Hardware Podcasts

R&D RADIO: Commercialization, Pilot Runs, and Scaling Food Products the Right Way with Jamie Valenti-Jordan

The Startup CPG Podcast · 22 Jun 2026 · 29m · Episode 327

What this episode covers

Jamie Valenti-Jordan, founder of Catapult Commercialization Services, explains the iterative nature of commercializing food products, emphasizing that founders must navigate trade-offs between product characteristics and safety metrics like water activity and pH. He advises against skipping pilot-scale production, recommending founders leverage equipment manufacturers' pilot labs to de-risk the transition from benchtop to full-scale co-manufacturing. Valenti-Jordan also discusses the strategic use of natural flavors versus whole ingredients and highlights that successful founders are those who listen to multiple stakeholders, including consumers and investors, rather than relying on stubborn internal opinions.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Catapult Commercialization Services, Hampton Creek, PepsiCo
Also
Erewhon, Berkeley Bowl, Whole Foods, Walmart

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