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Our Product Development Process

From concept to shelf.

We bring your vision to life by working closely with you from the ground up, combining creativity and technical insight to craft a product that stands out in flavor, quality, and performance.

Steps, brief to launch
5
See how quality is kept on the record
Team member in a lab coat and safety glasses checking a small container beside production equipment
Product developer in an Allen Flavors lab coat pouring a yellow beverage sample from a beaker into glass bottles
Racked warehouse bays of palletized, bagged ingredients
Six bar samples on parchment paper beside cups of dry ingredients and an Allen Flavors box
Blue drums and bagged ingredients on pallet racks down a long warehouse aisle
A row of labeled Allen Flavors sample bottles holding pink, red and amber liquids
Five Steps · One Partner

The Process

Five steps.
One partner.

We create products built to stand out on the shelf, resonate in the market, and position you for long-term success.

01

Share your Vision

We start by understanding your vision: your target market, desired flavor profile, product format, regulatory requirements, and timeline. Our team asks the right questions and provides thoughtful feedback and recommendations along the way to set the foundation for a successful project.

In focusMarket · Profile · Timeline
In this step
  • Target market & positioning analysis
  • Flavor profile brief development
  • Regulatory & certification requirements
  • Timeline & volume planning

02

Craft a Sample

Our product developers work alongside our experienced flavorists to create custom products and flavors tailored to your exact specifications. We draw from thousands of ingredients, including 600+ certified organic options, to bring your vision to life!

In focusFlavorists · Product Developers · Custom Formulation
In this step
  • Custom flavor sample creation
  • Multiple profile options
  • Application-specific optimization
  • Organic & natural formulation

03

Perfect the Product

Refine your product alongside our experts until it meets your exact specifications and is ready for final approval.

In focusOrganoleptic · Stability · Finalization
In this step
  • Fine-Tune Formulation
  • Formula Optimization & Finalization
  • Organoleptic Evaluation

04

Commercialization

Once the product is approved, we support a seamless transition from development to production. Our team ensures your product is scalable, compliant, and optimized for commercial success, without compromising taste or quality.

In focusScale-Up · Compliance · Validation
In this step
  • Scale-up from bench to pilot to full production
  • Cost optimization & ingredient availability review
  • Regulatory & labeling alignment (organic, natural, etc.)
  • Application performance validation in real-world conditions
  • Ongoing support for refinements post-launch

05

Achieve Success Together

Our partnership doesn't end at launch. We continue working alongside you to ensure your product thrives in the market and evolves with your brand. Through ongoing collaboration, technical support, and innovation, we help you expand your portfolio with strategic line extensions, refine existing flavors, and respond to new trends as they emerge.

In focusPartnership · Support · Innovation
In this step
  • Ongoing collaboration & technical support
  • Strategic line extensions
  • Flavor refinements
  • New-trend response

The partnership travels with it

One team, from brief to bottle and beyond.

The five steps run the full length of development. Your team and ours work side by side at every one, and the partnership doesn't end at launch.

Share your Vision
Craft a Sample
Perfect the Product
Commercialization
Achieve Success Together
Fresh blood orange, cassis, and vanilla beside a beaker of deep-crimson liquid and a finished bottle

Our Promise

Together, we will make the world taste better!

Every step of our process is designed to elevate your idea into something exceptional.

The reading room

Before you start

What new partners ask most.

01How long does custom flavor development take?

Typical custom flavor development takes 1-3 weeks from initial brief to approved sample, depending on complexity and ingredient availability.

02What information do you need to start a project?

For Flavor: We need your target product application, desired flavor profile & legislation, format preference, any certification requirements, target usage rate, volume estimates, and timeline. For finished products: We need desired flavor profile, container size and format, any certification requirements, volume estimates, timeline, and nutritional and regulatory requirements specific to the project.

03How do I request a sample?

You can request samples through the sample request form on our website! Sample requests for flavors are typically delivered within 1-2 business days, while custom flavor development and beverage formulations take a little longer.

04What happens after I approve a flavor?

We lock the formulation and prepare for production, providing a specification sheet, recommended usage rates, storage guidelines, and pricing for your target volumes.

Didn't find your answer?

Contact our team
Ready when you are

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