Scientist working in FMCG

[Clockwatching54321]

Scientist working in FMCG within pharmacy and OTC medicines….designing new formulations for 15 years AMA

[Reallyreallyborednow]

What’s FMCG?

[catfunk]

@Reallyreallyborednow Fast Moving Consumer Goods.

OP it may help to be a little more specific about the products you work on?

[Clockwatching54321]

@Reallyreallyborednow fast moving consumer goods. Example are products people but regular like toothpaste

[LoveReallyHurtsWithoutLube]

Have you been drinking this evening?

[CatNamedEaster]

How have all the supply chain and cost issues over the past couple of years affected you? Can you change ingredients/formulas if something is unavailable for months or increased cost will push the price of the whole medication too high? Or would the medication have to go through regulatory approvals from the start if even only a tiny % of the ingredients changes?

[Clockwatching54321]

@catfunk i would love too but I could be fired and loose my job if it got picked up and they worked out it’s me…..so I was being vague on purpose. Sorry that doesn’t really help.

we have strict rules around talking about the company or any brands (esp neutral or negative way).

[Clockwatching54321]

@LoveReallyHurtsWithoutLube i wish just dyslexic 😂🤣and auo correct on my phone

[CraftyGin]

Watching with interest, but no questions. I worked in FMCG for many years and loved it. I am still loyal to those brands because I know that the research paid off and resulted in superior products.

[KickAssAngel]

Are own brands better or worse than named brands? Eg toothpaste, is it worth paying out for a brand instead of store own?

[Clockwatching54321]

@CatNamedEaster massive effect, we have raw material cost, manufacturing costs and shipping which have all been hit.

Depending on the change no it’s not simple, it could need a new clinical trial, new stability data (putting products in ovens and testing them upto 3 years) applications to multiple countries to update licenses. Most health authorities have a back log currently due to covid so approval times are longer.

There are some simple changes but it needs to risk accessed and still submitted to authorities. These are called do and tell applications.

[CraftyGin]

Mid-priced is best. Super cheap do not raise enough money for research. Super expensive does not sell enough to provide money for research.

[Clockwatching54321]

@KickAssAngel yes and no, it depends on the brand and what it’s used for.

A good example is pain killers, I buy supermarket own, does the same thing. However i buy branded cough syrup due to flavours. The brands tend to have more expensive flavours hence they taste better which for me is worth is.

The science and consumer research was done by the brands while unbranded are knock offs / copies. Think of it like branded and unbranded food, there’s some I will pay extra for and some I’m happy to buy unbranded.

[JaneDoe222]

How often are products re-formulated to make them cheaper to produce and more profitable with no benefit to the consumer, yet still marketed as ‘new improved’?

[Clockwatching54321]

@JaneDoe222 quite often but not advertised, it takes a while and effort with licence updates but it’s generally looking at the formulation and seeing if anything can be reduced without affecting the quality or efficacy.

My experience with new and improved is because they did some consumer research and it’s not selling due to how bad it tastes etc. They will then sort the flavour out and advertise its improved so consumers know to try it again.

[Clockwatching54321]

@CraftyGin just doing a fellow fmcg wave….feel free to jump in if your experience is different 😊

[CraftyGin]

@JaneDoe222

How often are products re-formulated to make them cheaper to produce and more profitable with no benefit to the consumer, yet still marketed as ‘new improved’?

"New and improved" and "cost-savings" are two opposites.

It's common to launch a product and for the team to immediately work on cost-savings. This is most likely to be something like sourcing a cheaper raw material, or figuring out a more economical way to manufacture (eg cutting the processing temperature by a few degrees). Whatever is done, advertising claims still need to be met. Any change to the formula or processing needs robust claims support.

Similarly, for a "new and improved" product, there needs to be good claims support - the gold standard being blind testing.

That's for products that are advertised on TV. Cowboy products can say what they like - they are either super cheap, or super expensive. That's why I always recommend going for the mid-priced products that advertise and actually do research.