The US National Food Laboratory, an independent affiliate of the Food Products Association (FPA), enters into a new phase of growth following the FPA merger with the Grocery Manufacturers Association.
Under the combined GMA/FPA umbrella, the NFL becomes part of the USA's largest and most influential trade association serving the food, beverage and consumer packaged goods industry.
"The merger of our parent company with GMA provides unprecedented opportunity for the food industry to tap into a creative, fast-moving product commercialisation firm," said NFL president and CEO Kevin Buck.
"Our mission is to deliver successful new strategies and value-added products, to execute those strategies quickly, and to support our clients' products through their lifecycle with cost-effective and practical technical support," he said.
"Tying successful innovation with speed to market is imperative in the food business today, and that's what the NFL does best, as witnessed by our profitable double-digit annual growth".
Established in 1976, NFL's integrated menu of services includes new product strategy and concept development, product innovation and commercialisation, sensory evaluation, consumer research, food safety, quality assurance and analytical testing.
From its initial roots as the food industry's principle scientific testing and research organization, the NFL is now also widely recognized as a leader in new product strategy, ideation, development and marketing.
The NFL's track record in innovation and successful commercialisation dates back to the 1970s and the company's creation of Magic Shell, a dessert treat still marketed today by JM Smucker.
Over the last 30 years, the NFL has contributed to the successful launch of hundreds of new product advancements, including Dole Food's Fruit Bowls in Gel, a leadership product that generates some $300 million in sales each year.
NFL also recently assisted long-time client Quaker in the creative product and process development of Rice-A-Roni Express, a popular new shelf-stable and microwaveable rice product representing the next generation of the original San Francisco Treat.
The NFL's product and process technology strengths were behind the recent launch of Bumble Bee Foods's Prime Fillet Chicken Breast entrees, a novel new product that strengthens the company's unique protein-with-convenience strategy.
The NFL's quality assurance and sensory techniques help a number of quick service restaurants deliver consistent food quality and freshness at locations nationwide.
And, the NFL is often called upon for its expertise in food safety, developing techniques that prevent the growth of potential food pathogens, and extending shelf-life through solid product formulation that prevents unwanted spoilage.
