Nutrition and Product Development
What the exam tests
This domain links nutrition science with product development. Expect macronutrients, micronutrients, energy factors, balanced diets, RDA, nutrition labelling, sensory evaluation and the stages from idea to launch, including reformulation for salt, sugar and fat reduction.
Core rules and concepts
- Energy factors are 4 kcal/g for carbohydrate and protein and 9 kcal/g for fat; alcohol provides about 7 kcal/g. Fibre is often counted separately.
- A balanced diet supplies energy and essential nutrients in appropriate proportions; ICMR-NIN publishes dietary reference values and guidelines.
- Product development stages: idea generation, screening, prototype, formulation, sensory testing, shelf-life study, scale-up, packaging and launch. Each stage should have a go or no-go decision.
- Sensory evaluation uses trained or consumer panels, controlled conditions, coded samples and statistical analysis; bias from order, colour or expectation must be reduced.
- Nutrition claims and labels must meet regulatory conditions; light, low-fat and high-fibre claims are not free-form marketing words.
Worked example
A 100 g snack contains 10 g protein, 20 g fat and 65 g carbohydrate. Energy = (10 x 4) + (20 x 9) + (65 x 4) = 40 + 180 + 260 = 480 kcal. Protein contributes 40 divided by 480 = 8.3% of energy, not 10%. The distinction matters because a high-protein claim is based on the proportion of energy or on a specified amount per 100 g, depending on the claim rule.
Traps
Using 4 kcal/g for fat; reporting protein percentage of weight as protein energy percentage; ignoring fibre or serving size; using an untrained panel without controls; making a claim that does not meet the legal threshold.