Pizza BitesA fun, delicious, and nutritious frozen pizza snack!

Hekyung Hong, Ashley Luciano, Sarah McBride, Danielle RegelloNutrition 405, Spring 2012

More Nutrition, More Fun!

Pizza Bites are designed to be a more nutritious, but equally delicious pizza snack that the whole family can enjoy!

Similar snacks on the market are convenient and tasty, but are lacking in important nutrients like fiber, and other vitamins and minerals. The goal of Pizza Bites is to enjoy all of the things already loved about pizza with added nutritional benefits!

Target Market

Traditionally frozen pizza snacks are aimed at children, but because of their improved nutritional profile Pizza Bites will appeal to consumers of all ages who enjoy pizza and are looking for a convenient and nutritious snack!

Pizza Bites are perfect for any occasion from an after school snack to a sophisticated cocktail party!

But How Do They Compare?

Scientific Analysis:

Properties of both Bagel Bites and Pizza Bites were scientifically analyzed and compared to determine similarities and differences in their composition, shelf-stability, taste and texture, as well as consumer preference. Cost was also analyzed to determine competitive pricing and affordability.

Water Activity

Water activity (Aw) determines perishability. Microbes need water to grow and foods with Aw <0.85 can not easily support microbial growth. The benefit of freezing a product with higher water activity is that water becomes unavailable to the microbes once it's frozen.

Bagel Bites average Aw: 0.93Pizza Bites average Aw: 0.93P-value= 0.07 (no statistically significant difference)

Shelf Life

The results from the water activity analysis were examined to determine the likely shelf-life of the Pizza Bites.

Further research was performed to examine the shelf-lives of other frozen pizza products. On average, frozen pizzas have a shelf life of 3-4 months. Because the Aw of the Pizza Bites was the same as the Bagel bites, it was determined that the Pizza Bites would also have a shelf life of 3-4 months.

Texture Analysis

Texture analysis was performed on the Bagel Bites and the Pizza Bites to determine the firmness of the products. This was especially important because of the differences in the crusts (whole wheat vs. bagel).

Bagel Bite average: 17694.6Pizza Bite average: 20293.0P-value: 0.17 (no statistically significant difference)

Sensory Testing

Sensory analysis was performed using a paired preference test with 20 panelists.

Bagel Bites average likability: 5.1Pizza Bites average likability: 4.2

12 panelists preferred Pizza Bites over Bagel Bites (P-value: >0.05)

18 panelists preferred whole wheat crust over bagel crust (P-value: <0.05).

Nutrition Information

Bagel Bites

Serving: 4 pieces

Pizza Bites

Nutritional Highlights

Pizza Bites compared to Bagel Bites (4 pc serving)

Twice the fiber!Lower in saturated fat!Twice the potassium!3% more vitamin A!7% more calcium!18% more vitamin C!

And they taste great!

Pricing

The cost to make 40 Pizza Bites is approximately $6.49 (about $0.67 per 4 piece serving).

To compete in the market with Bagel Bites, which cost approximately $10.49 for a box for 40, the suggested selling price for 40 Pizza Bites is $9.99.

Choose Pizza Bites!

Pizza Bites are a great choice when looking for an affordable, delicious and nutritious snack for any occasion.

They pack classic pizza flavor and a great nutritional profile into a fun, convenient, bite-size snack for consumers of all ages to enjoy!