Brief and prototype

13 September 2022
Brief and prototype | Bakery Academy

The Start of Development 

Brief and prototype

Product development starts with a brief; in our company this often is something like: “Is it possible to develop a vegan cupcake with 4-6 months shelf life” or “what is the maximum amount of fibre we can put in a cookie of biscuit, without compromising too much on taste and texture”. As a knowledge company we are more interested in either the technical solution (which might not be economical at that moment) or something for personal use (e.g. high fibre cookies you bring along to compensate for energy dense foods when traveling).

Briefs we receive from clients are more often: “we need to extend our shelf life to 3 months for this product”, “we want to create a private label alternative for this product of brand ‘X’”, “can we reduce sugar/ salt content by x% or more without affecting shelf life and keeping texture and taste (as much the same as possible)”, etc. Some specify ingredients, (intended use of) processes and equipment; others rely on input or suggestions from our experts. In the latter case, depending on the product and the intended production volume we can define already some, others require a slightly different approach and become clear in a secondary stage of development.

To make sure that we are on the same page as developers with our clients we intent to work to a prototype or proof of concept; not perfect but shows the intended brief is feasible or not and if not, what directions we require to adjust the brief. If all parties can agree on that we can continue with the true development stage

Need to know more? Feel free to contact us!

Bakery Articles

Our scientific bakery articles offer in-depth insights, detailed analyses, and expert perspectives, providing a wealth of information beyond standard blogs. 

Sugar replacements in bakery products

Reformulation

Sugar replacements in bakery products

In most cases reducing sugar leads to an equal or higher calorific value of the product since the energy contribution remains the same where it emanat...

Hydrocolloids 3: Microbial gums

Hydrocolloids 3: Microbial gums

It is known that microorganisms on plants, for example, are able to produce polysaccharides as structural elements and as a kind of protective layer t...

Properties of starch

Product challenges

Properties of starch

Starch is a unique product due to both its physical and chemical properties and its prominent role in daily food consumption. 70/80% of all calories a...

Evaluating Egg Replacers

Evaluating Egg Replacers

During the years, everytime when there was a hike in the prices of eggs or egg products an outlook was made intothe replacement of eggs in the formula...