Startups

You have a great product idea, and you know it’s a real winner. But transitioning it to a shelf-stable, ready-to-sell product is quite daunting. You want to make sure your finished product is FDA/USDA compliant, won’t spoil, yet still has an amazing flavor.

But where do you start? How do you know if you’re meeting all the legal requirements? How do you know how long your product will safely last on the shelf, without spoiling or causing a food poisoning outbreak?

You could spend weeks or months of time on Google, trying to figure out the answers. But every week your product isn’t on the shelf is another week of lost potential income. And you’d still run the risk of getting something wrong, and having the FDA recall your product.

Our “Kitchen to Shelf” package is for you!

Designed especially for food and beverage Start Ups, this package gives you everything you need to make sure your product is FDA/USDA compliant, won’t spoil, yet still has an amazing flavor.

Siena Development Group’s team of scientists will work closely with you to extend the shelf life of your product (no spoilage or food poisoning!) At the same time, our flavorists work hard to ensure that your product will taste great— we never compromise on flavor. We’ll also assist you with the FDA/USDA paperwork you need in order to have your product legal for sale at grocery stores throughout the country.

The end result? A finished product that you can be proud to put on the shelf, and the peace of mind that comes from knowing that you won’t have product recalls or FDA/USDA problems.

The package also includes:

• Commercialization of your recipe – Commercial food and beverage production is different than making something in a kitchen. The machines are different, the parameters are different, and each co-packer has a specific specialty/focus. And manufacturers have to worry about unannounced visits from the FDA!  Just because something is easy to do in a kitchen, doesn’t make it easy to do in a commercial setting. We’ll help you adapt your recipe to make it streamlined for a commercial setting.
• Nutritional Analysis, Nutritional Attributes and Health Claims – The FDA has very strict laws about health claims for food. Even a small mistake on your label claims can result in hefty fines or product removal from the market. We’ll help you navigate the FDA laws and alert you to any potential FDA violations before your product ever gets to market.
• Bar Code – Every commercial food/beverage item is required to have an official barcode in order to be sold in stores. We can supply you with an approved barcode for use on your product.
• Insurance – Every commercial food or beverage company is required by law to carry the appropriate insurance. We can connect you to insurance providers familiar with the food industry, who can assist you with your insurance needs.
• Certifications (optional) – Want your product to be Certified Organic or Kosher? We can assist you with certifications, such as Organic, Kosher, Gluten-Free, Non-GMO, Fair Trade, etc.
• Executive Consultation hours – Every product has unique needs, and a unique market strategy. That’s why we also include Executive Consultation hour to address questions such as Branding, pricing/margin architecture, consumer trends, sales strategies, marketing strategies, retail channel development, manufacturing and logistics.

Have questions? Here are answers to some of the most common questions:

1. Are there Natural/Organic preservatives you can use?  Definitely! We have many natural, real-food-based ways of preserving your product to extend its shelf life. Artificial preservatives NOT required.
2.  I want to get my product into Whole Foods. Are you familiar with their criteria?  We are very familiar with Whole Foods requirements, and can make sure your product is Whole Foods compliant.
3. What if I hire you, but don’t like the result? Here at Siena, we take great pride in our work. This includes both the quality of the work we do, and our client-consultant relationships. Before taking on any new project, we do a thorough investigation into what you’re looking for— everything from ingredients to nutritional goals to marketing concepts.  If we don’t feel confident that we can give you an excellent-tasting, FDA compliant product with a reasonable cost/profit ratio, we don’t take your project. Period. We’ll let you know where the challenges are in your current concept, and make suggestion for different directions. We would rather warn you in the beginning and let you make an educated decision about whether to proceed, rather than damage our client-consultant relationship by taking your money and then not being able to deliver.
4. Can you help us with marketing and/or distribution?  There’s a familiar expression “Jack of all trades, Master of none.” Rather than spreading ourselves thin or under-delivering in certain areas, we focus on what we do best: Science with a strong emphasis on great flavor.  Need help with marketing or distribution? We can connect you to expert marketers or distributors who can help you take your brand to the next level.

How much is this going to cost? 

Your product is unique, so it deserves customized pricing. Here at Siena, there are no cookie-cutter solutions. Until we get a deeper understanding of what your project requires, we can’t accurately give you a price.

How do I get a quote?

In order to thoroughly assess the unique needs of your particular process, we need to have a few conversations with you. Here’s how the process goes:

1. Fill out the Form below.  This gives us a basic overview of your product, and an initial glimpse into whether your project is a good fit for our company. If we can’t help you, we’d rather not waste your time. We’ll let you know right away, and if possible we’ll direct you to someone else who can help you.
2. Sign the mutual Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA). Once you submit the form, you’ll receive an email with a link to our NDA. This gives you the peace of mind to discuss your project details, knowing that your intellectual property will be protected. We take client confidentiality extremely seriously, so rest assured that we NEVER share your information with ANYONE— even if you choose not to contract us.
3. Schedule an Initial Development Consultation.  In the same email response, you’ll also receive a link to schedule your Initial complimentary consultation. This is a quick conversation that gives us a clearer understanding of your project idea, and allows us to choose the choose the best Food Scientist to discuss your project in greater detail. Prefer phone? You can also call to schedule your consultation.
4. Schedule a Scientific Consultation.  During your Initial Consultation, we’ll assess which Food Scientist is best suited to review your project.  We’ll then schedule a follow-up Scientific Consultation (also complimentary). During this call, a scientist will discuss your project parameters in greater detail, make recommendations about common pitfalls to avoid, and assess how much work it will take to get your product market-ready.
5. We email you a quote.  After reviewing all the information you provided us, we’ll send you a quote for the cost of your own customized “Kitchen to Shelf” package services, based on your unique project needs.

Ready to bring your idea from the kitchen to the shelf?

Please fill out the following information, and we’ll contact you to discuss your project in greater detail.