As customers increasingly become aware of what they eat, their expectations are on the rise. After a number of food scares, such as the BSE crisis, legislation within the EU has put more emphasis on consumer and retailer expectations in terms of high-quality and safe produce.
In this context, the market in the United Kingdom is particularly advanced with a strong involvement of retailers and processors in food production. Against this background Bayer CropScience was to launch Infinito, a new product against potato blight.

Working together for a better product

While the general aim for all members of the potato food chain should be high-quality, healthy-looking potatoes with low residues, individual members have different requirements and demands on a new crop protection product. In order to best meet the different expectations of those involved, Bayer CropScience decided to invite all members of the potato value chain to field trials and cooperate with them in the final development of Infinito.

To begin with, the new product’s active ingredient, fluopicolide, had an excellent technical profile. Not only does it offer outstanding efficacy, particularly in respect of tuber blight control. It also met the expectations of the food companies in terms of residues, environmental impact and operator safety. But there is always room to improve things. Therefore, two seasons before the launch of Infinito, many British farmers, processors and retailers were asked for their ideas and recommendations for a product profile. During the two year pre-launch development phase, representatives from across the complete potato supply chain were invited to visit the field trials. “Together we evaluated the dose rates and spraying intervals to be considered”, Cambridge-based food industry stewardship manager Patrick Mitton explains.

A positive experience with a legacy

In the end, the technical profile of Infinito was so finely tuned to the expectations of a crop protection product by the UK food supply chain, that if they had been asked to design a product to satisfy their needs, Infinito would have been the result. Food businesses in the UK were keen to support the product from the first day of commercial launch. This isn’t the norm.
But due to the UK Potato Project, confidence was so high right from the start that the new product was placed on all recommendation protocol lists, thus ensuring a commercial “free passage” in time for the growing season. So much was the enthusiasm, that players from across the complete food supply chain requested the use by brand.

Moreover, the UK Potato Project has increased trust, flexibility and a great relationship among all parties involved. “It was a decidedly positive experience”, Sabine Stolz (Food Chain Manger Europe at the BCS Headquarters in Monheim) recalls. “We did not expect such a great response. Now we have adopted the same strategy for a product that will be launched in two years time on a different market.”