INSIGHTS & PERSPECTIVE
Alchemy Journal
Practical perspective on food formulation, manufacturing, commercialization, and the realities of building food and beverage products for the real world.
Newest Article
What Is Food Product Development? From Concept to Commercial Production
Food product development connects concept, formulation, sourcing, validation, packaging, and scale-up. Learn what it takes to move a product toward commercial production.
What Is Food Product Development? From Concept to Commercial Production
Food product development connects concept, formulation, sourcing, validation, packaging, and scale-up. Learn what it takes to move a product toward commercial production.
Essential Reading
Foundational guides on developing, scaling, and commercializing food and beverage products.
How to Launch a Food or Beverage Product: A Step-by-Step Guide
Learn how to launch a food or beverage product through four practical stages: discovery, formulation, scale-up, co-man selection, and commercialization.
How to Choose a Co-Manufacturer: The Ultimate Guide
Learn how to choose a co-manufacturer for your food or beverage brand with this step-by-step guide. Understand the difference between co-mans and co-packers, what
How to Develop a Clean Label Food Product: Ingredients, Formulation, and Scale-Up
A practical guide to developing a clean label food product—from defining ingredient standards and replacing functionality to validating shelf life and scaling production.
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Product Development
Food Shelf Life Testing: What Brands Need to Know Before Commercial Production
Food shelf life testing is not simply a final laboratory check. Learn how formulation, manufacturing, packaging, storage, and distribution work together to determine whether
Ingredient Functionality in Food Formulation: Why Ingredient Substitutions Are Never One-for-One
Ingredient substitutions are rarely simple swaps. Learn how ingredient functionality connects formulation, manufacturing, shelf life, sourcing, and commercial performance.
Food Formulation: What It Takes to Build a Product for Commercial Production
Food formulation is the process of designing the ingredient system, proportions, and production method that allow a food or beverage product to achieve defined
Strategy & Operations
6 CPG Packaging Problems That Are Killing Your Momentum
For new and scaling CPG brands, packaging decisions can quietly lock up cash, delay launches, inflate fulfillment costs, and block retail expansion—long before demand
10 CPG Industry Truths Every New Brand Should Know
Breaking into the CPG industry is no small feat. This guide outlines 10 essential lessons—covering co-packers, manufacturing, scaling, and cash flow—that every new brand
News & Trends
Why Are You Really Using Allulose?
The recent Franco v. Chobani decision has raised new questions about allulose—but the real issue goes beyond labeling. For many brands, allulose supports not
The Hall Pass Wasn’t the Rule: Lessons from the Chobani Allulose Lawsuit
A federal appeals court’s decision in the Chobani allulose lawsuit exposes a critical distinction many food companies overlook: FDA enforcement discretion is not the
Fiber Innovations Shaping the Future of Food
Fiber innovation is accelerating as brands respond to the widening fiber intake gap, rising GLP-1 use, and growing demand for clean-label functionality. From resistant