit processing and exporting enterprise working with a national horticultural research institution. The second Case Study looks at another fresh fruit project, on mangoes. This time the emphasis is strongly on the consumer, using statistical and other quantitative techniques to build up the consumers’ preference image, and then to use this consumer image and information in assessing current varieties, and moving towards improvements. This is in the framework of government/university research, a national growers’ organisation and private exporters and marketers. Industrial food processing’s product development is very strongly processing￾based, both in the ingredient supplying and the buying companies. Food manufacture is usually directed towards providing a wide variety of products for consumers, which is continually changing. There are major differences between the activities in the PD Process for industrial and consumer products, as shown in Fig. 7.1. 7 Case studies: product development in the food system