Sometimes the challenge is very concrete: a bread needs more colour, production costs are too high, or shelf life needs to be extended by a day or two. At other times, the question is broader: what should we develop next, and what is happening in other markets?
These are typical starting points for Senson’s innovation workshops. Rather than starting with a specific ingredient, the focus is on the customer’s needs and on finding possible solutions together.
– What we can bring to the table is what we see across different markets. We work with customers in different countries and applications, so we can share ideas, trends and solutions that the customer might not come across in their everyday work, says Pontus Forth, CEO of Senson.
From market insights to practical trials
The content of an innovation workshop is built around the customer’s situation.
– We taste, discuss and test things together to see what could actually work in the customer’s product, Forth explains.
For one Finnish bakery customer looking to grow in the German market, the work started with the market itself. Senson sourced a selection of German breads, both gluten-free and conventional, and the products were tasted and analysed together. What makes them successful? What is different from the Finnish market? And what ideas could be taken into the customer’s own product development?
From there, the team moved to practical trials. Different extracts and dosages were tested to see how they influenced characteristics such as colour, flavour, softness and Maillard browning.
New surroundings can spark new ideas
Stepping away from everyday routines is also an important part of the process. Product developers rarely have an entire day to concentrate on experimentation without the usual meetings, deadlines and production schedules.
– Sometimes simply having the time and space to focus makes a difference. A new place, new people and new ideas can encourage you to try something you might not have considered in your everyday work, Forth says.
Learning goes both ways
The value of these days is not one-sided. Working closely with customers gives Senson a direct view into the questions and challenges food manufacturers are facing in their everyday product development.
For Senson, these conversations are an important source of insight. They help identify where existing ingredients could be used differently, where there may be a need for something new and which challenges are becoming increasingly relevant across the industry.
– Product development days are a great opportunity for us to listen. We learn a lot about what our customers are working on and what they need from ingredients now and in the future, Forth says.
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Have a product development challenge in mind? Let’s explore it together. Get in touch with Senson’s experts to discuss what an innovation workshop could look like for your team.