Food science & technology_challenges for a new product development

      You have been assigned project manager to evaluate the feasibility of a new product launch for Health and Wellness Company- The company is committed to providing healthier snack food choices for the moderate to low income consumer. Their latest product concept is something called Peanut Butter Pops- Characteristics include: 1-1-5 cm sphere of peanut butter with ~0.5 Tbsp of peanut butter encased in an edible shell packed in vending packs of 4 spheres (equivalent to one serving (2 Tbsp) of peanut butter)- The product is positioned for the peanut butter lover, as an alternative to the less healthy peanut butter products in the market. The edible shell: One means of protecting you peanut component du'ing distribution is to coat the peanut ‘ball' with an edible material- You might consider a sugar shell such as what is used with peanut butter M&M's, a chocolate flavored shell such as used for malted milk balls, or some other material that is both protective and pleasantly edible. Which would you select, and why would you select that particular coating to contain the peanut butter? There are major chemical stability challenges associated with this product, such as water activity, moistu'e gradients and lipid oxidation- Discuss these specifically in reference to the peanut butter pop products- In you answer, you should addess why this peanut butter pop would be a healthier alternative that may include the composition and make-up of the lipids in peanuts; it may include information on satiety due to lipids, fiber or proteins; it may include information on the composition and make-up of the lipids that make it susceptible to lipid oxidation; it may include information on the water activity and water activity differences between the two main components (the peanut butter and the chocolate shell), and how you would maintain stability- Describe the major microbial issues related to the ingredients used (consider specs and documentation that might be applied in pu'chasing the items), describe environments where the product is processed, packaged, and distributed (e-g., sanitation, facilities, practices, etc-), and assess the final product (rate microbial stability and the safety hazard, addess microbial shelf-life)- Describe any microbial concerns with this product and possible resolutions to problems or potential problems- Peanuts and peanut products are known allergens that affect a small fraction of the population- How would you account for the presence of peanut in the product technically without having to remove the product from mainstream distribution? For example, how would you engineer a processing/packaging operation to ensue that the peanut component is confined to you product? Describe the major the packaging stability challenges associated with this product and possible resolution.