Food Processing - January 2008 - (Page 40)

Mar s ForMul ation RebeccaRobbins,seniorresearchscientistintheHackettstown,N.J.,R&Dcenter,examinesathree-dimensionalrepresentationofanHPLCseparationofflavanolsandprocyanidinsinachocolatesample. developed; it also makes M&M’S. “Within each business unit, people are charged with idea capture and generation,” says Jerome. Formal BMTs (business management teams) exist at the brand level, although sometimes several brands are combined to form a BMT. For instance, all bar products are one BMT, and the M&M’S brand is its own BMT. Jerome says new product ideas come from three general sources: 1. “The place of making things”– Plenty of ideas come from Mars Snackfood’s own knowledge base and facilities, primarily the manufacturing plants and the product development labs. Ideas are driven by what employees know about their own unit’s processes and products. Personalized My M&M’S is one example. But also contributing is pure research, which yielded the understanding of flavanols in cocoa and their role in heart health. 2. “The place of acquisition” – Usually this means a retail store, be it a grocery or a convenience store, although with My M&M’S it brought Mars into direct selling via the Internet. Jerome says the company studies “consumer ethnographics” – why people like what they like and how they shop, what causes an impulse purchase. “It’s like being an anthropologist,” says Jerome. “We even develop algorithms – psychographic and ethnographic – to understand the target.” 3. “The place of consumption” – Do consumers eat the product on the run, in the car, at home or at work? Understanding the ultimate disposition of the product can greatly affect the upfront thinking on it. COCOaVIaGOESLIquID Marsturnedthecandyworldonitsear when it made chocolate a health food withthe2006launchofCocoaVia,with the emphasis on the heart-healthy attributes of flavanols. The McLean, Va., company will try for a similar success next month when it launches a line of CocoaViacocoaflavanolbeverages. Thedrinkswillbeofferedinnaturally sweetened,artificiallysweetenedandunsweetenedvarietiesbeginninginFebruary. allproductswillcontain200mgofcocoa flavanolsandfocusonhealthycirculation. Initiallyatleast,theywillbeofferedona limitedbasisatDrugstore.com. Thenewlinewillbepackagedinbold purplepackagingandwillcarrythebanner “Promote a Healthy Body through Healthy Circulation.” More information isatwww.cocoavia.com/circulation. WWW.FOODPROCESSING.COM http://www.kemcosystems.com http://Drugstore.com http://www.cocoavia.com/circulation http://www.kemcosystems.com http://www.foodprocessing.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Food Processing - January 2008

Food Processing - January 2008 Contents Editor's Plate NewsBites The Trends Rollout Food Biz Kids Product Spotlight Seventh Annual Manufacturing Trends Surbey Product Development Ingredients Plant Operations Plant Operations & Packaging New Supplier Products Toops Scoops

Food Processing - January 2008

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