Process Development - one of the most critical and exciting roles within a food company
Process Development, in my opinion is one of the most critical and exciting roles within a food company. Without a process technologist no new products could be launched, no new packaging could hit the shelves and the development process as a whole would totally collapse.
The process technologist is one of the most valued members of a development team; whether it is said or not, it never goes unnoticed when they arrive at five o'clock in the morning for a trial that doesn't start until nine 'o clock, because a delivery was late or the night shift rejected a ton of pasta sauce. It also never goes unnoticed when, on trial number five they come back to the development kitchen with the perfect product match, even though they have had to personally stand over the steaming kettle five times with the same sauce until it was just right.
The process technologist "just knows" when the garlic puree needs to be doubled from a kitchen recipe and the process technologist also "just knows" when a product simply won't work. The process technologist knows all of this because they are the link between the creative world of concept development and the engine room of the business. This is no mean feat as we all know too well of the healthy tensions between these two very different, but intrinsically linked worlds.
So knowing the importance and the admiration we give our process technologists, I can't help but ask myself why I'm not falling over people desperate to be a respected, valued and critical player in every food manufacturer's development team.
The process technologist is one of the most valued members of a development team; whether it is said or not, it never goes unnoticed when they arrive at five o'clock in the morning for a trial that doesn't start until nine 'o clock, because a delivery was late or the night shift rejected a ton of pasta sauce. It also never goes unnoticed when, on trial number five they come back to the development kitchen with the perfect product match, even though they have had to personally stand over the steaming kettle five times with the same sauce until it was just right.
The process technologist "just knows" when the garlic puree needs to be doubled from a kitchen recipe and the process technologist also "just knows" when a product simply won't work. The process technologist knows all of this because they are the link between the creative world of concept development and the engine room of the business. This is no mean feat as we all know too well of the healthy tensions between these two very different, but intrinsically linked worlds.
So knowing the importance and the admiration we give our process technologists, I can't help but ask myself why I'm not falling over people desperate to be a respected, valued and critical player in every food manufacturer's development team.
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