During last week’s SFA Maker Prep Webinar, New Product Development: Optimizing the Food Value Chain to Maximize Competitive Advantage, Dr. Kantha Shelke prepared the audience of food makers with tools to scale and manage their specialty food business.
An educator at Johns Hopkins University and founder and principal of Corvus Blue LLC., an independent food science and nutrition research firm with clients operating across the food, beverage, and nutrition industries, Shelke elucidated how makers can leverage process, research, experimentation, and analytical thinking to best inspire business success. The concept-to-commerce pathway was explored, as well as proper labeling strategies and laws, product testing, and overall shopper experience.
Shelke grounded the discussion by mentioning the importance of “how you look at various aspects of the food chain to get a maximum competitive advantage, because at the end of it all it’s actually the advantage that sets you apart from your competitors.”
One way to gain an advantage is through scaling the business. Shelke indicated that it had the potential to make or break the success of the product, and shortcuts must not be taken. In scaling the product, the following considerations need to be determined:
• Ingredient requirements and sourcing
• Processing equipment and method
• Baseline product quality attributes
• Shelf life
• Product packaging
• Costing
• Distribution channels
To bolster product and formula scaling, an example formulation sheet was provided with directions on how to record product aspects to fulfill production needs, track development, check costs, and more.
On the legal and regulatory side, proactive verification and record-keeping were highlighted to maintain a competitive advantage, as recalls and other mistakes in the scale-up process can end your product if it makes someone sick, or if product claims are falsified.
For more insight on how to properly scale and effectively grow a specialty food business, watch the webinar on demand in SFA’s Learning Center. It was the second part of a two-part series, the first was titled Why They Matter: Regulations, Certifications, and Licenses. Both webinars are included in the Food Safety Bundle.
Related: Why They Matter: Regulations, Certifications, and Licenses; Selling to Supermarkets: A Buyer’s Advice.