Informing Starch-Based Food Product Designs With Seaweeds Using an Analytical Kano-Quality Function Deployment Model

Area of Science:

• Food Science and Technology
• Nutritional Science
• Product Development

Background:

• Starch-based food products often lack optimal nutritional and functional qualities.
• Seaweed incorporation offers a promising strategy to enhance these attributes.
• Developing effective methods for integrating seaweed into food products is crucial for market success.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an analytical tool using the Kano-quality function deployment (QFD) model for guiding food product design.
• To demonstrate the application of this tool in designing seaweed-enhanced starch-based food products.
• To assess the impact of seaweed addition on consumer requirements and product competitiveness.

Main Methods:

• Development of a Kano-quality function deployment (QFD)-based analytical tool.
• Application of the tool in designing two starch-based products: fish crackers and fresh noodles.
• Expert evaluations (n=14) to assess consumer requirements and technical attributes, including seaweed incorporation.

Main Results:

• For fish crackers, texture, crispness, and flavor were key consumer requirements, with frying time, seaweed amount, and type being critical technical attributes.
• For fresh noodles, texture, smoothness, and natural taste were prioritized, with seaweed amount, type, and starch amount as key technical attributes.
• Seaweed integration significantly improved texture, flavor, and nutritional content, meeting consumer demands for crispness and chewiness, and offering a competitive advantage.

Conclusions:

• The Kano-QFD model provides an effective framework for designing seaweed-enhanced starch-based foods.
• Seaweed addition is a viable strategy to improve the nutritional and functional profiles of food products.
• Seaweed-enhanced products offer unique flavors and health benefits, appealing to consumers and enhancing market competitiveness.