Product development in the food industry
First-time-right, with control over data, processes, and variation
In the food industry, everything revolves around products that meet requirements from day one. We help companies make decisions based on facts, design processes intelligently, and control variation. This creates the foundation for faster market introductions, lower failure costs, and greater control over quality. Our approach combines practical experience with principles from, among others, Design for Six Sigma (DfSS), applied in a way that fits the reality of the food industry. This allows you to bring products to market faster and at lower development costs.
Faster time to market
Develop products more efficiently and shorten the time between idea and launch.
Lower failure costs
Prevent costly corrections by making the right decisions earlier.
Greater control over quality
Control variation in products and processes through fact-based decision-making.
Why product development in food is so complex
In the food industry, you want to release products that are right from the start, without incurring high correction costs later on: you want predictability. Ideally, you know as early as possible in the development process how a product will perform in the market. At the same time, you want products that both meet consumer expectations and comply with label claims and/or hygiene requirements, for example for packaging. In practice, however, this is challenging:
- Translating consumer needs into products – Consumers expect ever-higher quality in terms of taste, texture, nutritional value, and sustainability, both for the food product and its packaging. It is complex to properly understand the sometimes diverse needs of customers and then translate them into a product design or recipe.
- Limited and sometimes unreliable data – Measurements are often expensive, scarce, or difficult to reproduce, resulting in missing critical information.
- Variation in raw materials and processes – Small differences in ingredients or production conditions can lead to deviations in the final product. Achieving homogeneity is often an important topic in food production.
- Compliance and regulations – Products, processes, and packaging must comply with strict food safety, hygiene, and labeling requirements. Combining innovation with reliability and compliance requires well-designed processes and expertise.
Although more and more data is becoming available, we still see that decisions are too often based on assumptions. The result? Unpredictability, higher correction costs, and risks to brand value.
The need: from customer requirements to substantiated product specifications
To develop products first time right, two things are crucial:
- Insight into the market – understanding what consumers truly value.
- Knowledge of your own products and processes – so you can control variation and inhomogeneity and predict whether the product you deliver is in line with what you promise (e.g., on the label).
In addition, there is a need for support in helping teams and processes become fact-based:
- Training on the correct interpretation and use of data.
- Working methods and decision-making procedures that embed fact-based ways of working.
- Project support for specific product development challenges.
Our approach: structured and data-driven product development
We help food companies make decisions based on the right information. By combining market insights, product and process knowledge, and practical experience, we help ensure products come off the production line first time right. In practical terms, this means:
- Translating market insights and product promises into clear design criteria.
- Mapping variation and inhomogeneity in raw materials and processes.
- Advising which data and measurements are essential for well-supported decision-making.
- Providing practical working methods and examples that can be applied directly within your organization.
We combine advanced statistics with technical domain expertise. Our approach is based on principles from Design for Six Sigma (DfSS) and Quality by Design (QbD), while always fitting the reality of your organization. Not a blueprint, but an approach based on small steps: pragmatic and directly applicable.
What does it deliver?
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Faster time to market - Launch new products more quickly and generate revenue sooner, creating a competitive advantage.
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Lower costs and reduced risk - Control variation and make fact-based decisions to minimize corrections, recalls, and reputational damage.
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Lasting knowledge and organizational learning - Teams learn to work in a fact-based way and gain a better understanding of what customers value and what is essential in your products. This enables future product development projects to be executed faster and more reliably.
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Better decision-making - With insight into variation, processes, and market preferences, you can make well-founded decisions, assess risks more effectively, and guide innovation more intelligently.
Would you like to develop products predictably and fact-based in the food industry?
Want to know more about fact-based product development in food?
An approach that not only helps you get products right the first time, but also contributes to the long-term success and growth of your organization.