Food Science and Nutrition students were provided with an innovative experience in their Food Product Development Course (FdSN 408/508) at Charlie Baggs

Illinois Tech Food Science and Nutrition students were provided with an innovative experience in their Food Product Development Course (FdSN 408/508). Students worked with Illinois Tech faculty and Chicago food industry professionals to create new food products in the test kitchen of Charlie Baggs Culinary Innovation Center in Chicago. The course brings the best that the food industry has to offer into the classroom and is taught by Armand Paradis, MS Adjunct Industry Professor, Food Science and Nutrition (FdSN) and Will Maurer, Industry Professor, Industrial Technology and Management (INTM).

Students were given a real-life challenge to develop an innovative new food product with the key functional roles of a commercial food product development venture that includes marketing, processing, packaging, food safety, formulation and nutrition departments. Students collaborated in groups of 4-5 as a product development team to create new food sample prototypes. Support from Illinois Tech faculty was provided along with mentors from visiting domestic and foreign university food science faculty, Chicago food industry and Illinois Tech alumni and Culinologists from Charlie Baggs Culinary Innovation Center.

At the conclusion of the course, student project teams did presentations and taste testing to a select invited group of Chicago area food professionals.

The objective of the course is to prepare students for entering the broad field of food product development through a team project experience.