text: What is a Food Product Development Consultant? | HSR Associates
  Home / Blog / What is a Food Product Development Consultant?
  You may wonder, "Why is it important to hire an expert food product development consultant? Can't I do a lot of that work myself?" The key word in that question is expert. There are a lot of complex steps involved in making your new food or beverage product idea a success. You value your idea, so it's important to place it in the hands of someone who not only values it as much as you do, but who is also an expert at delivering your idea from the kitchen to the marketplace.
  In this blog, the team at HSR Associates provides an overview of what the process can look like. We'll also talk about why it's essential to work with an expert consultant for your food startup.
  A food product development consultant works hand-in-hand with chefs and food technologists to refine your recipe. Your consultant takes maximum advantage of commercialization opportunities and identifies and overcomes potential obstacles. He or she also develops the best plan for how to compete with other products. Here's how this process typically looks:
  A chef or copacker develops samples of your recipe, representing the most competitive flavors
  After multiple rounds of evaluation, the samples are narrowed down to 3-5 flavors that are distinctive, remarkable, and have the best chance of success
  The chef, along with food scientists in the laboratory, finalize the commercial recipe and production model. This includes identification of commercial ingredients, removal of harmful pathogens, maximization of shelf stability, and development of Nutritional Facts for the packaging.
  Every expert food product development consultant knows that great packaging is key. As we discussed in our last blog, food package design can make or break a new food product – and there's a lot that goes into developing successful packaging. An expert consultant helps you design a brand logo, obtain UPC codes, register your trademark, recommend types of packaging to maximize shelf life and freshness, and produce the final package art in collaboration with designers and photographers.
  A skilled consultant knows the market and competitive environment well. They also know why most new food products fail. They use their expertise to analyze the market, target the right audience, prepare a competitive price list, and develop sales presentation materials that will stand out in order to launch the product into retail trade.
  HSR Associates: Expert Food Product Development Consultant
  Why is it so important to hire an expert food product development consultant? Because if you want your new product to succeed, you'll need an expert who respects your idea and is passionate about its success. The process can vary greatly depending on your product and your market. That means the expert needs to be with you every step of the way, from refining the recipe and perfecting the packaging to conquering the competition at launch.