What makes the perfect food product development company?
Food product development requires deep expertise in a diverse range of fields. Expertise in taste, texture and aroma remains the bedrock of the food product development process but is only part of the skillset. Consumers are increasingly price conscious, creating a need for food product developers that can reduce costs without sacrificing sensory attributes, and expect foods to be good for people and the planet.
The search for the perfect food product development company starts with a simple question: what is food product development? Essentially, the process entails the use of scientific and culinary knowledge, insights into market trends and consumer preferences, and other information to create or improve food and beverage products. The process spans several steps, from research through formulation and testing and on to commercialisation.
Ultimately, the goal is to create products that meet consumers’ needs, tastes and preferences, while also being safe, nutritious and profitable for the company. Today, the range of skills needed to meet that goal is wider than ever. Here, we look at three of the areas in which food product development partners need expertise.
market trends
To create a product that meets consumers’ needs, tastes and preferences, you first need to understand what consumers want. Food product development therefore starts and ends with the consumer. It is the consumer who sparks the idea for a new product, and it is the consumer that buys the resulting product.
At Solina, market research starts on the ground, close to the consumer, with local sales, marketing and R&D teams that keep us tapped into food scenes around the world. By paying close attention to emerging trends, Solina creates insight-driven food solutions that foresee and meet ever-changing consumer demands.
people and planet
Many consumers now seek out food products that are good for their own health, and are the result of supply chains that are positive for the people involved and the environment. The long-term trend has reshaped development, creating a need for partners that have expertise in nutrition and sustainability and understand how to formulate food products that align with consumer values.
Solina is a long-standing expert in nutrition and has transformed its own operation in recent years to reflect its commitment to environmental, social and ethical matters.
sensory optimisation
Food trends come and go, and consumer cost consciousness waxes and wanes as the economy changes, but throughout all the shifts buyers remain focused on taste. If a food product fails to meet the sensory expectations of buyers, it will never generate repeat purchases from mass-market consumers. Taste is a non-negotiable priority for food product development companies.
The importance of taste, alongside other key sensory attributes such as texture and aroma, creates food product development challenges. Partners need the expertise and capabilities to improve the nutritional profile, make food products more sustainable and reduce their costs, all without diminishing the sensory experience. We believe we are the right food product development partner with the full suite of capabilities.
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