Our research and development capabilities and commitment to new product development ensure that we can consistently support our customers in their quest to offer pet pawrents innovative, nutritious and delicious meals for their cats and dogs.
Recently, we’ve boosted those capabilities even further, with the appointment of @Issa Narchi PhD as our Group Head of R&D. Issa brings more than 17 years of R&D and product development experience to his new role, gained in both pet food and human food manufacturing environments.
We caught up with Issa to find out more about his new role and the experience he brings to C&D Foods and its affiliates.
In conversation with Issa Narchi
With a remit that encompasses all things R&D across the C&D Foods network, Issa’s diverse remit as our Group Head of R&D encompasses everything from formulation and process development, through to driving our product development innovation strategy and ensuring we meet the highest standards of quality and compliance.
Q: Tell us a little more about your role as Group Head of R&D
A: I lead our R&D teams across Europe and a big part of my role is to ensure that our teams and sites work seamlessly together to develop products that deliver nutritional excellence and delight customers across the value chain. That includes delighting our retail and brand customers who commission and select our products, pet pawrents who buy them off the shelf in store, and the cats and dogs across Europe who enjoy eating them!
I oversee all current R&D and NPD projects, but I am also focused on the future and looking for opportunities for us to innovate. That means identifying new technologies, new ingredients, and new opportunities that will drive our future pipeline and help deliver our next phase of growth.
Q: What does a typical day look like?
A: There’s no such thing as a “typical” day – that’s what makes it fun! My time is split between strategic planning, product reviews, supplier collaboration, and of course, time with the teams. Whether it’s discussing a new technology with our process engineers or assessing the latest recipes in development, every day brings something new and energising.
Q: What made you choose R&D as a career?
A: I’ve always been passionate about the science behind food, and I completed a PhD in chemical engineering. When we understand how ingredients behave and combine that with knowledge of how technology can elevate nutrition, we can innovate in a way that connects with consumers and brings nutritional and taste benefits to the end user (in this case cats and dogs), which is a really exciting work environment and a career with purpose.
Q: What’s your background in R&D and the food industry?
I began my career in the pet food sector and over the years I’ve also worked across multiple R&D and quality roles at other types of food businesses, including everything from protein science and formulation, through to product strategy and team leadership. Each role has essentially had the same goal: to bring science and creativity together to make better food, whether for people or for pets.
Q: Why did you decide to join the C&D Foods team?
After years of working in the FMCG sector, I wanted to work in an environment where agility and innovation go hand in hand. At C&D Foods and its affiliates, ideas can move fast and teams can really shape the future of the business. It’s an ambitious company with strong technical expertise and a proven track record, but it has also retained the culture and mindset of a challenger, so it’s an exciting place to work. We are ready to respond quickly to what our customers want from their pet food products now, but also to reinvent how pet food is made as we move forward.
Joining as Group Head of R&D felt like the right next step for me – it’s a role that allows me to apply my experience, build something meaningful, and develop products that support pets’ health and wellbeing, while working with a talented and dedicated team.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
R&D sits right at the intersection of science, creativity, and purpose, and that’s what I love about it. Every day, we take complex challenges such as nutrition, sustainability, taste and texture, and we turn them into something tangible that makes a real difference.
Innovation doesn’t happen in a straight line, and no two days are the same. R&D means balancing speed with scientific rigour, creativity with consistency, and short-term delivery with long-term vision, which is what makes R&D leadership so challenging – and so exciting!
Q: What do you think are the most exciting trends in pet food R&D?
I think the shift towards “gently cooked” products is one of the most exciting changes happening in the pet food industry right now. It reflects a broader movement towards the authenticity, freshness, and transparency that consumers are looking for – for themselves and their pets.
We’re also seeing rapid growth in the development of functional nutrition and treats as part of a sustained wellbeing trend.
I’m really excited about the work we’re doing connected with these trends, in particular the processes we’re working on to preserve taste and nutrients while delivering high levels of safety and consistency. Watch this space!
