My food science project

1. Hearts Tomato Soup
I ♥ Superior Quality
I ♥ Organic
I ♥ No Preservatives
♥
I ♥ Gluten Free
I ♥ Vegan
I ♥ Low Sodium
by Kristine M. Schweitzer

2. Company Background and Mission
• Hearts Tomato Soup started after it’s founder, Kristine M.
Schweitzer, could not find soup that satisfied all of her dietary
requirements: a delicious soup that is also organic, gluten
free, vegan, and without preservatives.
• She started Hearts in 2013 using her favorite fire roasted tomato soup
recipe. She loved the soup so much, she named her company Hearts.
• Hearts mission is to deliver a delicious and organic tomato soup that
rivals homemade. Using a tried and true recipe, Hearts seeks out all
consumers who seek out good health and great taste. Hearts promises
to ♥ your health, honor your beliefs, and obey your need for a quality
soup.
• We intend to create and expand our frozen meals in the future so that
good health is always within arms reach for even our busiest
consumers.
♥

3. Literature Review
• NPD Group’s (2013) Dieting Monitor reports that 30 percent of
adults, one in every three adults, claimed to cut down on or avoid gluten
completely in January 2013.
• The Vegetarian Resource Group (2011) conducted a survey by telephone
within the United States in 2011 among a nationwide cross section of
1,010 adults (aged 18 and over). They found 5% of the country say that
they never eat meat, fish, seafood, or poultry. About half of these
vegetarians are also vegan; that is they also don’t eat dairy or eggs.
• The National Digestive Diseases Information, USA Today, (2012)
reports that 33% of Americans are lactose intolerant.
• The Organic Trade Association’s (2011) organic industry survey
concluded that as of 2011, 4.2 percent of all U.S. food sales were organic
and the organic food sector grew by $2.5 billion during 2011.
• Mintel (2013) found that 58% of Americans said they are watching their
sodium intake with72% of consumers who are currently limiting sodium.
• Frozen soup jumped 9.9% in unit sales in supermarkets, reaching total
sales of $185 million (Nielsen, 2012)
♥

4. The Competition
• Tabatchnick, a staple brand in most grocery store freezer shelves has expanded
their frozen soup empire to include four organic, gluten free, and free of
preservatives varieties: Black Bean, Tuscany Lentil, Vegetarian Chili, and Split
Pea. The soups have between 360-400 mg of sodium between them.
• Tabatchnick soup sells for $3.00 for a 15oz package
• The very popular brand, Amy’s organic offers a few varieties of canned tomato
soup that are also low in sodium and free of preservatives, however there are
none that are dairy free.
• Amy’s Organic Tomato Bisque sells for $3.20 for a 14.5oz can
• Another frozen soup brand, Kettle Cuisine, offers a gluten free, vegan, and free of
preservatives tomato soup that high in sodium and is not organic.
• Kettle Cuisine’s chunky tomato and vegetable soup sells for $3.49 for a10oz package.
• A thorough review of the competition reveals a dire need for a tomato soup that
has every quality consumers are looking for.
• Hearts Tomato Soup is organic, gluten free, vegan, low sodium, and free of
preservatives.
♥

5. Consumer Profile
• Hearts Tomato Soup’s target consumers are women between
the ages of 25 and 50-years-old. They are highly educated and
hold jobs outside the home. She’s likely busy caring for her
family, her parents, and her pets. She likes to cook her own
meals, but sometimes there is simply not enough time in the
day. Our consumer is all natural. She shops at farmers
markets, eats organic foods, and only wears organic cotton.
She is interested in current events: she has a New York Times
subscription on her iPad and NPR programmed as #1 on her
car radio dial. When she is not spending her free time
practicing yoga, her favorite television show is Masterpiece
Theater, which she enjoys watching with a hot bowl of tomato
soup in hand.
♥

6. Ingredients
Water, ripe tomatoes, extra-virgin
olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic
cloves, red onions, fresh basil, fresh
flat-leaf parsley, fresh sage, ground
pepper, sea salt
♥

7. Nutrition Facts and Labeling
• For a product to be labeled “low sodium”, the
FDA requires 140mg or less per serving.
• Hearts Tomato Soup contains 137mg of
sodium
• The FDA allows a label to say “high” if one
serving provides at least 20% or more of the
Daily Value (DV) for a particular nutrient.
• Hearts Tomato Soup contains high
amounts of Vitamin K (65% of the
%DV)
• Vitamin K allows your blood to clot normally, helps
protect bone from fracture, and prevents calcification
of the arteries
• Hearts Tomato Soup contains high
amounts of vitamin C (30% of the %DV)
• Vitamin C helps protect cells from free radical
damage, lowers cancer risk , and improves iron
absorption .
♥(Anderson , Young & Perryman, 2010)

8. Nutrition Facts and Labeling
• The FDA allows a label to say “good source”
if one serving provides 10-19% of the Daily
Value for a particular nutrient.
• Hearts Tomato Soup is a good source of
Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin
B6, Manganese.
• The FDA allows a label to say “low
cholesterol” if it contains 20 mg or less
cholesterol and 2 g or less saturated fat per
serving.
• Hearts Tomato Soup is low in cholesterol
• The Organic Foods Production Act and the
National Organic Program (NOP) states that
products labeled as "100 percent organic"
must contain (excluding water and salt) only
organically produced ingredients.
• Hearts Tomato Soup is 100% organic
♥(Anderson , Young & Perryman, 2010)

9. Recipe
Name
Roasted
Tomato
Soup
Portion
Size:
1
serving
Standard
Yield:
20
13oz portions
Recipe EY% As
Purchased
Invoice Recipe Individual
Ingredient
Cost
Quantity Unit Quantity Unit Ingredient Cost Unit Cost Unit
8.5 Fl. oz Extra Virgin
Olive Oil
117 18 gal 0.5 Fl oz 0.43
3.8 oz 75% 5.06 oz Garlic Cloves 15.00 1 lb .06 oz 0.30
To taste Pepper
Ground
3.00 lb N/C
To taste Salt .51 oz N/C
20 oz 88% 22.72 oz Red Onion 16.00 25 lbs .04 oz 0.91
9 Fl oz Balsamic
Vinegar
65.25 17.25lbs 0.24 Fl oz 2.16
1.13 oz Fresh Parsley 14.60 lb .91 oz 1.03
1 bunch Fresh Sage 1.49 bunch 1.49 bunch 1.49
0.85 oz Fresh Basil 16.10 lb .1.00 oz 0.85
16 oz 99% 16.16 oz Tomato 22.33 20 lbs .07 oz 1.13
Total
Ingredient
Cost
8.30
Q
Factor 5%
0.42
Recipe
Cost
8.72
Portion
Cost
0.44Recipe Cost= $0.44

10. Taste Panel
A taste panel consisting of six highly trained participants was conducted using a
descriptive test. Using a Lickert scale of 1 to 7, participants rated Hearts Tomato Soup
on a scale of 1 being very poor to 7 being excellent. Here are the results:
Hearts Tomato
Soup
Kelly Adam Shontae Danielle Marc Dorothy Average
Appearance 6 7 7 7 5 6 6.33
Consistency/
Texture
6 7 7 7 5 6 6.33
Color 6 6 7 7 4 5 5.83
Salt Impression 7 6 3 6 6 4 5.33
Flavor 7 7 4 7 6 7 6.33
Overall Eating
Quality
7 6 5 7 5 6 6

11. Why Frozen Soup?
• Frozen soups offer a way to deliver minimally processed products that are
nutrient rich, while preserving fresh flavors and ensuring food safety
• Our frozen soups are made when the vegetables are fresh and are quickly frozen
to delay any nutrient loss that would normally occur during shipment.
• By freezing our soup we are able to accurately meet dietary requirements
• Freezing soup leads to a reduced water activity, due to ice formation & high
concentrations of solutes in unfrozen water
• By using freezing, consistent hold and cooking times assure customers of product
safety.
• Freezing to 0 °F inactivates any microbes , bacteria, yeasts, and molds present in
food. Freezing slows the enzyme activity that takes place in foods.
• Freshness and quality at the time of freezing affect the condition of frozen foods.
If frozen at peak quality, thawed foods emerge tasting better than foods frozen
near the end of their useful life.
• By freezing our product we are able to utilize recycled and biodegradable
packaging instead of cans.
• The freezer case is utilized for the convenience, value, and variety for our busy
customers
• Consumers describe frozen foods to be: Safe, Convenient, Economical,
Nutritious, and Tasty ("Trends: growing frozen soup," 2013).
♥

12. pH and Water Activity
• pH is 4.48
• Hearts Tomato Soup is an acidic food; the pH is < 4.6
• Processing times and temperatures are lower for acid foods
• Microorganisms are more easily destroyed in an acid
environment
• Clostridium botulinum spores cannot germinate below pH
4.6
• Water Activity (Aw)is 0.96
• Hearts Tomato Soup has a very high water activity level.
This level is prime for mold, bacteria, and yeast growth.
• Reducing Aw by freezing in combination with low pH
values, can be sufficient to inhibit microbial growth.
♥

13. Manufacturing Processes
• We first cook the soup fully so that it does not require reconstitution.
• We prepare the soup according to our standardized recipe
instructions: slow roasting tomatoes, sautéing herbs, onions, and
garlic together, adding water, and blending until smooth.
• To ensure product safety the soup is cooked to 180F
• We will then let our soup cool for 30minutes before packaging and
putting it into a blast freezer. Our fast freezing technique will form
small ice crystals that will not damage the cells and cause undesirable
texture change.
• While in the blast freezer the temperature of the soup is reduced
below its freezing point (T<Tf) and a portion of water in food
undergoes a change in state to form ice crystals (Aw lowered)
• Our product will be stored at -18°C before shipment
• After the soup is purchased, consumers will be instructed to heat at a
low temperature
♥

14. Storage and
Shelf Life
• Frozen soup does not have an indefinite shelf life, nor
does canned soup.
• In our training we include a definite plan to implement
speed of manufacturing. Our soup moves out quickly to
ensure the consumer has the longest amount of time
possible for consuming soups before the expiration date.
• Hearts Tomato Soup will have a sell by date stamped 3
months after it is manufactured. ("Freezing and food,"
2010)
♥

15. Safety and Regulatory
• Hearts Tomato Soup will use the following regulations for designing our processes.
• Code of Federal Regulations, Title 21 parts:
• 1: GENERAL ENFORCEMENT REGULATIONS
§ 1.24 - Exemptions from required label statements.
§ 1.276 - What definitions apply to this subpart?
§ 1.377 - What definitions apply to this subpart?
• 102: COMMON OR USUAL NAME FOR NONSTANDARDIZED FOODS
§ 102.26 - Frozen "heat and serve" dinners.
• 104: NUTRITIONAL QUALITY GUIDELINES FOR FOODS
§ 104.47 - Frozen "heat and serve" dinner.
• 110: CURRENT GOOD MANUFACTURING PRACTICE IN MANUFACTURING,
PACKING, OR HOLDING HUMAN FOOD
§ 110.80 - Processes and controls.
• 113: THERMALLY PROCESSED LOW-ACID FOODS PACKAGED IN HERMETICALLY
SEALED CONTAINERS
§ 113.3 - Definitions.
• 114: ACIDIFIED FOODS
§ 114.3 - Definitions.
• 170: FOOD ADDITIVES
§ 170.3 - Definitions.
• 175: INDIRECT FOOD ADDITIVES: ADHESIVES AND COMPONENTS OF COATINGS
§ 175.300 - Resinous and polymeric coatings.
• 176: INDIRECT FOOD ADDITIVES: PAPER AND PAPERBOARD COMPONENTS
§ 176.170 - Components of paper and paperboard in contact with aqueous and fatty foods.
• ("Cfr - code," 2013)
♥

16. Sustainable
Packaging and
Shipment
• Additional costs for Hearts Tomato Soup come from our unique
packaging process of utilizing secondary packaging. It is a kitschy,
homemade looking little brown bag. It is a heavy paper bag with a
biodegradable liner freezer packaging for our product. (Lindeman,
2011)
• During shipment recyclable corrugated boxes with a moisture-
resistant coating are a cost-effective alternative to foam or heavily
waxed boxes. They deliver tested strength and are 100% recyclable.
Our packaging is not only recyclable, but it also provides the
insulation properties and water resistance we need to maintain the
integrity of our tomato soup. (Smorch, 2008)
• We are currently taking bids from companies who specialize in
recycled and sustainable packaging and shipment so we can finalize
our soup costs.
♥

17. Works Cited
Anderson , J., Young, L. & Perryman, S. (2010, December). Understanding the food label. Colorado
State University Extension, Retrieved from
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09365.html
Lindeman, T. F. (2011, March 29). 'sustainable' food packaging: a mixed bag. Post Gazette,
Retrieved from http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/sectionfront/life/sustainable-food-
packaging-a-mixed-bag-290454/
Mintel: Consumers confused about sources of sodium. (2013, March 29). Food Business News,
Retrieved from
http://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/news_home/Consumer_Trends/2013/03/Mintel_Con
sumers_confused_abou.aspx?ID={79E6FEBD-2087-4F9B-81EB-42C297AC044A}&cck=1
National Digestive Diseases Information, USA Today. (2012, July 23). Lactose intolerance statistics.
Statistic Brain, Retrieved from http://www.statisticbrain.com/lactose-intolerance-statistics/
Nielsen. 2012. Shelf stoppers: frozen foods. Progressive Grocer 91(5): 10.
Organic Trade Association. (2011). U.S. organic industry overview. Retrieved from
http://www.ota.com/pics/documents/2011OrganicIndustrySurvey.pdf
♥

18. Works Cited
Smorch, P. (2008, December 08). Pacific seafood’s new sustainable shipping cases. Greener Package,
Retrieved from
http://www.greenerpackage.com/recycling/pacific_seafood’s_new_sustainable_shipping_cases
The NPD Group, Inc. (2013, January). Percentage of U.S. adults trying to cut down or avoid gluten in
their diets reaches new high in 2013, reports npd. Retrieved from
https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/press-releases/percentage-of-us-adults-trying-to-
cut-down-or-avoid-gluten-in-their-diets-reaches-new-high-in-2013-reports-npd/
The VRG Blog Editor (2011, December 05). How many adults are vegan in the U.S.?. The Vegetarian
Resource Group Blog, Retrieved from http://www.vrg.org/blog/2011/12/05/how-many-adults-are-
vegan-in-the-u-s/
Trends: Growing frozen soup segment. (2013). Sargento Food Ingredients , Retrieved from
http://www.sargentofoodingredients.com/services/trends/growing-frozen-soup-segment
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food Safety Fact Sheets. (2010). Freezing and food safety. Retrieved
from website: http://www.fsis.usda.gov/factsheets/focus_on_freezing/
U.S. Food and Drug Administration , (2013). Cfr - code of federal regulations title 21. Retrieved from
website:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatoryInformation/defaul
t.htm
♥

19. Hearts Tomato Soup
We ♥ You Too
♥