Product Development Consulting
A Food Scientist in Your Corner — Before You Learn the Expensive Way
Independent, science-based consulting for food entrepreneurs and startups bringing a new product to market.
Most food founders don't have a PhD food scientist on staff. That's exactly who I am, and what I do. I work directly with you — on formulation, ingredients, shelf life, process, and packaging — so your product gets to market right, the first time.
Is This You?
You have a product idea. You want to know it'll actually work.
This service is for food entrepreneurs, startup founders, and small food companies at the early-to-mid stages of product development. You might be:
-
Working on a concept and not sure how to validate it before spending real money on development.
-
Deep in formulation, hitting walls with texture, shelf life, or stability — and not sure why.
-
Getting close to production and realizing there are questions you should have answered three months ago.
-
Already on shelf, but dealing with consistency issues or thinking about how to scale.
If any of those sound like you, this is the right place.
The Reality of Food Development
The mistakes people make in food development aren't random. They're predictable — and preventable.
Here's what I see over and over. A founder has a great idea and genuine passion for their product. They invest real money — time, savings, sometimes everything — into getting it to market. And then something goes wrong that a food scientist would have caught in week two.
Shelf life fails at the wrong temperature. The texture changes between pilot and production. An ingredient that worked in the home kitchen doesn't scale. A label claim creates a regulatory issue nobody anticipated.
None of these are signs you had a bad idea. They're signs you needed expert input earlier.
That's where I come in.
Why Work With Me
You need someone who's on your side — not a supplier's.
A lot of food science support comes attached to an ingredient supplier, a co-manufacturer, or a lab with something to sell you. That creates a conflict, even when people don't intend it to.
I'm independent. I'm not tied to any supplier, manufacturer, or ingredient brand. My only job is to help you make the right decisions for your product — based on the science and your specific situation, nothing else.
Here's what I bring to the table:
-
PhD in Food Science — University of Wisconsin–Madison, with research focused on the microstructure of foods like ice cream and emulsified systems.
-
Research and teaching experience across the US and the Netherlands — a global view of how food products get made, sourced, and regulated.
-
Postdoctoral research at Wageningen University in the Netherlands — widely considered one of the world's leading food science institutions.
-
7+ years of university-level teaching in food chemistry, food preservation, and dairy processing — meaning I can explain complex science in plain language.
-
No supplier ties. No manufacturer affiliations. Your success is the only thing I'm working toward.
Services
I meet you where you are in the development process.
Every product is different, and every founder comes in at a different stage. I don't offer a one-size-fits-all package — I work with you to figure out where you need the most help and build from there.
Get In Touch-
Concept Development
Your idea, pressure-tested. Before you invest in formulation, I'll help you evaluate whether your product concept is technically viable, commercially realistic, and built on a foundation that can actually scale. We'll identify the hard questions early — before they become expensive surprises.
-
Formulation & Recipe Optimization
This is where the science lives. Whether you're starting from scratch or troubleshooting an existing formula, I'll help you build a product that hits your goals — taste, texture, stability, shelf life — without cutting corners on the science that holds it together.
-
Ingredient Sourcing
The right ingredients make everything downstream easier. I'll help you understand what you actually need from a functional standpoint, identify suppliers worth considering, and make sure your formula is built on ingredients that are consistent, available, and scalable — not just what happened to be in reach.
-
Process Development
Getting from pilot batch to production is where a lot of products hit unexpected walls. I'll help you develop a process that's efficient, reproducible, and built for scale — so your product performs the same way at 500 units as it did at 50.
Have a challenge that doesn't fit neatly into one of these? Reach out anyway. Most real problems span more than one area, and I'm happy to talk through what you're dealing with.
Product Categories I Work In
-
Dairy & Dairy Alternatives
-
Confectionery
-
Pet Food
-
Dietary Supplements
-
Beverages
-
Packaged Food Products
Don't See Your Category? Reach Out — If I Can Help, I'll Say So. If I Can't, I'll Tell You That Too.
From Concept To Shelf
Your success is my success. With a PhD in food science, postdoctoral research experience, and years of consulting, I'm not just here to give advice — I'm here to be your partner. I genuinely care about getting your product right. Here's a look at some of the products I've helped bring to life.
-
Functional Chocolate Squares — 72% Cacao With Creatine And 12 Essential Vitamins
-
Crispy Rice Treats — Private Label Product Sold Nationally At Walmart
-
Buffalo's Best Sponge Candy — Award-Winning Artisan Confectionery, Featured On Food Network
-
Premium Wisconsin-Made Gelato Using Traditional Italian Techniques And Natural Ingredients
-
Innovative Convenient Pasta Dish — Quality Without Compromise
How It Works
Simple process. Honest communication. No surprises.
-
1
Reach Out
Fill out the inquiry form below with a bit of context about your product and where you're at in the process. I read every submission.
-
2
We Talk
If it looks like a good fit, we'll schedule a call to go deeper. I'll ask questions, you'll ask questions, and we'll figure out together what kind of support makes sense.
-
3
We Get To Work
If we move forward, I'll put together a scope of work based on what you actually need — not a package that was built before I knew anything about your product.