Health Food Production

Learn food manufacturing and production for specialised diets, including foods for vegan, vegetarian, paleo, ketogenic diets.

Students learn:

• skills in health food production,
• why health food produce is needed,
• diet types,
• the current market demands,
• the legal issues to consider,
• practical challenges to overcome,
• common food substitutes,
• the human health effects and benefits,
• healthy eating practices,
• business applications,
• marketing niche products and brand awareness.

Lesson Structure

There are 9 lessons in this course:

1. NATURE, SCOPE AND DEVELOPMENT OF HEALTH FOODS
   • Introduction to Health Food
   • Diets for Medical and Health Reasons
   • Diet for Lifestyle or Principle-Based Reasons
   • Diets for Religious and Cultural Reasons
   • Types of Diets - Overview of Each
   • Vegetarian
   • Pescatarian & Pollo-pescatarian
   • Organics
   • Vegan
   • Raw
   • Ketogenic
   • Free From (Gluten free, Soy free, Lactose free, Nut free, Sugar free, Dairy free, Egg free, Sulphite free)
   • Macrobiotic
   • Mediterranean, Eastern and Western
   • Low carbohydrate or No-sugar
   • Carnivore
   • Introduction to Commercial Development of Food Products ​
2. HEALTH FOOD AND HUMAN NUTRITION
   • Introduction to Nutrition Science
   • The Concept of Diet
   • Human Digestion - An overview
   • The Digestive Tract
   • Accessory Digestive Organs
   • Major Food Groups
   • Fats
   • Protein
   • Carbohydrates
   • Specialised Diets & Human Nutrition Deficiencies
   • Vegetarian
   • Pescatarian
   • Vegan
   • Ketogenic
   • Free-from
   • Paleo
   • F.O.D.M.A.P.
3. SIGNIFICANCE OF GLUTEN, SUGAR AND FERMENTED PRODUCTS
   • Gluten
   • Chemistry of Gluten
   • Gluten in the Diet
   • Gluten in Food Industry
   • Gluten-Free (GF) Product Development
   • Sugar
   • The Chemistry of Sugar
   • Sugar in the Body
   • Sugar-free Product Development
   • Sweeteners
   • Sugar Alcohols
   • Fermented Foods
   • Yeasts
   • Chemistry of Fermentation
   • Fermented Foods in the Diet for Human Health
   • Fermented Foods Product Development
   • Kefir
   • Kimchi
   • Kombucha
   • Miso
   • Natto
   • Sauerkraut
   • Common Substitutions and Adjustments
4. DEVELOPMENT OF WHEAT SUBSTITUTE PRODUCTS
   • Wheat
   • Wheat Products Free-from Gluten
   • Coeliac Disease Symptoms & Treatment
   • Treatment of Coeliac Disease
   • Making Gluten Free Bread
   • Texture
   • Selecting a Gluten-Free Flours
   • Common Gluten Free-Flour Types
   • Almond
   • Buckwheat
   • Chickpea
   • Coconut
   • Corn
   • Millet
   • Oats
   • Potato Flour
   • Sorghum
   • Soy
   • Rice flour
   • Teff
   • Starches
   • Arrowroot
   • Corn-starch
   • Potato Starch
   • Binding
   • Creating Flour Blends
   • Other Elements in Gluten-Free Bread
   • Animal Proteins
   • Emulsification
   • Leavening Agents and Rising in Gluten-free bread
   • Baking Gluten-Free bread and muffins
   • GF Muffins
   • Recipes
5. DEVELOPMENT OF PROTEIN SUBSTITUTE PRODUCTS
   • Specialised Protein Products
   • Protein and why we need it
   • Essential Amino Acids
   • Non- Essential Amino Acids
   • Conditionally Essential Amino Acids
   • Uses in the body
   • Recommended protein intake
   • Plant-based Substitutions
   • Legumes as a Protein Source
   • Soybeans
   • Chickpeas
   • The dairy-free market
   • Dairy Free Substitutes
   • Egg-free diets
   • How to Replace Eggs in Recipes
6. DEVELOPMENT OF DAIRY SUBSTITUTE PRODUCTS
   • Cow’s Milk Protein (CMP)
   • Cow’s Milk Sugar (Lactose)
   • Making Non-Dairy Milk
   • Equipment
   • General Plant Milk Recipe
   • Make Soy Milk
   • Cheese
   • Focus on Flavour and Melt
   • Soft, Creamier Non-Dairy Cheeses
   • Replicating the Cheese-Making Method
   • Plant-Based Yoghurt
   • Principles for Plant-Based Yoghurt
   • Creams and Ice-Cream
   • Cream
   • Basic Nut Cream
7. DEVELOPMENT OF VEGETARIAN AND VEGAN PRODUCTS
   • Overview of Vegetarianism
   • Types of Vegetarian Diets
   • Overview of Veganism
   • Nutrition in Vegetarian and Vegan Cooking
   • Tofu Products
   • Soybean Products
   • Cooking for Vegetarians
   • Vegetarian Sausages
   • Emulsification
   • Fat
   • Flavour
   • Colour
   • Composition
   • Production of Burgers
   • Building Flavour into Foods
   • Vegetarian Produce Suggestions
   • Beans
   • Bean Products – For Manufacture
   • Nuts in Health Food Product Development
   • Types of Nuts
   • Selling Food to the Vegan and Vegetarian Market
8. BUSINESS APPLICATIONS IN HEALTH FOOD MANUFACTURING
   • Sourcing Ingredients
   • Buy Local
   • Sell Local
   • Sourcing Organics
   • Cross-Contamination and Labelling
   • Labelling Laws
   • Restaurant and Café Menus
   • Consumer Attitudes
   • Changing Habits
   • Business Owner Occupational Health and Safety Responsibilities
   • Insurance
   • Working with Health Professionals
   • Food Coaching
   • Nutritional Counsellor or Therapist
9. MARKETING SPECIALISED FOOD AND ASSOCIATED SERVICES
   • Introduction to Marketing
   • Monitoring and Controlling the Marketing Plan
   • A note on Branding
   • Ultimate Goals of Marketing
   • Marketing Sends a Message
   • Message Execution
   • Words Sell
   • Personalise
   • Deciding to Buy
   • Understand the Buyer
   • Types of Marketing Research
   • Ways of Gathering Data
   • Primary Data Collections Methods
   • Secondary Data Collection Method
   • What is needed to Conduct Effective Research
   • The Outcome of Market Research
   • Modifications to the Marketing Plan
   • Market Share Analysis (Ratios)
   • Marketing Cost Analysis
   • Taking a Product to the Market
   • Wholesaling
   • Face to Face Retail and Online Stores or Mail Order
   • Online Sales
   • Business to Business (B2B)

Aims

• Describe alternative foods developed and marketed for a range of dietary requirements and preferences.
• Describe how health food products are developed to satisfy a variety of nutritional requirements.
• Describe the significance of major components – gluten, sugar and fermented products – in health food manufacturing.
• Explain how to manufacture a range of different wheat substitute products.
• Explain how to manufacture a range of different protein substitute products.
• Explain how to manufacture a range of different dairy substitute products.
• Explain how to manufacture a range of different substitute products suitable for vegetarian and vegan consumers.
• Discuss business applications in the health food industry.
• Explain how to market specialised health food products and services.

What You Will Do

• Talk with people in the food industry about the specific products appropriate to specific types of diets; and reviewing nutritional content of a selection of foods. Ideally visiting a health food retailer to encourage awareness of product marketing too.
• Speak to several people about any foods they may consume which are covered in this lesson. The aim here is for you to build a picture of the general views and attitudes of people who are making dietary substitutions for towards healthier food choices.
• You will distinguish the main differences between 4-5 sugar substitutes on the market. Use a variety of ways to research and review products. Optional extension activity: conduct research into the arguments for and against the use of sugar substitutes specifically in relation to human health.
• Attempt to make two breads and obtain feedback from people who try the resulting product. On completion, journal on the experience.
• Research the most common ingredients used in gluten free baked goods - research at least 8 different gluten free wheat substitutes which you could source easily and affordably. This task is focused on ingredient selection.
• Investigate high proteins health food (health food store or health food section/aisle at the supermarket). Take pictures of the nutritional information labels on each of the foods. Collate a table which summarises the protein content of at least 10 foods.
• Talk to anyone you know you has chosen to follow a dairy free diet. Find out why they have made that choice, and what substitutions they have made in their diet. Next watch informative educational videos online on ‘going dairy free’ and look for another (different) appropriate reason to follow a dairy free diet.
• Make a list of vegetarian and/or vegan groups or dedicated organisations in your region or country. Contact at least one of the groups or organisations listed and find out what is on offer for vegetarian and vegan communities.
• Go to a farmers market.
• Brainstorm all the ideas you have for the development of a health food product. This should be a diagram used for visually organising information such as a mind-map. Not a business plan or structured document.
• Visit a retail outlet which sells a range of health food products. Make notes on what is most noticeable on how health food is marketed.
• Link yourself to 4-5 social media pages or companies who demonstrate successful marketing power. You could connect with a range of companies or organisations either selling, distributing, wholesaling, or organisations linked to healthier eating missions.
• Make coconut yoghurt at home.
• Look for non-dairy cheese products in your supermarket. Buy one or two and take and serve them on a cheese platter to friends or family. Records comments and make notes.

Take an idea, combine the basics, add a big serve of passion, stir in some business acumen, add a large pinch of marketing know-how to finish... voilà!

This course is for anyone whose professional or personal goals are in the food production or healthy eating practices. It takes students through a carefully constructed learning pathway. 

Students understand the importance of food for human health, delve into produce and product development, learn how to put it altogether in applications for successful business. 

This tutor supported 100-hour course, which leads the student through a series of structured activities and tasks, will develop skills and encourage critical reflection. A key skill to give confidence to start developing produce of their own. 

• Hospitality or retail staff will develop greater knowledge of how and why health food is critical. Study now to secure employment in the industry with increased familiarity of the products offered or sold. Staff will strengthen the breadth and depth or their understanding. 
• Café managers and owners can learn how to stand out from the crowd… offering an exclusive dining experience, catering to their own unique customer base. 
• You too can make health food which tastes great, supports local businesses such as farmers or growers, encourages sustainable agricultural or production practices, whilst catering to health needs of others, yourself, or your family.   

Who is this course for?

This course is for:

• people who work in food retail, 
• people who are passionate about nutrition,
• home-based or small business owners,
• specialised food/crop producers,
• café and restaurant owners,
• holistic life coaches, 
• speciality kitchens – cooks or chefs, 
• commercial sales and marketing teams,
• anyone working in hospitality,
• or food and beverage product developers!