WEBINAR

Driving Food Product Development with Science-Based Innovation Lifecycle Management

Discover how food and beverage innovators are transforming product and packaging development with digital tools that unite virtual and real materials labs. Learn how predictive analytics, AI, and integrated lab systems are driving faster, smarter, and more sustainable R&D. And hear of Marzetti Co.'s experience with selecting and maintaining its PLM system.

December 04, 2025

4:00 PM UTC

1 hour

Sponsored by

December 4th, 2025

Time: 11:00 AM ET | 10:00 AM CT | 8:00 AM PT

Duration: 60 minutes

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Summary

From ingredient performance to material stability, food and beverage companies face complex challenges in developing new formulations and packaging solutions. Achieving the right balance of taste, texture, shelf life, and sustainability requires advanced tools that go beyond traditional trial-and-error methods. Developing new food products also requires a collaborative approach linking multiple product development teams. A science-based platform allows companies to improve product design and time to marketing, improve quality & promote collaboration and reduce innovation costs. Our innovation lifecycle management solution combines traditional PLM capabilities with areas such as unified laboratory management to foster collaboration, and unlock the full potential of existing data. Computational materials science accelerates the discovery of novel food ingredients and packaging materials through virtual screening, reducing costly physical testing. A unified lab informatics system enhances efficiency, fosters collaboration, and unlocks the full potential of existing data. Predictive analytics and machine learning further optimize formulation design by guiding material selection, predicting stability, and improving performance outcomes. This presentation explores how integrating virtual and real materials labs is transforming food product and packaging innovation, enabling faster, smarter, and more sustainable R&D.

Speakers

Nick Reynolds

BIOVIA Industry Process Consultant Director

Dassault Systèmes

Nick Reynolds is an Industry Process Consultant Director at BIOVIA, a Dassault Systèmes, brand. He has been with the company for over 30 years, and his background is in Materials Science, with a Ph.D. in Polymer Science and Engineering. Nick’s and his team’s role is in providing scientific and technical support for Dassault Systèmes’ customers in adopting our solutions for computational materials science, formulation management, laboratory informatics, and data science, across a range of industries.

Tom McGirty

Vice President of R&D

T. Marzetti Company

Tom McGirty is Vice President of R&D at T. Marzetti Company, where he directed Marzetti’s first PLM implementation in 2012 and continues to drive digital transformation through system upgrades that enhance product innovation, speed-to-market and cross-functional collaboration. Tom oversees product development for both retail and foodservice categories. With over 30 years at Marzetti, Tom has led initiatives across quality, food safety and R&D, playing a key role in the company's growth from $200 million to nearly $2 billion in sales.

Dave Fusaro

Editor in Chief

Food Processing

Dave has been editor in chief of Food Processing since 2003. Before that, he was editor in chief of Dairy Foods and managing editor of Prepared Foods, so he’s been covering the food and beverage industry for 30 years and has visited dozens, maybe 100 or more, food and beverage plants