How can you scale up a new food product for commercial production?

You have a brilliant idea for a new food product that you want to share with the world. But how do you go from a small batch in your kitchen to a large-scale production that meets the standards of quality, safety, and profitability? In this article, you will learn some of the key steps and challenges involved in scaling up a new food product for commercial production.

1 Product formulation

The first step is to develop a product formulation that defines the ingredients, quantities, and processing methods for your product. You need to consider the sensory, nutritional, and functional properties of your product, as well as the cost, availability, and shelf life of the ingredients. You also need to test your product for stability, consistency, and safety under different conditions, such as temperature, humidity, and light. A product formulation is not a fixed recipe, but a flexible guideline that may need to be adjusted as you scale up.

Add your perspective

Peter Borland

Technical Manager at Kingate Foods
Report contribution
From my experience, the first thing to assess at the product formulation level is the market that you want to break into. What are the top selling products, what are the trending ingredients being used. Then you need to determine what kind of product you want to produce, will it be a top end product with maybe a smaller, niche, more expensive customer base or will it be mass produced, more broad customer base. You then need to create a functional prototype of the product with concept packaging and test them out on your desired customers, determine the interest and selling price, while making sure that you will turn a profit.

Like

2 Process design

The next step is to design a process that can produce your product efficiently, reliably, and safely at a larger scale. You need to consider the equipment, capacity, layout, and automation of your production line, as well as the energy, water, and waste management. You also need to optimize the process parameters, such as time, temperature, pressure, and speed, to ensure the quality and safety of your product. A process design is not a one-time decision, but a continuous improvement that may need to be modified as you scale up.

Add your perspective

Peter Borland

Technical Manager at Kingate Foods
Report contribution
Streamlining the process will be one of the best tools that you can control for scaling up a process. Consider what equipment will be used and in what order, how many pieces of equipment will you need, is it worth getting a more expensive piece of equipment with larger capacity. The layout of the plant that you choose will likely be the layout unless other products/processes are added so you must spend the time to think about all possible scenarios and how they interact with each other with respect to time, H&S, quality, resource usage, waste management, and number of employees needed.

Like

3 Quality control

The third step is to establish a quality control system that can monitor and verify the quality and safety of your product throughout the production process. You need to define the quality standards, specifications, and criteria for your product, as well as the methods, instruments, and frequency of testing and sampling. You also need to implement the quality assurance, traceability, and documentation procedures that comply with the regulatory and customer requirements. A quality control system is not a passive check, but a proactive measure that may need to be updated as you scale up.

Add your perspective

Peter Borland

Technical Manager at Kingate Foods
Report contribution
Most start-up food companies work off a HACCP system with critical control points. Having a qualified person as part of the HACCP team is essential in creating an effective HACCP plan using the 7 principles outlined in EU Reg 852/2004 (or on google for easier reading if not aware of them). You will need to determine what processes pose a risk to food safety and using a risk assessment determine mitigation and corrective actions to reduce the risk or to have a plan in the event that your mitigation practices don't effectively reduce the risk of harm. A HACCP plan is a live document that must be verified to be working and amended regularly to keep up to date with new processes/products that may be introduced to the site.

Like

4 Packaging and labeling

The fourth step is to select and design a packaging and labeling solution that can protect and promote your product in the market. You need to consider the material, shape, size, and color of your packaging, as well as the information, graphics, and claims on your label. You also need to evaluate the packaging and labeling performance, such as durability, functionality, and appeal, under different conditions, such as transportation, storage, and display. A packaging and labeling solution is not a cosmetic touch, but a strategic tool that may need to be changed as you scale up.

Add your perspective

5 Market research

The fifth step is to conduct a market research that can validate and refine your product concept and positioning in the target market. You need to identify and segment your potential customers, competitors, and distributors, as well as their needs, preferences, and behaviors. You also need to test and collect feedback on your product prototype, packaging, and pricing from your target audience, using methods such as surveys, focus groups, and taste tests. A market research is not a final verdict, but a valuable input that may need to be repeated as you scale up.

Add your perspective

Rudy Ham-Zhu

🧬 Biotech & Foodtech Leader | 3x ex-Global 500 companies | 2x TEDx speaker, Techstars '24, Top Voice LinkedIn | Tech Entrepreneur & Consultant 🩺
Report contribution
Even though this is listed 5th, it should be in the 1st place. There have been plenty of situations when a product is launched, just to see that the customer does not even want it. Ironically, doing market research often is cheaper than doing a lot of the previous steps, but the most important one.

Like

6 Launch and evaluation

The final step is to launch and evaluate your product in the market, using a suitable distribution and promotion strategy. You need to consider the channels, locations, and volumes of your product distribution, as well as the messages, media, and incentives of your product promotion. You also need to measure and analyze the performance and impact of your product launch, using indicators such as sales, profits, market share, and customer satisfaction. A launch and evaluation is not a conclusive outcome, but a learning opportunity that may need to be followed by further scaling up or down.

Add your perspective

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

Add your perspective

How can you scale up a new food product for commercial production?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Product formulation

2 Process design

3 Quality control

4 Packaging and labeling

5 Market research

6 Launch and evaluation

7 Here’s what else to consider

Food Science

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

More articles on Food Science

More relevant reading

How can you scale up a new food product for commercial production?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Product formulation

2 Process design

3 Quality control

4 Packaging and labeling

5 Market research

6 Launch and evaluation

7 Here’s what else to consider

Food Science

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

Explore Other Skills