30-3

T. MALKOSKI, Griffith Laboratories, One Griffith Center, Alsip, IL 60803-3495

Ingredient suppliers, such as Griffith Laboratories, have a wide variety of capabilities that can significantly improve the quality and quantity of new product ideas for their customers. When used to its fullest extent, this resource can dramatically reduce product development time, increase speed to market, and improve the the probability of success. This benefit comes without any increase in technical resources to the end user.

One of the keys to making this work is a true partnership with the supplier. Griffith Laboratories has had great success when we are a part of the customer's development team. We establish a specific product development team consisting of sales, marketing, consumer research, food scientists, chefs, sensory, regulatory, purchasing, and engineering. This team works with the customer's marketing and R&D team. Once the customer gives the product brief the team goes to work.

Griffith Laboratories begins the development process with a creative session in our Culinary Center with the marketing and technical representatives from our customer, as well as our internal development team. Usually in a day and a half the team generates a hundred product ideas, which are screened to the 10 best. These concepts are then developed and tested. Our customer goes home with photographs, products and concepts. If the customer desires we can incorporate consumer research into the process to ensure product marketability.

In less than two weeks, we can have 5 to 10 consumer validated concepts and product prototypes ready for further market testing and production scale up. Because we are a global company these concepts, products, and formulations can be made around the world.

Ingredient suppliers are a very effective tool to facilitate product development. All you need to do is to ask.