Careers That Don’t Suck Profile: Food Developer

Job Title: Food Developer
AKA: Food Product Developer, Food Concept Developer, Food Scientist, Food Technologist, Recipe Developer, Menu Development Specialist, Research & Development Chef

What is it?

A food developer is someone who dreams up ideas for new food items, then develops them into saleable products for restaurants, retailers and food and beverage companies.

What does a Food Developer do?

A Food Developer uses his/her in-depth understanding of food ingredients, cooking methods, product development, packaging design, food safety, marketing and the food and beverage industry to develop or re-work fine dining restaurant entrees, desserts, snacks, frozen foods, beverages and fast foods.

A food developer is part mad scientist, part researcher, part consultant and part marketer: S/he uses his/her knowledge of raw ingredients (fats and oils, carbohydrates, proteins, sweeteners, wheat flour, etc.), his/her experience in baking, food service, commercial food prep, frozen foods, etc., his/her research and knowledge of industry trends, information on how the client/employer makes, displays and sells their food, and a bit of from the gut creativity and innovation to create (or recreate) menu items, candies, snacks, desserts and other food items for retailers, restaurants, bakeries, frozen food manufacturers, fast food eateries and/or beverage manufacturers.

Food developers generally specialize. Some focus solely on desserts. Some focus solely on fine dining restaurants menu items. Still others focus on micro-niches like ice cream flavors, Mexican restaurant entrees, energy drinks, microwave meals or candy bars.

Food developers research what’s working, what sells like crazy season after season and what has stopped moving. Right now, a key trend that many food developers are hopping on is the â€œorganic food trend. There are few food items and few food sellers who aren’t claiming to be organic. Organic is big because it plays to consumers need to feel like they are doing something healthy for their bodies and the environment, and because consumers are willing to pay more for the privilege. Organic is the new natural flavors or no preservatives thanks to some major marketing.

Food developers are paid to root out trends and develop food items that match their client or employer’s brand, please current customers and attract new ones.

Here’s what a client/employer might expect from a qualified food developer:

Create a hit! (Develop or revive a food item that gets my customers to buy it over and over again)

Package it so that it fits in (Don’t add fois gras to a Burger King menu) and is easily made available for sale (Don’t create a highly perishable food item for an online food retailer it might not survive the shipping)

Make it replicable (I need a dessert that can easily be recreated in the my factory or kitchen)

Make it distinctive! (I want to be able to say that it’s exclusive to my company)

Who might like this job?

Anyone who loves food and drink
Anyone who loves to cook, grill or bake
Anyone who loves to create and test new recipes
Anyone who loves applying his/her creative juices to fun and fantastic food and beverages (and their packaging and marketing)
Anyone who has a knack for logistics (figuring out how to quickly and accurately assemble the food item for sale, storage and/or delivery)
Anyone who enjoys working with marketing folks, nutritionists and management types to collaboratively produce a new food item and bring it to market

What does this pay?

Entry-level food developers with 1-3 years of experience and a BS earn an average of $40,000, while more experienced food developers earn an average of $80,000. The median salary is $73,150. Food developers with advanced degrees and several years of experience, and those with a few hits under their belts, can earn much more. And, consultants generally earn more because they are free to negotiate higher payments, even percentages of product sales. For example, Doug Hall, a Proctor & Gamble vet who owns it’s own product development firm Eureka Ranch, charges $10,000 for a 1-day course and over $100,000 for corporate retreats used to brainstorm new business ideas.

To break in you’ll need…

Most firms require al least a Bachelor’s degree in food science, food technology, chemical engineering or nutritional science. Many may expect you to have a MA or PhD and/or an MBA in product development or package design (coupled with food and beverage experience). Others will accept food developers with several years of experience as a chef, winemaker or cellar master, or baker, or some other culinary background (a restaurant management career and/or degree, for example).

Firms that manufacture or grow food ingredients, and firms that manufacture food items, often hire food technicians, entry-level employees (usually right out of college) to work in the kitchen or lab. This job pays about $12-$15/hour, but can offer invaluable experience.

You might also consider internships in at food and beverage manufacturing firms, product development and marketing firms, and restaurant and retail chains.

If you already have some experience in the food and beverage industry, let’s say you’re working as a sous chef in a fine dining restaurant, approach your employer about designing a seasonal or limited-run menu item. If it’s a success, you have a hit to add to your portfolio. If it’s a flop, you’ve gained valuable insight and experience and now know what not to do when you get your next shot.

If you don’t have a boss who’ll take such a chance on you, generate your own PR by creating the dish and serving it to your colleagues in the kitchen and at staff events. If they go crazy for it, they will make the suggestion on your behalf. The same tack may also work on prized customers. Thank them for their patronage by sending them a gift box filled with your goodies. Ask them for feedback. If they love it, they may be moved enough to request it next time they come in.

If you are a budding baker, make and package a few of your creations and offer them to local restaurants, retailers, venues and other businesses (as gifts or snacks for guests and customers).

Finally, if you are a marketing genius, and have some loose change hanging around, consider reviving or re-engineering an existing food/beverage product. You can do a little research to see who owns the brand currently (brands over 20 years old may be public domain now), then partner with the brand owner or purchase the right to market and distribute the products. If you are successful, you can just about name your price when others approach you to revive their brands.

So, who would you work for?

Government Departments and Associations (i.e. the Food & Drug Administration)
Industry/trade publications and associations
Restaurant chains
Retail chains (online and bricks & mortar)
Fast Food Restaurants
Commercial farmers
Bakeries
Pet Food manufacturers
Vitamin and nutritional supplement companies
Hotels & Resorts
Large food companies:

Anheuser-Busch Co., Inc.

Archer Daniels Midland Company

Cadbury Schweppes

Campbell Soup Co.

Cargill Inc.

Coca-Cola Co.

ConAgra, Inc.

Dole Foods Co.

General Mills Inc.

Dannon

Hershey Foods

H.J. Heinz

Hormel Foods Corp.

IBP, Inc.

Kellogg Co.

Kraft Foods Inc.

Mars Inc.

Nabisco, Inc.

Nestle S.A.

PepsiCo, Inc.

Proctor & Gamble

Quaker Oats Co.

Sara Lee Corp.

Seagram Co.

Tyson Foods Inc.

Unilever

Basic American Foods

General Mills, Inc.

Glanbia Foods, Inc.

J.R. Simplot Co.

Kraft, Inc.

Lamb-Weston, Inc.

Litehouse Foods, Inc.

Bristol Farms

To find current openings…

More information?

Industry Associations
Books on Food Development Careers
Food & Beverage Industry Supplier Database - Research possible employers and suppliers
National Society for Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS)- A professional industry association that supports ethnic minorities who work in food development and other food-related sciences
Institute for Food Science and Technology
Food Technology Magazine
Journal of Food Science
Journal of Food Science Education
Nutraceutical and Functional Foods Newsletter
Introduction to Food Science Careers (streaming video)
Foodesource.org - Food developer industry web site
Foodproductdesign.com - online and print magazine for the food and beverage industry product developer
Food Engineering magazine -Industry magazine aimed at the tech, R&D, operations and management end of the food developer pool
GRAS database -This database of food substance safety reviews (use this to research ingredients for your own food creations)
Prepared Foods -online and print resource focused on development and technology trends for food developers and marketers
Phi Tau Sigma -Honorary society of food scientists
Industry Events

What about this career doesn’t suck?

The fun factor in this career scores high marks: Getting paid to be a mad scientist in the kitchen, lab or garden is irresistible. But, so is the delicious factor: Food developers get to make (and taste) delectable treats all day. The job scored 80% on our WorkYourWay Index, earning high marks for fun, low stress work environments, relatively low entry requirements and a relatively large number of jobs available. The job lost points for it’s lower pay and the fact that very few food developers enjoy breakout success.

Still want more?