Proactive NPD

Over recent months there have been several reports of successful large companies experiencing a fall in sales as their ranges are rejected by consumers, who have greater awareness of a healthy diet.

Some firms have reacted well to protect their sales, while others have reacted with the speed of a tortoise taking sedatives.

This is where a proactive NPD team can have a massive effect on company profitability. It irritates me when I work with companies who spring into action only after they have received a new product brief from a retailer, or they decide they need to react after the consumer has caught on to the message, such as 'Five fruit and veg a day' or '6g of salt.'

It is the NPD department which must take the lead. A strong, well-managed NPD department is the key to a successful and profitable company.

In times of declining profit margins and sales, it is this department which can have a massive impact in reversing the trend.

Walkers has reacted well in reducing salt and changing to oil with less saturated fat in its crisps. It even has some crisps fried in 100% olive oil.

If you manufacture savoury pastry pies, you should have seen this trend coming years ago and developed an olive oil pastry.

If you are well known for your luxury chocolate biscuits, your NPD team should have foreseen this sales trend and been working away on an oat-based low fat, low sugar breakfast bar years ago.

I noticed a chocolate bar at the checkout of Marks & Spencer recently, which was proudly displaying a claim to be only 99 calories. This was a really clever move by the NPD team which didn't mess with the recipe, but simply worked on a small flat bar to give the desired 'chocolate hit'.

My message is clear: a dynamic development team is the most important department in a successful company. In troubled times, a company with foresight will boost the calibre and strength of the NPD department.

Celia Wright is a food development consultant and interim manager at Cheftech​