In the food industry, products must meet expectations from day one. At CQM, we help companies make fact-based decisions, optimise processes and control variability. This lays the foundation for faster time-to-market, reduced failure costs and better control over product quality.
Our approach combines hands-on experience with principles from methodologies such as Design for Six Sigma (DfSS) – always tailored to the real-world dynamics of the food industry. The result: more predictable development at lower cost.
Why product development in the food industry is so complex
You want to release products that are right the first time, without costly corrections later. Ideally, you already know early in the development process how your product will perform in the market.
But developing food products means balancing consumer preferences, regulatory demands and operational reality. In practice, this leads to challenges such as:
- Translating consumer needs into product design - Consumers expect ever higher standards in terms of taste, texture, nutritional value and sustainability – both for the food and its packaging. Understanding these diverse expectations and translating them into product design or recipes is far from simple.
- Limited and sometimes unreliable data - Measurements can be expensive, scarce, or difficult to reproduce. As a result, critical information is often missing.
- Variability in raw materials and production processes - Small differences in ingredients or production conditions can lead to noticeable deviations in the final product. Homogeneity is a key concern in food manufacturing.
- Strict compliance and regulation - Products, processes, and packaging must comply with stringent food safety, hygiene, and labelling requirements. Combining innovation with reliability and compliance demands well-structured processes and deep understanding.
Even as data availability grows, we see many decisions still based on assumptions. The result? Unpredictable outcomes, increased correction costs, and damage to brand value.
The need: from consumer insight to clear product specifications
Developing products first time right requires two things:
- Market insight: understanding what your consumer truly values.
- Product and process knowledge: so you can control variability and predict whether your product will consistently meet its promises (e.g. on the label).
In addition, many teams need support to become more fact-based in their way of working:
- Training in how to interpret and apply data correctly
- Practical methods and decision-making processes that anchor fact-based working
- Project support for specific development challenges
Our approach: structured and data-driven development
We help food companies make decisions based on the right information. By combining market insights, product and process knowledge, and hands-on experience, we enable first-time-right product development. In practice, this includes:
- Translating market insight and product promises into clear design criteria
- Mapping variability and inhomogeneity in raw materials and production processes
- Advising on which data and measurements are essential for informed decisions
- Providing practical methods and examples that your teams can apply immediately
We combine advanced statistical techniques with technical domain knowledge. Our approach is inspired by Design for Six Sigma (DfSS) and Quality by Design (QbD) principles, but always tailored to your context. No rigid templates, but small, pragmatic steps that fit your way of working.
The result: faster to market, fewer failures
Our approach delivers both immediate and long-term value to food companies:
- Faster time-to-market - Launch new products sooner and generate revenue earlier, creating competitive advantage.
- Lower costs and reduced risk - Control variability and make fact-based decisions to minimise rework, recalls and reputational risk.
- Stronger internal knowledge and learning capacity - Your teams learn to work fact-based, gain deeper insight into what matters to customers, and understand what is essential in your product. This accelerates and strengthens future development.
- Better decision-making - With clear insight into variability, processes and market preferences, you can make better-informed choices, assess risks more accurately and steer innovation more effectively.
In short: a structured approach that ensures your products are right the first time, and supports long-term success and growth.
Want to develop food products that are fact-based and predictable?
Curious how to develop products in the food industry with more control and fewer surprises? Contact Emy, she’ll be happy to help.
Also read our blog: [Tackling complex challenges in the food industry with Data Science] and discover how we use data to reduce variation in food production.
