Expansion, product development and food safety: solutions to 3 key shelf-stable food challenges
Ongoing concerns about climate change, natural disasters and economic crises are fuelling consumer trends including the stocking of packaged foods which can be stored for longer periods without the need for refrigeration. Recent events like the global pandemic and armed conflicts, as well as other factors like consumers’ busy lifestyles, have further increased consumer demand for these shelf-stable products in retortable packaging. The global market for canned food is forecast to grow by more than 3% annually for the period 2021-20271.
In order to capture the market opportunities for these products, food producers face a number of key challenges, including finding the right partners for expansion, how to develop new canned products for new markets, and how to ensures food safety. We spoke with Kim Jönsson and Peter Brunkestam, both highly experienced chefs and food technologists at the Tetra Recart® Food Development Centre in Lund, Sweden, to get their insights.
Challenge 1:
Finding the right partners for a growing market
As the market for shelf-stable food grows – from packaged fruits and vegetables to ready meals and sauces, tomato preparations and beans – so does the need for producers to find the right partners. For new and smaller producers, this means establishing networks that extend from the location of the raw materials, to the final consumer points of sale. For example, the production of tomato soup should be as close as possible to where the tomatoes grow. For Kim Jönsson, the answer to this is co-packing.
He explains: “Partnering with a co-packer is an excellent way for smaller brands to get started in shelf-stable foods. It’s also a great way for larger, established companies to launch new products with less finances and therefore less risk, since the co-packer is sharing the investment.”
Finding the right co-packer means finding the partner who has access to all the ingredients, resources and supplies involved in producing, processing, packaging and retorting the new product. An ideal partner would also have a global network and therefore a global range for any future movements into other products and markets.
Peter Brunkestam elaborates: “All co-packers are not the same. Some may have the necessary mixers, but not the right techniques or equipment for frying meat or cooking vegetables in the desired way. Producers must find a partner with the right connections, equipment, knowledge and expertise to best bring their product to market.”
Challenge 2:
Developing a new product for a new market
When launching any new shelf-stable product, it’s important to consider the tastes and lifestyles of your market. What kinds of flavours, textures and consistencies are your target consumers accustomed to? What kinds of seasonings do they enjoy – if any?
“It's all about having a good understanding of the local food for a specific market. We have very different taste preferences around the globe. That's the tricky part when producing or making new product for specific customers around the globe,” says Kim Jönsson.
This understanding comes from research, which takes us beyond even ingredients and flavour. Teaming up with a partner with experience and expertise in developing, producing and packaging canned products for markets around the world is invaluable. Let’s stick to the example of tomato soup.
“From field to fork, how is it produced? Let's say you’re looking for a partner in the US for producing tomato soup. It's not just about the recipes and the way it should taste. It might also be the kind of strain they're growing, how they’re peeling the tomatoes or what the duration is from harvest to production? A partner who has the right knowledge and know-how can help,” says Peter Brunkestam
Of course, the proof of the pudding – or in this case, the soup – is in the eating. That’s where testing comes in. There are great benefits in working with a partner who has access to all the equipment, staff and facilities necessary to experiment with recipes, develop them to suit a particular market and then produce ready samples. It’s the most fool-proof way of preventing quality issues and ensuring you make the right product for the right market.
Challenge 3:
Food safety and human error in packaged food production
Food safety is one of the most challenging areas of food production and it is closely associated with human error.
One solution can be automation. Simply put, the more people working on the production line, the more errors will occur, says Brunkestam. And automation provides the added benefits of consistent product quality, efficient production and improved worker safety.
He explains: “Let’s look at the traditional production of canned food compared to an automated line. Wherever you are in the world, the number of people working on a canned food line is quite high, because there is a lot of manual handling of products. But with a system that is built on automation, you can adjust the processes and the production and make it run more smoothly. Crucially, it can dramatically reduce human error. And having fewer people on the line will result in more efficient production when compared to a typical canning line.”
Expertise, knowledge, the right technology and an extensive network that reaches across the entire value chain. These are the most important tools for the optimal production of shelf-stable foods. If you’re looking to develop or introduce a new product or expand into a new market, get in touch with the Food Development Centre.