Research and development guidelines for the food industries

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT and Emeritus Professor of Food Processing & Technology The Ohio State University... Inquiries should be addressed to: CTI Publications, 261 9 Maryland Ave., Ba

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

and Emeritus Professor of Food Processing & Technology

The Ohio State University

RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT

GUIDELINES

COPYRIGHT@ 1991 CTI PUBLICATIONS, INC

Baltimore, Maryland

All rights reserved No part of this book may be

reproduced or altered or utilized in any form or by any

means, graphic, electronic or mechanical, including

photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner Inquiries should be addressed to:

CTI Publications,

261 9 Maryland Ave., Baltimore, MD 21 21 8-4576

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number 91 -72707

ISBN Numbers are as follows:

0-930027-1 7-5

Cover photo (top) courtesy of Carnpden Food 8 Drink Research Association

While the recommendations in this publication are based on scientific studies and wide industry experience, references to basic principles, operating procedures and methods, or types of instruments and equipment are not to be construed as a guarantee that they are sufficient to prevent damage, spoilage, loss, accidents or injuries, resulting from use of this information Furthermore, the study and use of this publication by any person or company is

not to be considered as assurance that a person or company is proficient in the operations and

procedures discussed in this publication The use of the statements, recommendations, or suggestions contained, herein, is not to be considered as creating any responsibility for damage, spoilage, loss, accident or injury, resulting from such use

CTI PUBLICATIONS Inc

261 9 Maryland Ave., Baltimore, MD 21 21 8-4576 USA

301 -467-3338 FAX 301/467-7434

& D is of vital interest to the public at large and, of course, the ultimate consumer of the fruits of R & D

My interest is putting this book together was developed because of necessity as my advisors, teachers, and peers always talked about research and development, but seldom got down to the 5 W’s and 1 H, that is, the why, the when, the where, the what, the who, and the how My advisor and many of my teachers left it up to me and my colleagues to find out who was doing research and development work, what topics were considered worthy of good research in the field, when was the work done, where was the information published, why was a given approach taken, and how were the results being utilized in the industry I was totally appalled by the lack of good resource material and pertinent information Further, I could not fiid good and sound research methods that fit the situation that I was always interested in Therefore, after much consternation and thought, I

developed an R & D course of instruction for the graduate students interested in my area of expertise and the thoughts in this book reflect some of the things that I gleaned and shared with these students as we struggled through some 40 years of research

in food processing and technology Many of my graduate students have shared with me much information in this book as they have worked in both academia and the food industry They are the ones that made this book come to fruition and they are the ones that suggested I document my thoughts for those who follow,

My most sincere thanks to my former students, my many collegeaues, and my many friends in the food industry for their helpful suggestions, criticisms, and inspirations I particularly wish to thank Winston Bash, Ken Beck, Ron Gould, Bill

Hildebolt, Jackie Hood, Jim Mavis, Wade Schulte, and Bill

Stinson for their critiquing this manuscript and their helpful suggestions My special thanks to Art Judge, II and Randall Gerstmyer for their constructive comments, interest, cooperation and valued assistance

Wilbur Gould

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Wilbur A Gould was reared on a farm in Northern New Hampshire He received his Batchelor of Science degree from the University of New Hampshire in Horticulture-Plant Breeding He started his graduate work at Michigan State University prior to service in the U.S Navy during World War II After military service, he completed his Master of Science and Ph.D degrees at The Ohio State University

Dr Gould retired from The Ohio State University after 39 years

on the faculty as Professor of Food Processing and Technology

He taught 9 courses during his tenure and advised over 900 undergraduate students, 131 Master of Science Students and 76 Doctoral students His major research interests were in Vegetable Processing and Technology and Snack Food Manufacture and Quality Assurance He has authored some 83 referred journal research publications, over 200 Food Trade articles, and 9 books

Dr Gould is a Member of Phi Kappa Phi, Phi Sigma, Phi Tau Sigma, Sigma Xi, Gamma Sigma Delta (Award of Merit in 1984), Alpha Gamma Rho, Institute of Food Technologists (Fellow in 1982), and American Society of Horticultural Science (Distinguished Graduate Teaching Award in 1985)

The following are some of the recognitions that Dr Gould has received The Ohio State University Distinguished Leadership to Students Award in 1963 and a Certificate of Recognition Award in 1986; Ohio Food Processors H.D Brown Person of Year Award in

197 1; Ohio Food Processors Association Tomato Achievement Award in 1985; Ozark Food Processors Association Outstanding Professional Leadership Award in 1978; 49er’s Service Award in 1979; Food Processing Machinery and Supplies Association Leadership and Service Award in 1988; Ohio Agricultural Hall of Fame in 1989 and an Honorary Life Membership in Potato Association of America in 1990

Dr Gould presently serves as Executive Director of Mid- America Food Processors Association, Food Technology Consultant to the Snack Food Association, Secretary-Treasurer of The Guard Society, and Consultant to the Food Industries

Dr Gould’s philosophy is to tell it as he sees it, be short and get

right to the point

1

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT

AND ITS ROLE IN THE

FOOD INDUSTRIES

The food industry is continuously confronted with problems and concerns for its processes and its products Consequently, great opportunities exist for future actions to improve the position of any given firm within the industry through research and development (R & D) Some of the present day major concerns include the following:

AUTOMATION - Development of programs, equipment, and application to insure greater on-line efficiencies, better pro- duct uniformity, and a reduction of costs

BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOENGINEERING - New products and new processes

CONSUMERISM - Dealing with Activists Groups and their wants, the changing eating habits and patterns, Dietary needs, Weight control, etc

ENVIRONMENT - Air pollution, solid and liquid wastes

FOOD SAFETY - Uses of chemicals for production agriculture, food additives, chemical cleaners, micoorganisms, etc

LABELING ISSUES - Nutritional and other claims, quality, etc

2 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

LABOR - Lack of trained and skilled and scientific, costs and benefits including health care and insurance

NEW PRODUCTS - Modifications, reformulations and new creations

ON-LINE SENSORS AND CONTROLLERS - Identification of product quality during manufacture and for assurance of total quality control

PACKAGES AND PACKAGING - Metal, vs glass vs plastic

vs composities and product liabilities, insurance, disposal biodegradable, microwaveable, retortable and shelf life

PROCESS CHANGES - Aseptics, Can Acid by acidification and refrigeration

QUALITY - Its identification, assurance and evaluation ramifications including analytical instrumentation shelf life testing, nutrition, and consumer education

RAW MATERIAL COSTS - Urbanization, drought, irrigation, and out of country produced

REGULATIONS - Their effect on development of new chemi- cals and their testing and on food plant operations includ- ing marketing of foods

RISK/BENEFIT CONCEPTS - Lack of definition and ultimate effect on slowing down of research and marketing of new products and new additives

SOLID WASTE DISPOSAL - Organic and inorganic chemical problems, including digestion times and use of mice organisms

LABELING - Nutrition, quality/grade identification including

consumer education

R & D/ROLE IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY 3

Need for Research

More money is spent on food today than any other single consumer item Yet, the food industry as a whole spends less money on research and development than any other industry Some industries spend well over 20% of their gross dollar income for research and development while the latest figures indicate that the food industry does not even spend 1% on research and development However, some companies spend a lot of money on research and new product development in their firm Much of it is tied in with quality assurance, production programs, processing changes, marketing practices, etc and not under an R & D Department or funds per se In 1979 NSF published that the continuing rate of return to the gross national product for every dollar invested in R & D was 30 to 50% This was for all industries The return on dollars spent on R & D for the food industry may be higher or lower depending on the product and the

firm There is no question that R & D dollars over the long run should make for a good return on the investment if research is properly conducted with the results put into practice

If one goes back in history and looks at some of the b t real efforts to solve food problems, one has to take a look at the early 1800’s and Napoleon Bonaparte and his offer of 10,OOO Francs for the development of a method of food preservation Bonaparte could only move his armies as fast as he could move his food

kitchens as an army moves on its stomach Today, the highest award by the Institute of Food Technologists is the Nicholas

Appert award as Appert was the man that won the 10,OOO Francs

for his method of food preservation in 1810, that is, the concept of hermetically sealing food in a container followed by sterilization

What is Research?

Progress as we know it today would not be possible without research Boss Kettering stated “If you don’t do research until you have to, its too late” This statement has been most true and many segments of the industry now realize the importance of a n on-going research and development program Some segments of the industry allocate funds direct for contract or in-house research

4 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

and development Most food firms today realize that the consumer wants new types and styles of different formulated foods Change should be made in some cases in the food industries to make food better

Right after World War 11, the U S Government passed the Hatch Act and established a n elaborate system of funding agri-

cultural research Other agencies like the National Science Foundation, also, sponsored research in food and agriculture Presently, private industry funds much of the research in the food areas In addition, due in part to mergers, many companies have established elaborate R & D departments and do much of their research inhouse Research in the food areas is a major part of the over 50 Universities around the US where food science and technology programs are offered Faculty and graduate students

do food research and development work as part of their work load

or graduate training

Paul Hudson, former Dean of the Graduate School at The Ohio State University once stated that “research is evidence of creative urge and dissemination of information is the human trait of communication” To me this is most relevant and it truly depicts the ideal type researcher Too many people call themselves r e

searchers, but they show little creativity and only communicate as

little as need be to get by Any one aspiring to be a researcher must be creative and they must want to contribute to man’s knowledge Research in its simplest definition is doing those things that help build or advance existing knowledge Research in the food industries should go beyond this and reduce costs of food production, costs of food preservation and costs of marketing the food supply Research should strive to improve product quality, nutrient retention, and the shelf life of our food supply Research

in the food industries should develop new products, processes, and systems of preservation to continue to satisfy consumer wants New products are needed today to satisfy the changing life style needs, to provide food for the large change in ethnic population, and to meet the needs of the changing demographics, that is,

teenagers, the YUPPIES, and the increasing number of the elderly The food industry should look at research as their road to

the future not just to solve short term goals

R & D/ROLE IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY 5

The Scientific Method

We learn new fads and ideas by chance, by trial and error, and generalization from experience and by logic, that is, reasoning things out or by using the scientific method of inquiry The scientific method is an orderly system of search for the truth

There are six fundamental steps to be followed:

1st step -Identify the problem, establish the objectives or develop the hypothesis, that is, the ‘‘why”

with a library search of the literature, patents, etc

the problem, that is, the “how” to do it

2nd step -Find out “what” has been done to-date, that is, start

3rd step -Develop a procedure or establish the approach to solve

4th step Collect the data or gather the fads, that is, work the 5th step -Interpret the data to find the solution to the objectives or

6th step -Develop conclusions, make recommendations, and sum-

Research is accomplished by people with inquisitive minds seeking the truth and new ideas and concepts, hopefully, to

improve the food industry and all foods for mankind Research may be very basic, that is, understanding the fundamentals of change or the reasons why things are different from one another This in the past was accomplished by Federal and State agencies and many non-profit educational and institutional research organ- izations

plan

test the hypothesis

marize your efforts

Research may be very practical or applied, that is, determining the best usage for any given tomato variety Generally, basic research in the food industry is left to the food scientist whether

he or she be in academia as a candidate for the Ph D degree or a

staff member in an R&D laboratory in the food industry This

kind of research is needed to build a base from which to make application by the food technologist to the food industries The technologist applies this basic research to solve industry problems

6 RESEARCH 8z DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

Product or process development research can be both basic and applied depending on what is being attempted Development of a

new food additive would be basic research while the application of

an additive to given food items would be applied research Many researchers do both types of research and they do not distinguish between either term Frankly, I think too much has been written

and made over about these terms in the literature and I think its

high time we describe them both as those things that we diligently

do to search for the truth or new knowledge to solve the problems

of the food industries From a researchers standpoint, problems are opportunities and that’s the way I look at food research- opportunities to help the individual food firm help itself to stay ahead of the competition

Some Research Objectives

The following are some broad areas that may be a part of the objectives or reasons for establishing and R & D program or department

1 To solve existing problems and nuisances in connection with materials, methods (processes), machines, finished products, ser- vices (manpower) and environment and to anticipate and prevent such troubles from occurring in the future

2 To reduce costs involved in the use of materials, processes, products, and services

3 To improve the quality of existing materials, products, pro- cesses and services

4 To develop new products, new line extensions, or new uses for exisiting materials, products, processes, and servcies

5 To develop suitable substitutes for existing materials, pro- ducts, processes, and services

6 To develop uses for waste materials thus, creating new by-

7 To keep the firm abreast of scientific and technological products

knowledge in areas of vested corporate interests

R & D/ROLE IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY 7

8 To establish, issue, and maintain standards and sped%

cations for all incoming materials, products in process, and finished packaged products bought and/or sold by the firm

9 To represent the firm in matters involving regulatory, scien-

tific, and technological matters including labeling, nutrition, stand-

ards, waste disposal, and environmental matters

10 To develop educational programs to maintain and improve

11 To assist the management of the food firm on long range

plans and opportunities

12 To improve the return on vested capital and on unit sales

volume by increasing product qualities at the lowest possible costs

8 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

Figure 1-1 - Continued

D Patents including foreign

E Master of Science (M Sc.) Thesis and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph D.) Dissertations

F Translations of foreign works

G Trade Publications

H Association Newsletters

a National and International

b State and Regional

I People

a

b Meetings, open discussions Direct, that is, one on one

Organization of R & D Department

The organization and structure of an R & D department may differ from the organization and structure of a n R & D program

in an academic institution because the faculty in a n academic institution tend to follow lines of their graduate training Some times they may respond directly to the needs of the industry in the area wherein the academic institution is located Further, many graduate students have their own interests without regard

to the departments program or areas of expertise and may be of little help without funds to support their studies in a given line of research or product development All of these views suggest that strong leadership must be directed to build research and develop ment programs around the interest of the food firms in their area

of interest

10 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

Some Purposes of an R & D Program

would include the following: The purposes of a n R&D program from a n industry viewpoint

1 Reduction of costs with greater return on investments

2 Improvement of product quality

3 Increasing factory or firm's productivity

4 Developing new products compatible with production lines

5 Providing technical services to management

6 Elimination of losses with better utilization of waste materials

7 Increasing sales

8 Generating new knowledge

9 Keeping the firm up-to-date on government regulations and technical matters, particularly with FDA, USDA, EPA,

program would have the following purposes:

1 The development of new methods, new practices, new processes, new products, and new technologies;

2 The solving of basic and applied problems;

3 The advancement of knowledge within any given area;

4 The creation of new opportunities; and,

5 The dissemination of new information

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT 11

These purposes of R & D differ widely, but they are accom- plished through the same route, that is, people The people are the most important first step in the development of an R&D program

People do research, not food firms or institutions People should

be selected for research work based on their own enthusiasm, interest, originality, and creative thinking abilities People in research must be able to reco@e problems (opportunities), they must be alert to original solutions, and they must be capable of following through to fruition Experience is a wonderful teacher, but the experienced researcher must be one that has a record of accomplishments and one that is responsible to see that the solutions are found Research is not something that can be turned

on and off at will Research and research people must have the follow through and they must strike when the “iron is hot” A researcher must be creative if they expect to make accomplish- ments in an R&D program Creativity is a difficult concept for

certain people, but a food researcher can become creative if they are dedicated to their chosen profession, if they learn to participate

and study the ramifications of food shows and EXPO’S, and if they keep abreast of the literature, and, most of all, if they learn

to dream a little bit about their work Research is exciting work and the researcher must have that drive, that determination, and that fire to want to solve the problem and inform all that will

listen to his or her accomplishments Its the actual communica- tion of what, why, when, how, and where that make the story complete A good researcher does not stop part way through the project, but sees the real glory in wrapping it all up in a neat

package for all to see, that is, the published article or paper

Organization of an R & D Program

A food firm may be organized differently depending on its size,

its produds, and its ownership Generally, all of them include the following areas as illustrated here in Figure 2.1

This approach sets forth the “Ms” of the food industry with the exception of the MONEY Money comes h m the owner, the Board of Directors, the banks, or other sources Obviously, money

is the key ingredient and investments are granted in the hopes that good returns on the investment will be rewarding to the investor

12 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

R & D Responsibilities

Management of a food firm may be made up of several subdivisions including an R & D department with a Manager or Vice President of R&D as its head The R&D department may have many responsibilities not limited to research and develop mental activities The R&D department gets its directions directly from management and the Policy Statement of the food firm The following is a typical Policy Statement

quality, safe, and nutritious products We are successful because

we care about you, our employees, and our customers whom we serve We only use safe ingredients and we make our products uniformly We market our products efficiently and we give our customers a good value for their money We wish to continue to

products for new markets We belieue in maintaining good rela- tionships with not only our employees and our customers, but with our suppliers and the public at large We believe in giving fair and just treatment to all concerned We anticipate continued growth and we expect all our employees to contribute to our firm’s advancement

The reader should note that this policy statement stresses the interest of the firm in research The policy statement does not state that the research is in-house, contracted for, or conducted through the use of consultants The concern of the food firm is to stay ahead in the industry and to keep advancing its line of products efficiently

Every food firm establishing an R & D program should first establish a MISSION Statement This statement should state in broad terms the scope of activities of the R & D department The

statement might read as follows:

technical arm and to keep management up to date on technical

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT 13

R & D will serve as the liaison for the firm on food regulatory

ment and application of Statistical Process Control procedures

R & D will be responsible for maintaining current files on all

will recommend and support an annual budget for management’s

in the department

The R & D Department

Generally in the organization of an R & D department, the f i s t consideration is the size and magnitude of the department in- cluding the problems confronting the food firm An R & D

department may be staffed by one person and be very successful, but more often than not, at least, in this day and age, the team approach is much preferred when organizing an R & D program Following are 5 possible organizational plans (Figures 2.2 to 2.7)

Each has its won advantage and its really up to the situation at hand that determines the organizational structure Obviously, I

prefer the organization plan as shown in Fig 2.7 This plan

utilizes much that is in each of the other plans and stresses the team effort needed for covering all areas of most problems, Perhaps one of the most important aspects of any research program is to properly classify the area of study, particularly when making a literature study of that field The system as

shown in Figure 2-8 is similar to what IFT uses for classifying

papers for presentation at their annual meetings Its a good system and very simple to follow It allows the researcher to

classify his proposed area of study by both discipline and com- modities Of course, its always good to wander into other disci- plines or commodities for gleaning of information that may be most pertinent

14 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

The information shown in Figure 2-9 is a simplified path of how projects may proceed in a research program The key points

are: (1) obtaining a sponsor, (2) developing the strategy, (3)

approval of the administration of the project including the form- ation of the research team, (4) the actual laboratory/pilot plant study, (5) the evaluation of the effort through the report, patents

or other publications and (6) the suggestion(s) for future plans or

additional studies in the area Figure 2-10 states this information

in a little different vein and shows the flow over time for completion of various aspects of any research proposal Obviously, not all research can be completed in a year and some projects may be completed in a matter of days The emphasis here is to

show the researcher a proposed time table and how to log in the efforts as they are being attempted and completed

The Vice President for R & D or the Manager for R & D should have a library as all research starts in the library The library should include his or her own textbooks, scientific journals-both primary and secondary (abstracts, reviews, nomagraph, annual reports, Advance in , and copies of symposia on subjects related

to the firm’s interest and manager’s areas of expertise), thesis and dissertations where applicable, translations of foreign papers, books, etc that are germane, trade publications within the fiim’s field of interest, and Association Newsletters where applicable Of course, the library must include Suppliers catalogues, Code of Federal Regulations, and an up-to-date copy of the Food Laws Further, the library should have a computer tied to terminals for inter-library search The Vice President or Manager of R & D must be an active member of various organizations relating to his

or her field of interest including the local section and national

IFT He or she should be a participant in various technical meetings, committees, etc concerned with the food in- dustries

The Vice President or Manager of an R&D department or program has three primary functions: (1) To obtain professional

and staff personnel for the R & D department, (2) To develop a

satisfactory R & D budget, and (3) To measure the productivity of the R 8z D program including assigning priorities and staff to the

R & D programs He or she must, also, be knowledgeable in all

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT 15

fiscal matters beyond the budgets, including record keeping and costs of doing business A manager of R & D must know how to

manage first and be a technologist or scientist second He or she must be ingenious, creative, imaginative, resourceful, a decision maker, a communicator of concepts and programs, have the capacity for problem solving and problem analysis, great skill in listening, always objective, capable of understanding and have great patience, ability to ask the right questions, great future vision, sound knowledge of the overall business of the firm, and have the ability to influence and upgrade the technology of the firm Finally, the manager must have bold imagination and be most enthusiastic, and he must have great ability to work cooperatively in the interpretation of all food processing operations and research The R & D manager is a most important asset to a food firm and he or she is the leader of the R & D team He or she should be a manager first and a technical person second His or her job is to lead and he or she leads by walking around (MBWA) and being visible and informed of what is taking place

The staff in a n R & D department varies with the size of the food firm or the institution and the extent of the work Ideally, the minimum size for efficiency and coverage of the needs of most research programs would be 5 professionally trained staff mem- bers in addition to the Manager or Director There should be a

Food Scientist, Food Engineer, two Food Technologists (physical evaluation and sensory evaluation), Food Microbiologist and one

or more technicians, interns, or graduate students Obviously, the size can go up or down from this suggested minimum level If a

firm only has one R & D employee, that person should have knowledge in the above disciplines If the firm has several product lines, its impossible to do justice with a single R & D person Some authorities suggest that technical people can best be super-

vised and handled in modules of 5 as indicated above Beyond 5

technical people, the direction, supervision and leadership depends solely on the VP or Manager for R & D The VP or Manager is most crucial in any R & D program The management of a food firm must make the h a l decision, but the fact remains that research does not cost in the long run A good R & D program is the survival of any food firm in this day and age

16 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

Budget for the R & D Department

Development of budgets for R & D is a subject warranting much consideration by the R & D Manager and his staff as manufacturing, marketing, and some in management may not always understand the role and contribution of R & D to a food

firm Likewise, some in R & D do not always understand the role and functions of other aspects of the food firm R & D people may give the impression to other personnel in the firm of showing off, displaying too much intelligence, acting snobbish, or just not showing enough practical know-how Therefore, it behooves the manager of R & D to involve all personnel in other areas of the food firm to keep them acquainted with the work of R & D Most importantly, the manager of R & D and all personnel in R & D must be good communicators, they must be cooperators, and they must present a positive attitude and get themselves involved in as

many of the affairs of the firm as possible Its most essential that

the manager of R & D meet informally with managers of marketing, manufacture, purchasing, personnel, planning and management on a regular basis to keep them informed on the work underway and the progress being made on all projeds in the R & D department The citing of the dedication and progress

of each one of the people in R & D is most essential in building the future programs of R & D Actual display of data, ROI, and projected ROI are most important After each informal meeting

(at least, quarterly), the R & D manager should document the informal meetings with a formal report along with charts and data indicating progress and future plans There should be no surprises at budget time and.everyone must be fully informed ahead of the budget meeting Thus, the work of R & D is known for its contribution to the growth of the food firm and budgets are handled with ease

R & D Projects

The manager assigns priorities to R & D projects based on the following criteria: urgency, potential tangible results, prospect for success, cost of personnel and facility time including implemen- tation of the successful results, and patent protection to the firm

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT 17

The R & D manager and top management should consider the following factors in the evaluation of any new potential product, process, or program:

(1) The market potential for the new product, process, or

program including such things as feasibility, size, stability, thing,

consumer prejudice, and contribution to present product lines (2) The legal aspects of the product or process as to patent, hazards, compliance with existing or future regulations, waste disposal, and any infringements on competitors products or processes

(3) The cost to manufacture versus the selling price or ROI

Consideration is given to availability of raw materials, ingrd-

ents, packaging, shelf life, and facilities and equipment

(4) The useful life of the product and its effect on competing

(5) The specifications and skills required for manufacture,

produds the firm manufactures

marketing, and quality assurance

process installation, or the adoption of the new program

The R & D Manager and his staff are the right arm to top management They should be most informative and helpful to all

other departments, and they can be most beneficial to the success

(6) The timing of the introduction of the new product, new

REFERENCES

Fennema, Owen 1983 The Food Industry: Charting a Course

to the Year 2000 Food Technology, January issue

Gregory, Carl E 1969 The management of Creative People Reprinted by ICI America Dream A Little Library from J of

Creative Behavior Vo13 No 4

Heid, J.L Research and Development Food Processing Operations AVI Publishing Co

18 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

Keaton, P W 1980 Five Ways to Review R & D Programs Research Management September issue

Kipp, E M

D Budget Research Management, May issue

Kirk, James R 1977 Research Priorities in Food Science Food Technology, July issue

Kramer, Stanley 1981 The Art of Selling your R & D Ideas Research Management March issue

Przybla, Ann E 1989 Ingredients Needed for Healthy Foods Food Engineering, May issue

1978 How to Construct an Effective Corporate R &

Wald, Robert M 1977 The Successful Technical Manager Food Technology July issue

Watson, Charles E 1975 Developing Creative People Research Management, May issue

Figure 2-1 ORGANIZATION PLAN FOR A FOOD FIRM

Board of Directors (Money)

I

I

20 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

Figure 2·3 BASIC PLAN FOR R&D

DIRECTOR MANAGER

PROJECTLEADER

TECt-f\JQ OOIST

TECHNICIAN

ASSISTANT

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT 21

Figure 2-4 R&D ORGANIZATION BYDISCIPLINE

22 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT 23

24 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

Figure 2-7 R&D IDEAL ORGANIZATION PLAN

(TEAM WORK)

PROJECT LEADER(S)

DISCIPLINES

PRODUCTS

PROCESS

QUALITY ASSURANCE

PROJECT LEADER(S)

DISCIPLINES

PRODUCTS

PROCESS

QUALITY ASSURANCE

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT 25

Figure 2-8 CLASSIFICATION OF R & D

BY DISCIPLINES WITHIN A GIVEN COMMODITY

COMMODITLES

26 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

Figure 2-9

- INDIVIDUAL ASSOCIATION

LABORATORY PILOT PLANT

EQUIPMENT

PROCESS EVALUATION UPPORT PERSONNEL ANALYSIS

RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT 27

Figure 2-10 TIME SCHEDULE FOR A GIVEN PROJECT (Estimated duration 1 year)

29

Chapter 3 STAFFING THE R & D

DEPARTMENT

“It takes a special kind of independence to invent something You

put yourself and your ideas on the line And maybe people will say that you%e crazy or that you’re impractical”

George Bush

People along with facilities, equipment, materials and suitable environment are all required for a successful R & D department People should be the first requirement People develop new pro- ducts, new processes, and new methods for food preservation People in great part are solely responsible for the success or failure of an R & D program The selection and the the manage ment of people in the R & D department is crucial for accom- plishing the ultimate objectives of the department People make things happen and they are most important for the success of any food firm

The R & D Leader

The first essential for the success of any R & D program is the Vice President of R & D, the Manager, the Leader, the Supervisor, the Chairman, The Major Professor, the Advisor, or whatever the title This individual needs a thorough understanding of human relations, that is, standards of performance, discipline, and leader-

ship abilities (see Figure 31) This individual must know how to

motivate, how to communicate, and how to produce He or she must be intelligent, well versed in the fundamentals of food preservation, food science and food technology; but always inter-

ested in learning new things Thus, this person must be a professional, must be technically competent, and abreast of the field The manager must be creative, innovative, versatile, enthu- siastic, and exhibit great ingenuity The manager must know the job thoroughly and he or she must work smart, that is exhibit great common sense, be well organized, and be most capable of using his or her time effectively

30 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

Other characteristics or traits, I would look for in my R & D leader would include a person who is reliable, a person who thrives on challenges, someone who is goal oriented, a person having high energy level, someone who Contributes beyond expec- tations, a person that is flexible, someone with great self respect, and an individual that contributes beyond expectations I would,

also, add that I would want a person as the leader of the R & D department who lives in the real world He or she can be a dreamer, but they must be realistic

This leader of the R & D department must be able to recognize talent, be capable of attracting and holding productive people as

part of the staff, have ability to direct and delegate effectively, be competent in handling problems and in dealing with new con- cepts, and be a person that can demonstrate good ability to interface effectively with superiors, peers, and subordinates Most importantly this leader must be a good listener, he or she must be readily accessible, and he or she must always be visible

Interviewing, itself, is a separate aspect that the head of the

R & D department must understand and practice A proposed interview evaluation form is shown in Figure 32 In addition to

the completion of this form, the interviewer should summarize the interview by answering the following questions:

1 Does the applicant have the ability to adjust to the position?

2 Will the applicant have the ability to do the work required?

3 Will the applicant be accepted by ceworkers and other supervisors?

4 Does the applicant have a genuine interest in the position?

5 What is the possibility of the applicant remaining with the organization?

6 Does the applicant show potential for growth?

7 Are their any recognizable interfering fadors with the

applicant?

STAFFING THE R & D DEPARTMENT 31

Most leaders fail because they are insensitive to others or they are unable to understand things from other peoples perspectives Good leaders have a warm and pleasant personality, they have the ability to build team work, and they have the know-how to make employees feel important as individuals Good leaders are like good coaches, that is, they understand their role as the coach and they do not try and be the quarterback Thus, they are predominantly a developer of people and their skills The following

quotation from Elbert Hubbard, “REMEMBER THIS’, perhaps sums up my feelings relative responsibilities of cclworkers and others to their h

Remember this if you work for a man, in heavens’ name work for

him; speak well of him; stand by him and by the firm he represents

If you must vilify, condemn and eternally disparage resign your position, and when you are outside, damn to your heart’s content,

that, you are loosening the tendrils that are holding you to the firm, and at the first high wind that comes along, you will be uprooted and blown away, and probably will never know the reason why

The leader of the R & D department has two other critical requirements beyond leading the staff and the program of the department First, they must be a numbers person and capable of building and defending a fair annual operating budget Budgets are quite simple and they should be based on actual facts including cost of living increases and maintenance of equipment

and instruments Further, they should include new items as

needed to stay up-to-date and, hopefully, ahead of the best competitors

Secondly, they must develop long range plans and goals for the department Long range goals include knowing the firms mission

and objectives and how R & D fits into the growth plans of the

firm R & D should direct the organization into new growth areas, new processes to stay competitive, new products and packaging systems, and new line extensions where applicable The accomp lishments of the R & D efforts will give greater returns on the

32 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

investments (ROI) if the leadership shows great imagination and realistic directions toward new areas and developments for the firm The long range plans must constantly be updated and they must always have clearly defined written goals

Additional R & D Personnel

The other personnel in the department must have much of the leaders characteristics and attributes and be potential replace men& down the road First and foremost, they too must be well trained in given disciplines including an overall knowledge of the food industry with specific depth in the fields of food processing, technology and science Each member of the staff must be imbued with confidence, maturity, and self directing He or she must be self motivated, have a n unusual high degree of integrity, be ethically and morally sound, positively oriented, and continuously searching, learning, developing, expanding, evolving, and inter- ested in his or her area of expertise A good R & D person must

be above all honest, sincere, and reliable They must be persua- sive, tenacious, have great vision, always seeking challenges and new fields to conquer Further, a good researcher should be most confident and helpful to subordinates to achieve their full poten- tial A good researcher is one who maintains control over all situations and a person who is a n outstanding communicator, both the written and spoken word The good researcher should be proud of his or her accomplishments and be capable of sharing their information for the good of the firm and the food industry

Tips for Supervisors

etc The following are ten to follow for success with their ceworkers or employees: tips for all supervisors, leaders, managers,

1 Learn to give clear instruction ahead of time, that is, the

“how”, “why’, and ”what“ of the job or detail to be accom- plished

2 Commend all that you work with for a job well done

3 Never criticize within hearing distance of third parties

STAFFING THE R & D DEPARTMENT 33

4 Speak politely to all employees, ceworkers and superiors

5 Listen to all employees attentively and without interrup

as much as you can 8 Within the limits of your area of responsibilities, delegate

9 Make all employees and co-workers feel that they belong

10 Give every ceworker or employee a chance to train for

and are valued members of your team

promotion

Starting a New Employee

employee or coworker on the job The following are suggestions that work when starting a new

1 Give him or her an orientation to the firm and the

department, preferably via video, showing the history of the

firm, the officers and top management personnel, the human

resource personnel, and the specific details of employment:

a Standards of performance,

b Levels of acceptable qualities,

c Policies on work habits and ethics, and,

d Dress code and safety factors

All of the above should, also, be in writing for each employee

2 Describe the job in detail, how it fits into the total R & D program and the goals of the firm

3 Start the new employee with on-thejob training with the Manager or Leader of the R & D department as the trainor, not L

ceworker or the Big-Brother or Big-Sister practice

34 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

4 Evaluate their progress at the end of the first day, end of the first week, and end of the first month At the end of six

months openly discuss their progress and make objective sug- gestions where applicable Finally, at the end of the first year evaluate the new co-worker or employee and inform them of their future status with the department or the food firm Be generous with praise and cautious with criticism

5 Show a genuine interest in each co-worker or employee, call them by name, smile at them, and speak to them Be alert

to give service to them and give suggestions and requests, not orders The most important thing is to treat others as you would want to be treated Remember, “What counts most in life

is what we do for others”

In Figure 33, there are 15 suggestions for “Leadership that Pay

Big Dividends” These are the suggestions that have been used most successfully when working with people

Figure 3-1

A SHORT COURSE IN HUMAN RELATIONS

The Five Most Important Words:

The Four Most Important Words:

The Three Most Important Words:

The One Most Important Word:

The Least Important Word:

“I Admit I Made A Mistake”

“You Did A Good Job”

“what Is Your Opinion?”

STAFFING THE R & D DEPARTMENT

Grooming Posture Dress

Manners Neatness Other

PREPARATION FOR INTERVIEW

Well defined goals Confidence

Realistic and Practical

Motivated Will Fit - _

Likeable Total individual

QUALIFICATIONS:

Academic Preparation Work Experience

Fits position available

OVERALL EDUCATION

Long range potential

Ability

Ilrive and ambition

CANDID COMMENTS: (Spell out)

36 RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT GUIDELINES

Figure 3-3 LEADERSHIP SUGGESTIONS THAT I LOOK FOR

1 Set a GOOD EXAMPLE Employees tend to emulate the boss, so make sure you

2 Call people by their FIRST NAME There is nothing as nice as a cheerful work of

3 Keep people INFORMED Eliminate the grapevine When changes are in the

4 Show a GENUINE INTERSET in everyone You can learn to like something about

5 Be THOUGHTFUL of the opinions of others There are 3 sides to every

6 Be ALERT to give service What counts most in life is what we do for others

7 Give CREDIT when credit is due Everyone wants and needs recognition

8 COMMEND an employee for a job well done PRAISE in public, CRITICIZE in private Ridicule a man for his mistakes and he will tend to avoid situations which expose him to the possibility of making another mistake

9 Let people know your PLANS Ask for their suggestions Let them know that you want them to play a role in the decision process

10 Emphasize SKILL, not rules Keep an open mind about unorthodox solutions His

or her way may be better than your way

11 Don’t give ORDERS, give requests and suggestions

12 Give your people GOALS and a sense of direction They need to know the why’s, what’s, and how’s of the work

13 Within the limits of your responsibilities, DELEGATE as much as you can

14 Give every worker a chance to TRAIN FOR PROMOTION

15 Make all employees feel that they BELONG and that they are valued members of your team

are worth imitating

greeting

offing, let people know

almost everyone, if you try

controversy, yours, the other fellows, and the right one

37

Richard Levy

The design of an R & D facility is determined in great part by the funds or capital available A small facility may be most adequate depending on the scope and type of work contemplated Whatever the size of the facility, it should be designed with future expansion in mind

Regardless of size, basic considerations should be developed around the type of operation contemplated and, of course, the use

to be made of the facility The design should be functional and include offices, laboratories, pilot plant, and storage areas all in one general area

The following design as shown in Figure 41 has worked well and it is one that offers much flexibility It was designed to

service 5 full time professionals, several graduate students or technicians and room for a classroom or adult seminars This

facility was designed for work with plant and fish type products, however, minor changes in the design could permit the processing

of animal type products by adjusting for a killing floor, dressing area and a cutting room per se Dairy foods could be handled in

this type of facility as well as fabricated, formulated products, and

baked products In this design, the power, services, etc all came from the main plant,

The pilot plant is the focal point of the facility and this is as it

should be in any R & D operation in the food industries In this design, the pilot plant is some 120 feet long by 40 feet wide or 80

feet wide for the entire facility, that is, 40 additional feet wide for the storages, laboratories that service the pilot plant and for the offices over the storages and laboratories The total area has some

14,400 square feet of floor space This design of the pilot plant has

a minimum of a 20 foot ceiling with two floor drains running the length of the pilot plant located 10 feet from each wall with two disposals located in each drain 30 feet from each end of the room