11 minute read
Interview: Judith van Peij, Innovation Manager for Baking & Confectionery, Royal DSM
Judith van Peij has been with Royal DSM for 10 years, and has been the Innovation Manager for Baking & Confectionery for the past three. She is a food technologist at heart, with a clear vision of managing innovation teams including R&D, operations and commercial.
+Catalina Mihu: You joined DSM 10 years ago. How has the approach for new product development evolved in this time and what are some of your favorite contributions in this regard? Judith van Peij: I was already working as a food technologist as a food technologist when I joined DSM. Coming from an ingredients company, I was already somewhat familiar with how the industry was working. In the 10 years that have passed since then, we have transitioned from being an ingredients company to being a solutions provider. In the beginning, I was more focused on applications (and not so much on innovation at that time). But, I felt that there was a need for us to do something in the shorter term, by adding not only focused R&D projects to our pipeline, but also making more use of our existing products in other types of applications, throughout the company. I like to work with people, and I think that there is added value that can be gained from working with ingredients that have been already developed to transform them into (a part of) a solution rather than simply offering them as an ingredient.
Mihu: What is your favorite aspect of R&D? Judith van Peij: DSM is a biotechnology and nutrition-driven company in the food industry. When I was starting out in research, particularly enzymes, I remember being amazed at being able to model protein structures, for example. We could look through 3D glasses to understand our enzyme products better, which, in turn, would help to engineer new molecules themselves, but also make second- or third-generation of products. This is the next step to making the kind of improvements that are really needed in the industry. Subsequently, we look into interactions in the matrix. Food matrices are not always very easy to understand; we mostly start to analyze them from the physical perspective. Baking is the end goal, of course – but, the process is facilitated by using the right design, then using the resulting data to make an even smarter design, a process that helps to go into the market quicker. This is an ongoing evolution with iterative cycles. We have had a new research center for a few years now, where we work with automation and robots, for simple tasks. People can, in turn, focus on thinking and analyzing the data, rather than repetitive, day-to-day routine.
Innovation: the science, the art, and the people
Mihu: What are some of your favorite projects over the last 10 years? Judith van Peij: Projects usually start with trends and needs: we are looking at aspects such as cleaner labels, more sustainable solutions, or being more cost-effective, as more raw materials change and the requests from retail are quite strict. All solutions related to these goals are important. For example, we have developed a new maltogenic amylase that contributes to product freshness. Bread using it will have a longer shelf-life and remain soft, while still being resilient so it can be buttered without breaking. In addition, less bread needs to be thrown away – a plus for sustainability efforts. We have also been researching opportunities to boost nutritional profiles lately, with nutritional lipids, for example. Bakery products can become healthier by including additional fibers, for example, to support better digestion.
Mihu: What is your view on innovation in bakery and confectionery, and how have its defining characteristics changed over the past 25 years? Judith van Peij: The baking industry is quite conservative. There is always a debate about whether baking is an art or a science. It needs science to work efficiently, some argue. Raw material quality changes every day, depending on their source and even on the weather. Looking at product development, modelling helps to solve such challenges. Going into new ingredient development, improved products are formulated, to be more nutritious, more sustainable, or fresh for longer, for example. While, in the past, baking a good bread was the goal, the product diversity on the market is now great: we used to have a loaf of bread, and now we have a great variety of breads.
Mihu: So, do you consider baking an art or a science? Judith van Peij: We approach it from a scientific perspective, of course. But, in the end, I think it remains an art that uses science, a well-structured art that we try to explain with science. It still takes the hand of a baker skilled in the art to make it work. The dependency on this skill set is lesser, with the development of industrial lines (the science), but a baker who understands the touch and feel of the product (the art) remains a core need in a bakery, so that such lines run smoothly. This only can be supported by science.
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Team and project development
Mihu: How are your personal values reflected in your professional work, from the perspective of a woman advancing in her career? Judith van Peij: I like to have a broader perspective on the whole field. I am a person who tries to look at the bigger
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picture to determine whether something is relevant and then help the team. Women excel at building teams, and putting heart into what they do is a defining part of their leadership style. Together, as a confident team, we approach challenges and turn them around into solutions, which then reach our customers. With this mindset, I am not afraid to take any decisions. I do not need to have all the answers to do so, but the decision needs to be well considered. I am not afraid to also ask for help and to ask the team about their advice. A timely decision does not need to be based on full insights, but it should consider as many aspects as possible to provide a direction. In the end, a speedy decision is better than no decision at all. Having a broader perspective also helps to keep the team on track. Everybody in R&D is interested in exploring the sidetracks, and this enthusiasm should not be curved. In the end, though, we need to deliver results, and the team needs to stay on track to reach them, without putting too much effort into details that are not directly related to our end goal. This is the leadership style I have found helpful.
Mihu: What are some difficult decisions that you need to make professionally? Judith van Peij: Sometimes, they can be difficult: you have to change the team, when all members are going in the same direction, for example. The diversity of the team is important to ensure members keep challenging each other. All personalities are needed in the team – dreamers, people who can lead, people who can follow, or goaloriented people. As a leader, one must ensure that there is enough diversity and collaboration in the team for good project development. Accept that there are multiple ways of reaching a goal, but also follow the progress – the big lines, not micromanaging.
Mihu: What are your priorities in a product development project? Judith van Peij: First, we must understand what consumers are looking for. Our inspiration comes from three fields: trends, customers, and internal ideas/technology-push products. It starts with understanding the field and understanding the needs; sometimes, it involves bringing knowledge to our customers, as they might not always have a very clear picture of the solutions they want to reach or the solutions we can provide. We can help to guide them through the unknown. Mihu: How do specific markets inspire innovation at DSM? Judith van Peij: In the past, tin bread was popular here, in the Netherlands; now, we are leaning more toward tortilla, bagels and laminated products, for example. Overall, the baked goods market is still growing. But, the (white) bread market is not growing at the same speed as other product categories. We see a growing variety of healthier products, meaning sugar-, salt- and fat-reduced, cleaner labels, organic, whole wheat and plant-based products. Breads already are plant-based, but cakes and confectionery have room for the development of new product segments, in this sense.
Mihu: What is your approach to developing a new project, and the steps to managing it? Judith van Peij: Assuming we already know what we want to develop, we start with brainstorming sessions, which are usually very engaging. We investigate the angles from which we can approach the innovation solution and we scope it well, and only then do we advance with the different phases of a project, going from ideation and proof of principle to feasibility and development. The most important aspect from my perspective and in my role is to keep asking questions and challenge myself and the rest of the team, to reiterate the validity of the process. Within the scope of the project, we try to be open and focus on the tasks, while assessing if we are still on the right track. I encourage the team to always ask questions as well, and to not be afraid to ask for help. This helps the team to grow, and myself along with them.
Judith van Peij, Innovation Manager for Baking & Confectionery, DSM
Mihu: What will the future bring for enzymes and emulsifiers in the baking industry? Judith van Peij: Different combinations are used, and sometimes enzymes replace emulsifiers in certain products now. But, both types of ingredients can play a role in the future, with different utilizations in different markets.
Women in R&D
Mihu: What are the challenges women face when building a career in this field? Judith van Peij: The difference in communication styles was the biggest hurdle, in my experience. They can vary by gender, background and culture. At the beginning of my career, the field was dominated by men. I felt at the time a need to adjust my communication style. The food technology field is more diverse now, but it can still be further improved in this direction. Diversity is very much valued at DSM. I have found consulting with the multidisciplinary team to be an asset in developing a communication style. The pressure of making key decisions is a challenge, sometimes. It may refer to choosing the right project, or ensuring the resources or the necessary time for it, for example. Working together with the team and approaching different angles helps in making decisions.
Mihu: What made you decide to follow this career path, and what advice would you offer young women entering the business? Judith van Peij: I am a curious person, with broad interests. My father worked in the food industry all his life and he inspired me to become a food technologist. The further development of my career came naturally. Sometimes, people change jobs to be closer to family; in my case, this kind of change helped me advance in my career. My main advice to women at the start of their career is something I have experienced: follow your heart. Things come naturally if you follow your passion; then, you automatically do what you are good at – most of the time. Be creative! Things may not always be ideal, but a positive mindset and passion will help you go through stormy weather, I’ve learned. Also, you have to be honest with yourself: when you realize that the job doesn’t fit you or that you don’t fit the job, then you have to muster the courage to make a change. Be authentic, and do not try to be somebody else.
Mihu: What do you find the most rewarding in innovating in food ingredients? Judith van Peij: Being able to make a difference in the quality of the product is motivating, starting from the raw materials and with the help of the whole value chain in the baking industry. Bread is a staple product in many countries, and being able to improve it while keeping the costs down contributes to feeding the world. There is so much opportunity in raw materials and their different combinations, that it would be a bit short-sighted to only use them for staple foods, when there are two markets that can benefit from them: basic foodstuffs and specialty products. I think we can serve both.
Mihu: What type of leadership should be coming from a woman? Judith van Peij: The heart leadership is usually associated with the way women lead. Connecting people is what women usually excel in, and what also energizes them. I like to engage with people within and outside of the team, bring them together, and get energy from helping them achieve the best out of the collaboration.
Mihu: How should women’s representation in the industry be supported? Judith van Peij: We should appreciate people with their differences. The results are what count in the end. +++
