For a product developer like Harco van der Veer, the food industry is a fantastically dynamic area to work in. After many years as a quality control officer and product developer at various companies in the food industry, he launched his own company, Tasty Food Solutions, in 2018.
“While working for my former employers, I often visited other companies and was able to look behind the scenes. This meant I could see how products were developed. This work didn’t just give me a great deal of satisfaction – I also knew I could pass on the knowledge and experience of the food industry that I had built up through the years to clients independently. That’s why I started my own company,” explains Harco.
In the early days of Tasty Food Solutions, Gpi De Gouwe was the first process equipment manufacturer to cross his path. Following a productive discussion with Alexander Kraaijkamp, Sales Manager at Gpi De Gouwe, the two companies agreed to work together. “We complement one another very well in processing operations in the food industry. Tasty Food Solutions has outstanding knowledge of product ingredients and recipes, while Gpi knows a great deal about process technologies. Together, we can realise production operations using process equipment designed and manufactured by Gpi, with optimal processing of ingredients guaranteeing a high-quality final product.”
“We can never produce what product developers come up with” is a common assumption among food manufacturers. Tasty Food Solutions and Gpi De Gouwe want to use their knowledge and skills to show that these assumptions are incorrect. “The match between Gpi and Tasty isn’t designed so that we work in the same area: instead, we work together to deliver a new or improved product and complement one another in the areas where we encounter one another in the process,” as Harco expresses it succinctly. In this way, both companies act as the other’s helpdesk. “We recently produced a batch of mayonnaise and curry together in the Gpi test space using a temporary set up with a mixing and boiling vessel, cold water, steam and an inline mixer. This allowed us to learn from one another how the ingredients in a mayonnaise and a curry respond if you emulsify, mix, heat or cool them, for example. These results mean we can both implement improvements in our own specialist areas,” explains Harco enthusiastically.
Tasty Food Solutions is very happy with the partnership with Gpi. “Gpi has a great deal of knowledge in house, they are a flexible company, they know a great deal about production processes and operations and they really listen to their clients. They are also capable of coming up with specific, client-focused solutions.” At the same time, Gpi De Gouwe sees Tasty Food Solutions as a fine and enthusiastic partner whose years of experience in food technology really adds value for both Gpi and Gpi’s clients.
“We use Tasty Food Solutions as a helpdesk for both small and more complex problems. This partnership also allows us to offer our clients added value that others can’t offer. We can develop recipes and also offer the optimal combination of process equipment. Everything is integrated perfectly and we provide a single point of contact,” as Alexander summarises the partnership.
Do you have tanks or process equipment from Gpi De Gouwe and do you want to optimise your recipes, or do you want to develop new recipes with seamlessly integrated process equipment? Do not hesitate to contact us.
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