Reformulation 101: Improved Products and Better Costs

Brands partner with CuliNEX when they’re ready to enhance the performance of a product or streamline production processes to save money and meet evolving consumer demands. Reformulation can achieve multiple goals such as improving taste, nutrition, food safety, simplifying the ingredient deck and of course, creating cost savings. Reformulation can also reposition a product to adapt to changes in today’s environment, such as tariffs that make ingredients cost-prohibitive, or trends, such as the growth of GLP-1 users.

Reformulating your CPG (Consumer Package Good) product can be a key strategy for maintaining business continuity and margins. Leveraging the expertise of CuliNEX Culinologists® enables internal teams to stay focused on core business operations—often at a lower cost when factoring in labor, time, and productivity.

How CuliNEX Reformulation Saves On Costs

With deep knowledge across virtually every food category, the Culinologists at CuliNEX bring both technical know-how and market insight to every project. Our team works closely with clients to clarify product objectives, audit current formulas, explore ingredient alternatives, test new processes, and manage scale-up. It’s a process defined by efficiency and designed to find cost savings every step of the way.

Our Product Optimization Support saves costs in the following areas by asking these questions:

• Technical formula and process reviews - can we make it less expensive?

• Ingredient discovery and sourcing support - can we source it better?

• Benchtop prototype development - can we develop it more efficiently?

• Sensory testing and evaluation - can we make it more delicious?

• Contract manufacturer research - can we find a better co-man contract?

• Process evaluation and scale-up assistance - can we find economies of scale?
  
  

Clear processes make our partnership efficient

Reformulating an established food product is about preserving what made it a consumer favorite while updating it to lower costs or match today's trends and expectations.

At CuliNEX, product reformulation starts by understanding why the product succeeded in the first place. How can it can evolve to reach new or expanded audiences? That includes updating ingredients, nutritional claims, functional benefits, and brand messaging to make the product more relevant in today’s market.

Our process blends brand heritage with current consumer research, market trend analysis, and competitive reviews. As with all projects, we begin by setting clear development parameters, ensuring the reformulated product aligns with functional and regulatory standards—including nutrition labeling and food law compliance.

Measuring Success

After relaunch, ongoing evaluation is critical. We help brands monitor product performance, collect feedback from consumers and stakeholders, and make informed adjustments to ensure continued success in the market.

Choose What’s Next with CuliNEX

Whether you’re refreshing a classic to stay up to date with new trends or to save costs in this volatile environment, CuliNEX offers the technical and strategic resources you need to stay competitive.

Let’s talk about how we can help you win the battle for time, talent, and development priorities within your organization. We’re the essential partner you didn’t know existed—but won’t want to go without once you get to know us. Let’s create what’s CuliNext—together.

Talk to Our Reformulation Experts. 

Schedule a conversation about your reformulation project today.