How to accelerate your food product development

 

 

BY SARAH WILLIAMS - INNOVATION TECHNOLOGIST  

2 May 2023

 

Whether you’re part of a multi-national company or start up, navigating new product development can be tricky. With so many things to consider, it can feel like jumping through a never-ending series of hoops. But by working through a few fundamental questions in advance, you’ll be better prepared for the challenges ahead. Let’s get started.

 

What do you want to make?

 

This may seem a bit basic. And it is. But having a clear vision for your product is important. If you’re working with a product developer, it will create a tighter project brief which, in turn, will lead to a more organised team and clearer desired output. Information on key ingredients, nutritional targets, desired claims, ideal shelf life and packaging format can all help to steer developments, making the journey much smoother from start to finish. 

 


And if you don’t have a clear idea yet – don’t worry! We can help you brainstorm concepts via on-site or virtual ideation sessions. If you’re struggling to visualise your concept, you can also take advantage of our rapid prototyping service which gives you a physical prototype to hold in your hands in a matter of weeks. 

Does your idea suit the market?

 

Market research can provide vital insights at key stages of the development process. Initially, it can help identify gaps in the market and highlight what tends consumers are looking for, giving you an idea of where to focus your efforts. Once you have your product concept, further research will identify opportunities that will make it shine on shelf. 

 

 

 

Do you have a unique selling point?

 

With so much noise in an ever-growing industry, it’s important to have a product that stands out from the crowd. You only need to look at plant-based milks to see why this is so relevant. Not so long ago, these products were few and far between but now – thanks to ethical and environmental concerns – some people consider the category to be saturated. From pea, oat and rice to hemp and soy, there’s truly something for everyone, making it very difficult for a new product to find a strong enough point of difference to grab consumer attention.

 

That’s not to say you can’t find a fresh perspective. You can, for instance, develop a clean label alternative to a classic product. Include functional ingredients with a ‘good for you’ benefit. Use sustainable ingredients and practices to create a ‘good for the world’ platform. Or disrupt the market with a completely unique product.

 

Yet, although you may want to tick all these boxes, be warned – this can cause complications further down the line. You may, for example, have chosen high-cost ingredients that push up your price point or selected a packaging format that reduces shelf life or designed a product with limited processing options. For this reason, you may find it helpful to separate your product wish list into ‘must haves’ and ‘nice to haves.’

Do your ingredients match your USP?

 

Unsurprisingly, the specified ingredients can have a major impact on how you market your product, so you need to think about alignment. If you’re working on a sustainability platform, for instance, using repurposed food scraps to reduce food waste or making use of surplus wonky fruit and vegetables would make sense. But you also need to consider potential limitations of your chosen approach, such as the fact that while functional ingredients can help to support on-pack claims they must also comply with strict regulations set out by the UK government or the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) - so always check what is possible.

 

Similarly, a clean label declaration is undoubtedly popular with consumers, but you need to bear in mind that some established ingredients provide specific functionality that their natural counterparts lack, so product quality could be affected.