Product Development Week 2

Our first week in the kitchen went as planned. We were able to meet on three occasions and finished at least one test run for each of our three products: chicken jerky, chicken and waffle nuggets, and a chicken and rice casserole. Monday morning, we made our casserole utilizing Woody Breast fillets. After the nearly hour-long cooking process we tasted the casserole to note any areas for improvement. Immediately, we noticed that the chicken pieces were too large. The negative meat quality aspects imparted by Woody Breast Myopathy couldn’t have been more prominent. We began discussing reformulation strategies that we would test again on Friday morning. We also noted that the casserole needed more seasoning and we planned to correct that during our next time in the kitchen. Next, we dried jerky that had marinated overnight in an Asian-influenced marinade for 6 hours at 145 degrees Fahrenheit. The yielding result was a leathery piece of thin chicken that had an overpowering soy sauce taste. Ideas for reformulations included a thicker piece of jerky or another flavor such as Buffalo. Lastly, Tuesday night we hand-crafted chicken nuggets that included batter that would be used for waffles. Our team worked hard to achieve all of the flavors that are included when eating chicken and waffles packed into one bite. We noticed there are many areas to improve such as batter formulations, chicken flavors, and process design, but it is certainly an option as we proceed forward in the Decide phase of our product design. Our goal as a company is to provide a unique version of a Southern delicacy that is convenient and creative while not skimping on quality.