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The Certificate Course on New Product Development in the Food Industry: From Concept to Commercialization (with Entrepreneurship & Startup Essentials) is designed to provide learners with a comprehensive understanding of the end-to-end food product development process. The course integrates core principles of food science with market-driven innovation, sensory evaluation, packaging, food safety, regulatory compliance, and commercialization strategies.

Through a blend of theoretical inputs, case studies, practical activities, and a capstone project, participants will learn how to transform innovative food ideas into viable market-ready products. The course also introduces essential entrepreneurial skills, including costing, pricing, branding, business models, and funding opportunities, enabling learners to navigate the Indian food startup ecosystem effectively. This course is ideal for students aspiring to work in the food industry, product development, quality assurance, or to launch their own food-based ventures.

Course Modules

Module 1 – New Product Development (NPD) in the Food Industry                       (20 Hours)

·       Fundamentals of food product development, Importance of NPD in the food industry, Types of new food products, Stages of NPD/ NPD lifecycle, Drivers for innovation in the food sector (health, convenience, sustainability, plant-based trends, etc.), Identifying market gaps, needs, consumer preferences, Tools for market research (Techniques: surveys, designing questionnaires, observations, online analytics), Trend analysis, Niche markets, Case studies of successful food innovations

·       Formulation, Prototype Development and Scale-up - Ideation & Concept Development, designing formulations and recipe development, Ingredient Selection (Functional ingredients, binders, stabilizers, emulsifiers, Considerations for allergen-free, clean-label, fortified products), Food processing methods for NPD, Trials and optimization methods (DOE basics), Developing bench-scale prototypes, Pilot-scale trials and process optimization

·       Quality Evaluation, Packaging, Shelf-life & Food Safety - Sensory Evaluation- Sensory attributes, sensory evaluation methods, Designing sensory panels, consumer acceptability tests, Packaging materials, Packaging selection for product protection and marketing appeal, Shelf-life testing methods (microbial, physicochemical, sensory), Basic shelf-life studies and accelerated tests, Food safety considerations during product development, Hygiene practices for food handler,  Regulatory compliance -FSSAI, Codex, Mandatory labelling norms (allergen, nutrition, claims), IP protection: Patents and trademarks,

Module 2 – Entrepreneurship & Startup Essentials - (10 hours)

·        Costing, Pricing & Economic Feasibility - Estimating production costs (Ingredient and process cost calculation, margin calculations) and pricing strategies, budgeting, and supply chain planning, assessment of economic viability of the product, Pricing models: cost-plus, competitor-based, perceived value pricing, Break-even and ROI basics

·        Branding, Marketing & Business Models - Basics of food entrepreneurship in India, Understanding MSME & startup ecosystem, Types and categories of Food start-ups, FSSAI registration types, food business licenses, Trends and innovations in the food space,  Successful Indian examples and Global inspirations, Basics of brand identity (logo, tone, story, trust, packaging aesthetics), Branding strategies for food products, Digital marketing and consumer engagement, Building consumer trust through transparency and values, Distribution channels and retail strategy (D2C, retail, e-commerce), Funding options and pitching to investors, Collaborations with incubators and accelerators, Product Launch and product performance testing 

By the end of the course, participants will be able to:

·       Understand the NPD process in the food industry and apply principles of food science, sensory evaluation, packaging, and regulatory compliance in product development.

·       Identify and evaluate market opportunities for innovative food products through market research and consumer testing.

·       Evaluate cost, scalability, and shelf-life aspects and navigate intellectual property (IP), FSSAI licensing, and quality/safety standards for commercialization 

·       Gain basic entrepreneurial skills to launch or scale a food product startup.

·       Understand branding, marketing, and funding opportunities for food-based businesses.

·       Conceptualize and pitch innovative food product ideas