For 47% of the nearly 400 food and beverage processors who responded to the annual Food Processing R&D survey, the most important goal for their R&D efforts this year is new product development. Existing product improvement is most important for 17%, and for 14%, cost control is the top priority. Asked to rank concerns as to the impact they will have on R&D strategies this year, 45% of respondents cited food safety as number one. Palliative health and preventive health/well-being received the highest rating averages on a weighted basis. Asked about the biggest issues for the next few years, 56% of respondents cited healthier foods, 50% said consumer trends and 45% said regulatory issues. Nearly 53% said their R&D budgets correspond with last year’s, 22% indicated they had increased and 14% said they had been reduced. New dietary guidelines are “reasonably” important to 61% of respondents, with 49% citing “sodium removal” as the ingredient that they will focus on this year. For 63% of respondents, it takes six months to almost a year for a product idea to reach the shelf.

Source: Food Processing