Frequently Asked Questions

CalNutri is a comprehensive CPG product development and supply chain solutions company. We're your trusted partner from ideation to commercialization, offering turn-key operations management services for brands in food, beverage, dietary supplements, health & beauty, and animal wellness.

Our leadership team has owned and operated several contract manufacturing companies and has successfully developed, manufactured, and commercialized hundreds of CPG brands over the past 20+ years. We leverage this expertise to streamline your entire product development and supply chain process, allowing you to focus on building your brand and distribution.

We work with brands across five main market segments:

• Food Products: Snacks, bars, functional foods, and innovative food products
• Beverages: Ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages and powdered drink mixes
• Dietary Supplements: Capsules, tablets, powders, gummies, and softgels
• Health & Beauty: Wellness products and topical applications
• Animal Wellness: Premium pet supplements and nutrition products

We serve everyone from early-stage startups with just an idea to established brands looking to optimize their supply chain or launch new product lines.

Absolutely! This is one of our core strengths. We help brands at the ideation phase bring their vision to life through expert product development and formulation. Our team works with you to:

• Understand your vision, target market, and product goals
• Develop custom formulations that meet your specifications
• Navigate regulatory compliance requirements
• Create prototypes and conduct testing
• Refine formulations based on feedback
• Scale to commercial production

We've successfully launched hundreds of products from initial concept to retail-ready goods.

Getting started is simple:

• Step 1: Complete our project inquiry form or contact us directly
• Step 2: We'll schedule an introductory consultation within 24-48 hours
• Step 3: Our team analyzes your requirements and develops a customized proposal
• Step 4: Upon agreement, we begin your project with clear timelines and milestones

The initial consultation is free and allows us to understand your vision, answer questions, and determine if we're the right fit for your needs.

CalNutri offers several unique advantages:

• End-to-End Solutions: Unlike manufacturers who only produce, we manage your entire supply chain from raw materials to retail-ready products
• Industry Veteran Team: Our leadership has owned contract manufacturing facilities and launched hundreds of successful brands
• Pre-Vetted Network: Access our established network of suppliers, manufacturers, and logistics partners built over 20+ years
• Turn-Key Approach: Issue POs directly to us; we handle all procurement and supply chain coordination
• Speed to Market: Streamlined processes reduce time from concept to commercialization by months
• Scalability: We accommodate both small trial batches and large commercial production runs

We offer comprehensive services across the entire product lifecycle:

• Product Development: Custom formulation, prototyping, and optimization
• Supply Chain Sourcing: Ingredient suppliers, packaging, manufacturers, testing labs, and 3PLs
• Turnkey Procurement: Issue POs to us; we manage all supply chain procurement
• Manufacturing Management: Oversight of production from trial batches to commercial scale
• Inventory & Demand Planning: Data-driven planning based on sales velocity and marketing campaigns
• Logistics Management: Freight coordination, warehousing, and distribution
• Regulatory Compliance: Ensuring all products meet industry standards and requirements

Timeline varies based on product complexity and your specific requirements:

• Simple reformulations or existing concepts: 1-3 months
• New product development: 2-6 months
• Complex innovations or novel ingredients: 4-12 months

Our streamlined processes and pre-vetted supply chain network significantly reduce typical development timelines. During your initial consultation, we'll provide a detailed timeline specific to your project. Most brands save 3-6 months compared to managing the process themselves.

Yes, regulatory compliance is a core part of our service. We ensure all products meet or exceed industry and regulatory standards, including:

• FDA compliance for foods, beverages, and supplements
• cGMP (Current Good Manufacturing Practice) requirements
• Supplement facts and nutrition labeling
• Ingredient disclosure and allergen statements
• Claims substantiation and compliance
• Certificate of Analysis (COA) documentation

Our Board of Advisors includes regulatory attorneys and compliance experts who guide our processes. Through our Accelerator program, we also provide access to AI-powered tools that streamline compliant formulation and automated nutrition labeling.

We work with both new product development and existing products. For existing brands, we can:

• Optimize your current supply chain to reduce costs
• Improve manufacturing efficiency and consistency
• Reformulate products for better performance or cost savings
• Scale production as your business grows
• Manage procurement and logistics to free up your bandwidth
• Source alternative suppliers or manufacturers
• Develop line extensions or new SKUs

Many established brands partner with us to handle operational complexity while they focus on sales, marketing, and distribution.

MOQs vary significantly based on product type, format, and manufacturing requirements. Rather than a one-size-fits-all minimum, we work with you to determine the most cost-effective production quantities for your specific situation.

We'll discuss MOQs and recommend the most strategic production quantities during your consultation based on your budget, timeline, and market strategy.

Pricing varies based on your specific needs, product complexity, and scope of services. We offer flexible engagement models:

• Turn-Key Model: Issue finished goods POs to us; pricing includes all procurement, manufacturing, and supply chain management
• Project-Based: Fixed pricing for specific services like product development or supply chain optimization
• Ongoing Management: Retainer-based support for continuous supply chain and operations management

Our pricing is designed to be competitive and transparent. Many clients find that our comprehensive approach actually reduces overall costs by eliminating months of trial-and-error, avoiding costly supplier mistakes, and optimizing the entire supply chain.

Contact us for a customized quote based on your project requirements.

Our fee structure depends on the engagement model:

• Initial Consultation: Free – no cost to explore if we're a good fit
• Product Development Projects: May include an upfront development fee to cover formulation, prototyping, and testing
• Turn-Key Manufacturing: Payment upon completion of finished goods FOB production facility
• Ongoing Management Services: Monthly retainer for continuous support

We structure payment terms to align with project milestones and deliverables. Your proposal will clearly outline all fees, payment schedules, and what's included at each stage.

CalNutri helps brands reduce costs in multiple ways:

• Lower Overhead: Eliminate the need for full-time supply chain, procurement, and operations staff
• Better Pricing: Leverage our volume purchasing power and supplier relationships
• Avoid Mistakes: Our experience prevents costly supplier issues, manufacturing problems, and regulatory complications
• Faster Time-to-Market: Reduce months of delays that tie up capital
• Optimized Inventory: Data-driven planning prevents excess inventory carrying costs
• Efficient Logistics: Coordinated freight and distribution reduces shipping expenses

Our Brand Partners find that partnering with CalNutri increases their bottom line by reducing COGS (Cost of Goods Sold) and operational expenses while accelerating revenue.

No. CalNutri does not require exclusivity or take equity in your brand. You maintain complete ownership and control of your intellectual property, formulations, and brand.

We're a service provider, not an investor or co-owner. Our role is to support your success through expert operations management and supply chain solutions. You're free to work with other partners or bring operations in-house at any time.

Note: Our Accelerator program does provide strategic investment to select emerging brands, but participation is voluntary and separate from our standard services.