Consumer-first innovation
The episode highlights the development process behind Ben’s Original™ Street Food, a range of ready meals that expands the Ben’s Original™ brand beyond rice and into noodles for the first time.
The process begins with listening.
“We always start with the consumer,” Alison says. “We ask questions like: when I say noodles, what comes to mind? When are you going to eat this? How are you going to eat it? And what are you expecting from this product?”
With those valuable insights in hand, the prototyping process begins. The team develops multiple versions of a product to test with consumers, refining everything from spice levels and color to noodle shape and texture.
The R&D teams also analyze restaurant trends, supermarket offerings and consumer feedback to shape products that reflect evolving tastes and preferences, including the rise in demand for global cuisines and flavors. From there, prototypes are created, tested and refined through multiple rounds of consumer feedback.
“We tweak and refine it until it really works,” Alison says.
Balancing science and creativity
The episode also explores the balance between culinary creativity and scientific rigor required in product development.
“It’s important that we’re guided by the consumer and not by our personal tastes,” Alison explains.
That consumer-led approach has helped Ben’s Original™ Street Food noodles gain positive feedback in markets including the U.K. and Canada, with expansion into Europe planned next.
“It’s nothing fussy,” Alison says. “It’s just tasty, accessible, healthy food that’s really satisfying.”
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