PRODUCT DEVELOPER 21 20 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT Product Developers When you walk down the aisles of a supermarket have you ever thought about who came up with the ideas for these products? Who came up with the flavour for blue raspberry cookies? How were they able to make them last so long? How did they make these cookies so crunchy? The answer to all these questions is food product developers! Depending on the company, food product developers may also be referred to as food scientists, food technologists, or Research and Development (R&D) professionals. This will depend on the size of the company and the scope of their role. For this profile, we will narrow the scope to those who develop and improve food recipes at companies. 1. Food Product Developers Make New Food Products Food product developers are responsible for creating and improving food products and processes from the beginning until their commercialization. They use their knowledge of food science, chemistry, engineering, nutrition, and culinary arts to create new products that meet all performance, sensory experience, shelf life, safety, and regulation requirements. One of the most important aspects of a food product developer’s job is conducting trials of new products. They conduct trial runs on a small or large scale to test each product’s performance and ensure it meets all regulatory requirements. They summarize their findings and procedures into a document called a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), which operations use when they start to produce the products. This is a highly collaborative role in which the product developer works with every department in a company to ensure the successful commercialization of a product. They collaborate with the marketing department to create products that meet consumer trends and needs. They work with the food safety and quality departments to ensure the product follows all the food safety requirements. They also work with the costing/ purchasing department to ensure the ingredients are within budget. Lastly, they work with production and operations to schedule plant trials to see how feasible it is to create the product with the operational capabilities they have. Overall, food product developers play an essential role in the food industry by creating new and innovative products that meet consumer needs and preferences while ensuring their safety and quality 2. Food Product Developers Follow Regulations Did you know that food products must meet specific standards set by regulations? These standards are called ‘standards of identity’ and are established for ‘standardized foods.’ These foods must only contain the listed ingredients within the set limits. For example, to be considered ice cream, a product must have a minimum of 10% dairy milk fat and cannot exceed 100%. This means that when product developers create new products, they need to follow these regulations. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency sets the regulations in Canada. These standards are regularly revised to keep up with changes in the market. 3. Food Product Developers Work With Every Department Product developers require the assistance Product Developers Developing and improving food products from concept to market launch Photo by Shisu_ka/stock.adobe.com Curious to know first hand what a product developer does at a company? Then check out our interview with Liana Yee, Junior Product Specialist at Export Packers Company Limited. In this episode you will learn: • What a product developer does • Advice for students looking to go into a career in product development
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