FOR SUCCESS MAKE SURE YOU GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR FOOD. www.foodtechnology.co.nz 9 The potential to create new food products, novel combinations or extracts, and implement new food technologies is huge. The appetite for new dishes is insatiable, and anything that can help food stay fresh, nutritious and tasty longer, and add value, is of major interest to the industry and to consumers. New Zealand is as active as any nation in this area. The success of our Manuka honey products, for example, is well known, and plenty of other kiwi food entrepreneurs are excelling in the food invention space. But developing a breakthrough recipe or food product is no guarantee you’re the only one with that idea or has made it work. Unless you check, you may learn you have a competitor only when you go to market. If your competitor has protected the intellectual property (IP) in their product, you may find you can’t sell yours. That alone can kill your enterprise. Assessing your Freedom to Operate (FTO) in a market will help you establish whether there are any competing IP rights in that market. Developing and launching a new food or food technology usually involves a lot of trial and error, recipe evolution, process variation, and commercial considerations around production to scale, delivery and marketing. So it’s wise to check for similar products and relevant patents first, before you expend that effort and investment. Checking doesn’t need to be a huge or costly task; a simple FTO search may suffice. And don’t underestimate the extent of your food IP; it includes your recipes and processes, your standard operating procedures, your suppliers (and what they supply you), and your customers. All are valuable to a competitor and need to be protected. Food is big business and New Zealand has the climate, soils and brainpower to lead the world in In the food and beverage business, identifying and controlling your competitive edge is the secret ingredient for success. At James & Wells, we have an entire team dedicated to the cause. We can help you own and leverage your innovative brands and ideas, facilitate business opportunities and ensure your labelling is compliant. LEVERAGING KIWI KNOW-HOW JAWS.CO.NZ USA Australia Indonesia Canada Korea China Taiwan Japan Hong Kong JWS/PR/0035A food and beverages R&D. But we need to keep our recipes secret, bolt down our IP, and secure FTO in our markets to protect our competitive advantage. James & Wells has a dedicated food and beverage team who can help light the pathway to your tech breakthrough and take the risk out of your new venture. Dr. John Mansell is a Senior Associate with national Intellectual Property specialists James & Wells, specialising in Food and Beverage, Life Sciences and Biotechnology innovation. GUARDING YOUR RECIPES Many don’t associate the word “invention” with food. But in reality, the food and beverage industry is a hive of innovative thinking. By John Mansell
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