You May Have The Best Recipe in the World, But Have You Really Perfected Your Food Product?
Ever wondered what went into producing that can of mushroom soup or that pack of delicious macaroni and cheese? These are all the results of food formulation.
This is a multi-step process that takes a food idea from conception to the grocery aisle. While simple in theory, it involves a lot of innovation, technique, and trial and error.
The process is the same whether you call it food formulation, product formulation, or food product design.
Let’s take a quick look at what goes into this fascinating process
What is the Food Formulation Process?
It’s important to follow all the necessary steps when creating new food product designs, to ensure it’s good and it can be produced on a large scale.
It Starts with an Idea
It’s a grim fact that new food products launched into the market have an 80 percent failure rate. This statistic is why most food brands make it a point to iron out their idea before going further. The marketing team helms this process and bases it on data from market research and competitor analysis.
Test Recipe
The next step is to do an initial test recipe and see if it creates a good product. This is so that they can see what the final product will look and taste like. Often, this is done in small batches, so it’s cheap and quick to make any revisions.
Sensory Tests
The prototype is then sent for sensory evaluation. A team of talented tasters does this. The professionals will judge every aspect of the food product from taste and texture to the overall presentation. They will then notify the test kitchen team of any changes. If the product is up to par, then it will undergo a pilot batch
Pilot Batch
The pilot batch is usually a step up in size from the test batch and is used to see how well the recipe will perform on a slightly larger scale. Mistakes are spotted and corrected at this point.
Product specifications are also monitored to ensure consistency. This is needed to minimize any errors before committing to a commercial batch. Further sensory tests may be done until everyone is happy with the final product.
Consumer Test
One final step before a full product launch is to do consumer testing. Here, random people from the product’s target market judge the product. They might be asked to describe it freely, or against a set number of criteria. Once the feedback is in, the company will decide to either push through with the product or make necessary changes.
Consumer testing is a necessary step in the food formulation process because it’s an actual test of what the market thinks of the product. It eliminates any bias that might arise from internal testing and gives a good gauge of success.
Launch!
With a successful prototype, the company will now go into production scale. Marketing for the product will also increase, and distribution channels will be tapped. All of this is in preparation for the last stage of product formulation – launching it.
The company may also opt to protect their food recipe at this point (Interested in protecting your food recipe? Read an interesting article here.)
But the process doesn’t stop there. Once launched, the performance of the product will be continually monitored. Things will be revised as needed. The truth is, food formulation is less of a linear process and more of a life cycle.
https://durefoods.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/What-Is-Food-Formulation.jpg7201280Dure Foodshttps://durefoods.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/logo-2.pngDure Foods2019-08-09 12:03:522019-08-09 12:03:52What Is Food Formulation?
Holy smokes, you came up with the best chili recipe in the world! Your friends are going crazy over it. So, you decide to sell it and share it with the world, but then a question pops into your head: “Can recipes be plagiarized?”
This is a common concern among food entrepreneurs. In an age where information is freely shared, plagiarism is running rampant.
Next question: “Can recipes be legally protected from being copied?” The good news is that any proprietary food recipe can be legally protected. This prevents anyone from trying to make a quick buck off your hard work, but it’s not always easy. Food recipes can be classified as intellectual property. As such, you have some options to protect yourself and your delicious chili.
A patent is a legal certification that you are the owner of a particular invention. This means that no one else can sell that invention without your express permission. Patents are pretty standard in the scientific and technology spaces.
So, can food be patented? Can you patent a drink? Few know that patents can apply to proprietary food recipes. This is because Patent Law doesn’t discriminate between edible and inedible objects.
The main problem with patents is that you need to prove the product is something new and novel. This is easier said than done. After all, how can you say that your chili is different from all the other chilis before it?
Verdict: If your proprietary food recipe is something that no else has done (and you can prove it), then a patent might work for you.
A trade secret is a process or technique that only your business knows. Think of KFC’s “11 Secret Herbs and Spices” or the Coke formula. All of these are trade secrets.
Once protected as a trade secret, no one else will be able to use the exact recipe legally—but (and it’s a big BUT), someone else CAN try to replicate the recipe itself based on your product. This is called reverse engineering, and it is totally legal.
To make a trade secret work, you need to enforce it with everyone you do business with.
Verdict: Trade secrets are an effective way to protect your proprietary food recipe – if you’re careful
Trademarks are less about protecting the recipe and more about protecting the brand itself. In this case, you reserve the right to use the name and logo that will represent your food product. Think of Paul Newman’s “Newman’s Own” line of salad dressings. You can try and replicate their recipes, but can’t sell them using the same name.
This is useful if you have a unique tasting product and savvy branding. Yes, it won’t prevent anyone from copying your recipe, but it WILL prevent someone else from ripping off your “Mark’s Best Southern Chili” and selling it as their own.
Verdict: If you have the marketing chops to create a valuable food brand, it doesn’t matter if people copy your recipe. Sometimes, a brand is much more powerful.
https://durefoods.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Are-You-Confident-Your-Recipe-is-Confidential-Dure-Foods.jpg7201280Dure Foodshttps://durefoods.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/logo-2.pngDure Foods2019-07-25 15:07:252019-07-25 16:11:39Can a Proprietary Food Recipe Be Protected?
What Is Food Formulation?
in Health and Science/by Dure FoodsYou May Have The Best Recipe in the World, But Have You Really Perfected Your Food Product?
Ever wondered what went into producing that can of mushroom soup or that pack of delicious macaroni and cheese? These are all the results of food formulation.
This is a multi-step process that takes a food idea from conception to the grocery aisle. While simple in theory, it involves a lot of innovation, technique, and trial and error.
The process is the same whether you call it food formulation, product formulation, or food product design.
Let’s take a quick look at what goes into this fascinating process
What is the Food Formulation Process?
It’s important to follow all the necessary steps when creating new food product designs, to ensure it’s good and it can be produced on a large scale.
It Starts with an Idea
It’s a grim fact that new food products launched into the market have an 80 percent failure rate. This statistic is why most food brands make it a point to iron out their idea before going further. The marketing team helms this process and bases it on data from market research and competitor analysis.
Test Recipe
The next step is to do an initial test recipe and see if it creates a good product. This is so that they can see what the final product will look and taste like. Often, this is done in small batches, so it’s cheap and quick to make any revisions.
Sensory Tests
The prototype is then sent for sensory evaluation. A team of talented tasters does this. The professionals will judge every aspect of the food product from taste and texture to the overall presentation. They will then notify the test kitchen team of any changes. If the product is up to par, then it will undergo a pilot batch
Pilot Batch
The pilot batch is usually a step up in size from the test batch and is used to see how well the recipe will perform on a slightly larger scale. Mistakes are spotted and corrected at this point.
Product specifications are also monitored to ensure consistency. This is needed to minimize any errors before committing to a commercial batch. Further sensory tests may be done until everyone is happy with the final product.
Consumer Test
One final step before a full product launch is to do consumer testing. Here, random people from the product’s target market judge the product. They might be asked to describe it freely, or against a set number of criteria. Once the feedback is in, the company will decide to either push through with the product or make necessary changes.
Consumer testing is a necessary step in the food formulation process because it’s an actual test of what the market thinks of the product. It eliminates any bias that might arise from internal testing and gives a good gauge of success.
Launch!
With a successful prototype, the company will now go into production scale. Marketing for the product will also increase, and distribution channels will be tapped. All of this is in preparation for the last stage of product formulation – launching it.
The company may also opt to protect their food recipe at this point (Interested in protecting your food recipe? Read an interesting article here.)
But the process doesn’t stop there. Once launched, the performance of the product will be continually monitored. Things will be revised as needed. The truth is, food formulation is less of a linear process and more of a life cycle.
Can a Proprietary Food Recipe Be Protected?
in Business Matters/by Dure FoodsAre You Confident Your Recipe is Confidential?
Holy smokes, you came up with the best chili recipe in the world! Your friends are going crazy over it. So, you decide to sell it and share it with the world, but then a question pops into your head: “Can recipes be plagiarized?”
This is a common concern among food entrepreneurs. In an age where information is freely shared, plagiarism is running rampant.
Next question: “Can recipes be legally protected from being copied?” The good news is that any proprietary food recipe can be legally protected. This prevents anyone from trying to make a quick buck off your hard work, but it’s not always easy. Food recipes can be classified as intellectual property. As such, you have some options to protect yourself and your delicious chili.
Patents
A patent is a legal certification that you are the owner of a particular invention. This means that no one else can sell that invention without your express permission. Patents are pretty standard in the scientific and technology spaces.
So, can food be patented? Can you patent a drink? Few know that patents can apply to proprietary food recipes. This is because Patent Law doesn’t discriminate between edible and inedible objects.
The main problem with patents is that you need to prove the product is something new and novel. This is easier said than done. After all, how can you say that your chili is different from all the other chilis before it?
Verdict: If your proprietary food recipe is something that no else has done (and you can prove it), then a patent might work for you.
Trade Secrets
A trade secret is a process or technique that only your business knows. Think of KFC’s “11 Secret Herbs and Spices” or the Coke formula. All of these are trade secrets.
Once protected as a trade secret, no one else will be able to use the exact recipe legally—but (and it’s a big BUT), someone else CAN try to replicate the recipe itself based on your product. This is called reverse engineering, and it is totally legal.
To make a trade secret work, you need to enforce it with everyone you do business with.
Verdict: Trade secrets are an effective way to protect your proprietary food recipe – if you’re careful
Trademark
Trademarks are less about protecting the recipe and more about protecting the brand itself. In this case, you reserve the right to use the name and logo that will represent your food product. Think of Paul Newman’s “Newman’s Own” line of salad dressings. You can try and replicate their recipes, but can’t sell them using the same name.
This is useful if you have a unique tasting product and savvy branding. Yes, it won’t prevent anyone from copying your recipe, but it WILL prevent someone else from ripping off your “Mark’s Best Southern Chili” and selling it as their own.
Verdict: If you have the marketing chops to create a valuable food brand, it doesn’t matter if people copy your recipe. Sometimes, a brand is much more powerful.