Your new product formulation just got rejected by production. What's your next move?
Hitting a roadblock with a new food product can be frustrating, but it's also an opportunity to refine and improve. Here’s how you can proceed effectively:
What strategies have you found useful in overcoming formulation setbacks?
Your new product formulation just got rejected by production. What's your next move?
Hitting a roadblock with a new food product can be frustrating, but it's also an opportunity to refine and improve. Here’s how you can proceed effectively:
What strategies have you found useful in overcoming formulation setbacks?
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1) To avoid such rejections it is advisable to have pilot setup of the product manufacturing at a lab scale to identify the challenges and sort it out basis the commercial level scale up. 2) Before handing over the product to the operations/manufacturing team, it is best to have pre commercial trials in presence of stakeholders and support from factory team for internal alignment and smooth commercial run of the product. 2)At a commercial level rejection,first and foremost would be to identify the root cause. a) If the issue is with the formulation then a minor tweaking without affecting the product nature/quality/taste/dimensions can be done b) If the issue is with the manufacturing equipment identify its source and then sort it out
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Some ways to get started: Host a debrief meeting with the production team to pinpoint the exact issues (e.g., ingredient incompatibility, process inefficiencies). Consult with R&D and quality assurance to identify alternative formulations or process adjustments. One thing I found useful: Collaborating with production line workers directly. They often provide practical insights about machinery limitations or ingredient handling that technical teams might overlook.
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If a new formulation is not compatible with operations or is rejected, reassess the formulation's design, identify the root cause of the issue, and gather feedback from stakeholders. Revise the formulation to address the concerns, and re-test it in a controlled environment. If necessary, restart the development process, incorporating lessons learned and adjusting the formulation to meet operational requirements. Consider alternatives, such as reformulation, reformulation with modifications, or even abandoning the project if it's not viable. Document the outcome and apply the knowledge gained to future development projects.
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The very next move would be to collaborate with the production team and understand the reasons of rejection. Understand it must be compatible with the equipments available, operating conditions and resources available. Is the product going to require additional equipment customisation, how much will it cost? What is the initial volume of production and what is the projected ROI ? Is it too low? Also, it should take into account the procurement and storage challenges of raw materials and also packaging materials. Are they very difficult to handle and does it require additional requirements for storage? Is the upstream supply chain vulnerable? You should also consider the energy consumption for process operations involved.
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It is essential to understand the reason for rejection by meeting with the production team to discuss the specific reasons and then reassess the formulation and engage the R&D, production, and quality team together to find a mutually acceptable solution.
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