My passion? Developing new products Ronald, Project Leader R&D
The main function of our R&D Department is developing new products. Any new products that we market have been developed here in principle. Once we have chosen to bring the product to market, this also entails implementing the products in the plant, meaning starting up production.
In-house we have an extensive tasting panel made up of a hundred employees who taste and evaluate products twice a week on parameters such as taste, colour and appearance. Everyone rates the product and we deduce averages. We use these data to improve the products. Ideas do not only start in the Marketing or R&D Departments; any department in the company can propose an idea. Often we organize creative sessions to generate new products ideas. It is this carefully controlled development, which differentiates us from the competition.
Last year, for example, we launched our vegetable ketchup (Veg’Up): a sauce with the same uses and taste as ketchup, but which is different all the same. Our tomato ketchup also contains pumpkin and carrots. After five months, we now have 7% of the market share, which, it is safe to say, is quite a success.
There are four people in the R&D Department: our department head and three project managers, who are equal. Our main challenge is to launch products that are better than those of the competition. Products that are worthy of their name.
