Amy Wilkinson, Founder of Fearless Foodies and Co-Host of the Oh For Food's Sake podcast, provides an insight into some of the key challenges faced by NPD teams in food & drink. 

The UK food manufacturing industry has always been fast moving and challenging, as it continually adapts to meet consumer trends and demands.  The last few years have been particularly challenging for New Product Development (NPD) teams.  There are a number of hidden challenges that new product developers face in their day-to-day workload that often go unnoticed, which can leave teams feeling demotivated and undervalued.

Here are 5 key challenges that your product development teams are facing and would like you to know about:

Balancing cost vs quality

Finding the right balance between cost and quality has always been a challenge for product developers but the current economic climate makes this even more difficult. The cost of living crisis means that consumers are more conscious of their spending but this doesn’t mean they want to compromise on quality. The pressure can often be put on developers to cut costs from products, which is not only soul destroying for a foodie, but also may not be the best place to be looking to cut costs.

Cross-functionally there may be other cost saving initiatives that don’t have to affect the end product quality. The key here is for all functions to take responsibility for balancing cost, so that the effect on quality to end consumer is minimised.

Compliance and ever-changing guidelines

The UK food industry is highly regulated, with stringent guidelines to ensure food safety and quality. Changes in legislation, retailer guidelines and regulations have become more frequent in recent years. To stay informed with the continual changes and what that means for existing products (which developers then get pulled into re-developing) as well as what is needed for new products can be a full time job in itself. This can take the focus away from product developers core skills and passions, and mean we are spending more time on Existing Product Development (EPD) than creating new products.

Developing sustainably

Alongside the food safety and compliance focus, there is an ever increasing challenge around sustainability. Developing sustainable products involves sourcing the right ingredients, reducing waste, minimising carbon footprint and use of Ultra Processed Foods (UPF).

This can be challenging, especially when sustainable options are more expensive and harder to source. There is the complexity of ensuring that sustainability claims are credible and verifiable to avoid accusations of greenwashing.

Finding the right resource

Recruiting and retaining the right people in the NPD function is hard. There is a limited understanding of what goes on in the Food industry and graduates coming into NPD roles are hit with a reality that may not have met their expectations. Constantly driving change in a business can be hard work and the pace is fast, which isn’t for everyone.

There is often a lack of support and appropriate specialist training for NPD teams which can lead to people leaving the function or the industry altogether. Rarely do you find a fully resourced team without vacancies, which means teams are often chasing their tails.

Managing cross functional relationships

It can often feel like in NPD we have to drive every single project from start to finish but the reality is that it isn’t just the responsibility of the NPD team. This means that it’s super important to have strong cross functional relationships to help drive projects forward. The ability to influence, communicate assertively and work collaboratively are skills that are well needed but often not taught. This can result in overworked and under valued NPD teams that are plugging the gaps to make things happen and deliver projects but can lead to mistakes, delayed launches and can ultimately impact teams wellbeing.

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The challenges faced by NPD teams in the UK food manufacturing industry are multifaceted and demanding. These are daily hurdles that can leave teams feeling overwhelmed and undervalued. Recognising and addressing these hidden challenges is crucial for fostering a supportive environment where NPD teams can thrive.

By providing adequate training, resources, clear communication, and a collaborative culture, businesses can ensure that their NPD teams feel valued and empowered to innovate and ultimately deliver the future pipeline and growth for the business.

Find out more about the coaching and training offered by Fearless Foodies at fearlessfoodies.co.uk.