Innovating for the palate
07-05-2025 | Posted by Principia
Nowadays, there are consumers for virtually every dietary preference: omnivores, vegans, flexitarians, Halal, Kosher, gluten-free… and many more. As if that weren’t enough, today’s customer also expects to be surprised with new, different, innovative, and exciting flavours. According to a report from AECOC Retail Knowledge based on data from IGD Research, the food sector in Spain is expected to grow by 3.3% between 2023 and 2028. In fact, the growth forecast for the Spanish food sector exceeds the European average (2.9%) and is on par with countries like the United Kingdom (3.4%) or Austria (3.2%).
To stay competitive and grow, companies must rely on their most talented creators to develop new products. R&D in this sector must blend creativity, science, and regulation. From the conception of any new recipe to its large-scale production, each stage involves specific challenges to ensure that the final product meets quality, safety, and taste standards.
To streamline and simplify this process, businesses need tools that enable more efficient management of their products – from the ingredients involved, to optimising the formulation of new recipes, and ensuring correct labelling and packaging. It is also essential to consider how the product behaves under different production and storage conditions in order to respond swiftly to the needs of a clearly expanding market.
The first step in developing a food product is identifying a market opportunity. This might arise from consumer trends, specific nutritional needs, or advances in ingredient technology. Once the idea is defined, the research and formulation phase begins, in which different ingredient combinations are tested until the desired flavour, texture, and appearance profile is achieved.
Recipe management is a critical part of this process, involving not only the selection of appropriate ingredients but also the exact proportions required to ensure consistency in every production batch. Moreover, it is essential to comply with labelling regulations and keep accurate documentation of every component used.
Formula management and simulation software play a key role in this phase, as they allow companies to:
• Identify potential candidates for initial formulas based on market trends;
• Verify regulatory compliance in real time while designing formulas;
• Determine which parameters to adjust when developing new formulas or improving existing ones;
• Create formula design experiments to ensure full traceability throughout the development process;
• Review results and repeat the design, formulation, and testing stages to update or identify the best-performing formulas.
Dassault Systèmes’ tools support the complete lifecycle management of food products, making it easier to trace information while fostering product innovation and development. This is why more and more companies in the food and beverage sector are embracing digital transformation in their R&D departments—to ensure that products meet the necessary specifications under different processing and storage conditions.
Once the optimal recipe has been defined, the process moves to the scale-up phase, where the challenge lies in transferring the formulation from a laboratory environment to an industrial production line. This is another area where the 3DEXPERIENCE platform provides significant added value, enabling companies to manage the product lifecycle collaboratively and efficiently.
A major challenge for the industry is maintaining continuity in formulation, the bill of materials, technical data sheets, and associated labelling. Any formulation change must be propagated downstream so that what enters production is fully aligned with the information used during product development. Errors in technical documentation and labelling can lead to serious financial and legal consequences if there is any mismatch between the product and the information communicated to consumers.
With 3DEXPERIENCE, it is possible to design customised formulations for different consumer profiles—from athletes seeking precise macronutrient balances to individuals with dietary restrictions. These solutions allow recipes to be automatically adjusted to meet nutritional targets without compromising the quality or taste of the final product.
The platform enables comprehensive management of product development, from concept to commercialisation. Traceability is critical in the food industry, and with 3DEXPERIENCE, ingredient data, quality testing, regulations, and specifications are centralised in a single digital environment accessible to all teams. Furthermore, the ability to simulate different production scenarios helps optimise manufacturing lines and reduce downtime.
By aligning product development information in 3DEXPERIENCE with resource management in ERP systems, companies can shorten time-to-market for new products, gaining a competitive edge.
With the support of these tools, food companies can develop new products with greater confidence—and above all, ensure the viability of any product before investing in large-scale production, helping them stay competitive in a fast-moving, ever-evolving market.
