Checklist for managing New Product Development

Good morning,

My external auditor recommended to use a checklist whenever we have a new product development or when we change our packaging.

Does any one have a template which they use and which includes food safety aspects such as (validation of new supplier, the HACCP development, shelf-life tests, lab tests) as well as production tests....

Thank you,

There's a brief outline of some potentially relevant topics covered in this thread: https://www.ifsqn.co...they-can-share/

You'll want to expand on this with any other specific points relevant to your business, and/or required as part of any particular certification scheme.

Consider to add following in the checklist/ product development process. Each step will generate bunch of records/ documents and for some there may be a possibility to develop format.

1. New Product Concept/ Idea
2. Brain storming with business development, NPD, QA, and Regulatory 
3. HACCP team meeting - new hazards, if any, from new product as well as associated packaging
4. Production/ Operations team - to determine process capability for product as well as packaging
5. Acceptance/ Rejection of new product idea based on results of #2 to 4 above 
6. Formulation development by NPD
7. If any new raw materials (RM) than HACCP/ QA approval of RM / Supplier
8. Product (prototype) development by NPD + Regulatory

9. Packaging/label design by regulatory

10. Sensory analysis - internal panel & customer panel
11. Plant trial NPD + QA + Operations
12. Shelf life study
13. Specification development, acceptance/ rejection criteria, sampling and testing requirements
14. Product Launch

If one or more from the list below applies, those needs to be part of the process:

• Based on customer requirement there may be step regarding customer communication at one or more stages of above process
• Depending on industry/ country there may be a requirement to inform regulatory bodies for certain product/ process