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NPD & Specifications

Launch the right products faster, with every spec right first time.

NPD, specifications, formulation, labelling and revision control on one connected platform. Every product moves from brief to shelf with the right information at the right time, and every change is caught before it reaches the label.
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Manage every product’s lifecycle, from first brief to final label.

Your specification is the record every stage of the product lifecycle depends on. It needs to be right, current and shared, not buried in a spreadsheet or an inbox.

The problem

Your NPD, specifications, formulation and labelling are split across spreadsheets, email threads and separate tools. Every supplier or ingredient change means re-keying and re-checking, version mix-ups cause rework and delay, and too much effort goes into products that never launch.

The solution

One connected record for the whole product lifecycle, linked to the supplier and quality data behind every product. A change made once is seen by every team, so you launch faster and nothing slips through to the label.

38%

of food recalls in Australia in 2025 were for undeclared allergens.

35%

of UK food safety alerts in 2025 were allergen labelling errors.

69%

of food businesses still struggle with data silos.

Version chaos

an ingredient changes, the spec doesn’t, and the label goes out wrong

See NPD & Specifications in action.

One current specification: no re-keying, no surprises at launch.

Make a change once and every team sees it, so launch decisions are always made on the current version.
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    Faster to shelf

    less time chasing information, more time developing products.

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    Higher win rate

    develop fewer products to launch more, cutting waste and cost.

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    Right first time

    ingredient and supplier changes flow through, with no manual re-keying.

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    Room to grow

    start with specifications, then expand to the full lifecycle without re-platforming

Everything you need to develop, specify and launch the right product.

Everything from first concept to self-serve configuration. Choose a capability to see how it works.

approval

Take a concept from brief to launch in one place.

  • Manage concepts, briefs and development stage-gates
  • Stage-gates sit alongside the specification they become
  • No more spreadsheet chase between teams
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From connected data to confident launch decisions.

Every step on the same product record.
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    Brief

    Start every product with a captured concept and a clear brief.

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    Specify

    turn the approved brief into a spec your teams and suppliers can rely on.

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    Control

    review, approve and publish every revision, with the full history kept.

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    Launch

    release the product with its label already matched to the spec.

Ready for auditors. Easy for product teams.

Specifications only work if they stand up to audits, teams actually use them, and leaders can rely on the data.

Supports the standards a business is audited against

Hold the specification, formulation and revision evidence for the schemes, regulations and retailer requirements its sites are assessed on, with live visibility of every project and revision.

  • Evidence of every revision, ready on request
  • Transparency on what changed and where each product stands
  • Labels traceable back to the specification they came from
  • BRCGS
  • SALSA
  • IFS
  • SQF
  • FSSC 22000
  • GFSI
  • FSMA 204
  • Retailer codes of practice

A clear path to go-live.

Move existing product and supplier data across, then switch on more of the lifecycle as teams are ready.

  1. Bring products and suppliers in

    Move specifications and supplier data across from spreadsheets and other systems, so every product starts from one record.

  2. Set templates and workflows

    Set up the templates, stage-gates and approvals that match how teams work, with onboarding support from the Foods Connected team.

  3. Go live

    Launch with the specifications teams use most, then switch on NPD stage-gates, formulation, revision control and labelling when teams are ready.

Works with the rest of the platform.

NPD and specifications connect to approval, quality, sourcing and sustainability, so product decisions are made with supplier, quality and sourcing data in view.

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    Approval & Compliance

    Approved suppliers and certificates, linked to the specifications they supply

    Explore more →
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    Food Safety & Quality

    Quality checks and corrective actions tied to the products they affect

    Explore more →
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    Sustainability

    ESG data gathered from suppliers, connected to products

    Explore more →
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    Procurement & Sourcing

    Sourcing decisions made with specification data in view

    Explore more →

What our customers say about Foods Connected

“Using Foods Connected has allowed us to drive standard processes across our business, helping capture data in a consistent way meaning the analytics allows us to easily see comparable performance on any level.”
Nick GollinsTechnical Controller, Ornua

Built for how food businesses work

One platform, shaped around the way retailers, foodservice operators and manufacturers manage risk.

Retailers

Own brand and everything ranged

Typical challenge: keeping specifications, allergens and labelling accurate across thousands of own-brand and third-party lines.

For retailers →
Foodservice & QSR

Every ingredient, across every site

Typical challenge: keeping specs and allergens accurate as menus change fast across sites.

For foodservice & QSR →
Manufacturers

Every product made, brief to shelf

Typical challenge: developing the right products faster while meeting customer and retailer requirements.

For manufacturers →

Resources for NPD & Specifications.

Case studies, guides and webinars on specifications, formulation and product development, picked for this solution.

View all NPD & Specifications resources
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NPD & Specifications guide

Guide

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Updated June 2026 Read the guide
Resources

Go deeper on this solution

Guides, reports and expert articles to help you act on what you have just read.

FAQs

Answers to the questions asked most often about NPD and specification management.

Is IT resource needed to build food specification templates?
No. Teams build their own specification templates and workflows in the platform, and they go live without waiting for IT. Because the form builder is part of the product, templates can change as processes do.
Does Foods Connected work with an existing ERP and other systems?
Yes. Foods Connected can connect to the ERP and other systems already in use, so approved specifications reach them without manual re-entry. Supplier and quality records stay linked to each specification, so product data stays accurate wherever it is used.
Can a business start with specification management and expand to full food PLM later?
Yes. Many teams begin with specification management, then add NPD stage-gates, formulation, revision control and labelling on the same platform. Because everything shares one record, nothing needs to be rebuilt as use expands.
What is food specification management software?
Food specification management software is where a food business keeps the master information for each product, including ingredients, formulation and labelling. In Foods Connected, each specification is held once, shared with suppliers and internal teams, and updated through recorded revisions.
How does Foods Connected manage formulation and recipe changes?
Recipes are built from ingredient records, so a supplier or ingredient change flows into the formulations that use it without anyone retyping. The change is recorded in the revision history.
Can Foods Connected generate compliant food labels?
Yes. Labels are generated from the product’s specification, so the label and the specification can’t drift apart. When the specification changes, the label is updated to match, which means a compliant label is ready at launch.
What reporting and visibility does Foods Connected give over products and launches?
Reporting and analytics are built into the platform, so teams can see where every product stands from brief to final label, including projects, stage-gates and bottlenecks, alongside cost, specification and supplier data. Senior teams can also build dashboards in Microsoft Power BI to track launches and risk across the range.
What is the difference between NPD, specification management and food PLM?
NPD takes a concept from brief to launch. Specification management keeps one current version of each product’s information. Food PLM brings both together, with formulation, revision control and labelling, across the full product lifecycle from first brief to final label. Foods Connected covers all of them on one platform.

Ready to talk?

Book a demo and see how Foods Connected keeps every specification connected, controlled and ready to launch.

  • Tailored to the product lifecycle
  • Led by a food industry specialist
  • Takes two minutes to book