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Crème cheese cooking sauce innovation

Kraft brings new product innovation to its Philadelphia Cream Cheese and dairy industry categories.

April 13, 2011 by Darrel Suderman — President, Food Technical Consulting

It's rare to see new product innovation in the retail grocery segment, so I want to trumpet innovation when I see it.

However, once I see it happening, I always think "What took so long?" What was once unseen appears to be so obvious. That's why the Food Innovation Institute continues to help and encourage food companies to set up independent dedicated Food Innovation Team based on the principles outlined in the book titled The Other Side of Innovation: Solving the Execution Challenge(V. Govindara and C. Trimble, 2010).

Kraft has recently introduced a new category of cooking creams called Philadelphia Crème for Cooking. This new category is also an extension of another product called Philadelphia Pourovers (Sweet Chili). The new flavors include:

• Original Crème for Cooking
• Light Crème for Cooking
• Italian Cheese and Herb
• Savory Garlic
• Santa Fe Blend

New innovation meets several consumer needs

The new cooking crèmes meet several consumer needs which include simple and alternative ways to create new vegetable and pasta dishes in just a few minutes. Second, the formulation of these products addresses previous nutritional barriers such as high calories from fat. The new crèmes now contain 60 percent less fat, while still maintaining protein content and low carbohydrate levels.

Consumers on low carb diets will welcome new flavors that will liven up and enrich their eating experience. For example, the new Italian Cheese & Herb product provides only 9 grams of fat with 5 grams of carbs and 4 grams of protein. In addition, to use Kraft's terms, these new crèmes are "Easier to mix, melt and spoon."

New innovation labeling challenges

Inherent to new product innovation is the challenge of overcoming archaic government labeling hurdles. As America debates the impediments of regulation that prevent job growth in our country, food technologists and marketing managers face the challenge of creative labels to brand products outside the boundaries of Standard of Identities. But Kraft found a way by calling these products "Crèmes."

Establishing dedicated new product innovation teams

Returning to my original reference to "dedicated" new food product innovation teams, the authors of the book The Other Side of Innovation: Solving the Execution Challengearticulate the need for an independent innovation team that is separate from the existing corporation's enterprise.

Many times these teams represent recently hired individual skill sets and experiences quite different from the existing employee pool. Even though this concept may irritate long term employees, it is essential that CEOs see the value of their independence, and financially incentivize them accordingly. However, these teams are not totally independent because their needs to be a partnership between existing company operations and the innovation team. Because once the new innovative product has been fleshed out, it still needs to be incorporated into the new product commercialization process.

Kudos to Kraft for showing new product innovation leadership with their new cooking crèmes!

New product innovation training

The Food Innovation Institute is scheduling two seminars in 2011 titled "The Business of New Food Product Innovation" based on a 2010 survey sent to more than 2,000 chefs and food scientists. If you are interested in attending one of these classes, then please contact me for further information.

Please contact me at dsuderman@foodbevbiz.com or follow the Food Innovation Institute website (www.foodbevbiz.com) for more information on our 2011 Food Innovation Workshops.

About Darrel Suderman

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