New product development: North American ingredient supplier′s role

In North America, food processing is one of the largest industries. Expenditures for food and beverage consumption in the USA alone, total approximately $500 billion, 70 per cent of which is estimated to account for products consumed in the home. Total food sales to North American consumers accounts for about 8 per cent of the gross domestic product, even when omitting the value of services and products derived from ingredient suppliers and equipment manufacturers.