Services Provided

Food Spectrum provides a full array of strategic consulting services to the food industry, and services food retailers and foodservice organizations, manufacturers of value-added food products, food industry startups and entrepreneurs, food industry suppliers and service providers, food industry trade associations, and private equity investment groups.  Our services include the following:

Corporate Strategy and Open Innovation

  • Strategic Planning
  • Corporate Development, including Assistance with Mergers, Acquisitions, Divestitures, Strategic Alliances, and Joint Ventures
  • Global Best Practices in Open Innovation, Partnerships and Collaborative Development
  • Industry Best Practice Assessment
  • Corporate Core Competency and Business Infrastructure Assessment
  • Executive and Organizational Coaching and Mentoring
  • Interim Corporate Leadership

New Business, Product and Process Development and Technology Transfer

  • New Business Strategy, Focus, and Development
  • Competitive Assessment and Profiling
  • Product, Process, and Packaging Strategy
  • New Product Ideation, Innovation, and Development from Concept to Commercialization
  • Integrated Marketing and Public Relations Strategy
  • Quantitative and Qualitative Consumer Research and Analysis
  • Cooperative Research Agreements
  • Technology Commercialization and IP Assessment
  • Commercialization testing, and Access to USDA and FDA-Inspected University Facilities for Product/Process Evaluation and Test Marketing
  • Co-packer Selection and Management

Quality Assurance and Food Safety Systems

  • Subject Matter Expertise in Food Technology, Food Safety, and Food Quality
  • Risk Assessment of Suppliers, Businesses, Products and/or Processes
  • Crisis management and Product Recall Strategy, Plan Development, and Training
  • Cold Chain Management Strategy and Systems
  • Food Safety and Quality Audits of Suppliers and Potential Strategic Partners
  • Third-Party Auditing Program Development and Monitoring
  • Business Continuity Plan Assessment and Development – Incorporating Food Safety, Food Defense, and Emergency Preparedness
  • Quality Assurance Policy Development – HACCP, SOP’s, SSOP’s, GMP’s and GAP’s, and preparation for GFSI Certification
  • Microbiological and Analytical Testing Protocol and Guidance
  • “Train the Trainer” and Workforce Development Programs in Food Safety Education

Facility, Equipment and Process Design and Engineering

  • Product/Process Design and Equipment Selection – for value-added products that include prepared meat, poultry and seafood products; fresh-cut fruits, vegetables, and blends; entrees and meal components; soup, sauces and stews; side dishes, salads and salsa; pasta products; sandwiches and wraps; pizzas and pies; breads, muffins, and specialty bakery products; beverages, juices and purees; dips and dressings; jams and jellies; dehydrated products, blended seasonings, flavorings, rubs, teas, coffees, etc.
  • Plant/Process design and engineering utilizing CAD
  • Sanitary design, and compliance with best practices with HACCP; local, state, and federal regulatory authorities; and with organic, gluten-free, kosher, halal, and/or other special dietary requirements
  • Hurdle Technology Development, and shelf-life extension expertise in an array of formulation, processing, packaging, and distribution technologies including cook-chill, modified atmosphere packaging, sous vide, acidification, high pressure pasteurization, and others. 

Organizational and Operational Enhancements, and Change Management

  • Organizational Assessment and Staffing Optimization
  • Capacity Assessment and Enhancement
  • Performance Management Systems and Metrics
  • Process Engineering and Spend Management Assessment
  • Product Cost and Quality Optimization
  • Change Management Strategy
  • Education, Training and Knowledge Transfer Programs that Lead to Integration
    of Industry Best Practices