# How "Taste to Retain" Built a Billion-Dollar Supplement Brand

- Show: [The Startup CPG Podcast](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast)
- Published: 2026-09-26
- Length: 41m
- Episode: 374
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-startup-cpg-podcast/2026-09-26-how-taste-to-retain-built-a-billion-dollar-supplement-brand
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/37f5009e

## Summary

Hye Rin (Juliet) Choi, VP of Product at Grüns, explains how the company scaled to a billion-dollar acquisition by Unilever through its 'taste to retain' philosophy and rigorous internal R&D. She details the multi-stage testing process, including third-party lab validation with Eurofins, and the decision to bring science, regulatory, and formulation functions in-house to accelerate innovation and ensure quality. Choi highlights that complex gummy formulations often require 30 to 40 iterations to balance taste, texture, and technical feasibility, while emphasizing the critical importance of documentation and version control for scaling operations.

## Outline

1. Introduction: Hye Rin (Juliet) Choi and Grüns Background
2. The 'Taste to Retain' Philosophy and Daily Adherence
3. In-House R&D, Science, and Regulatory Strategy
4. The Multi-Stage Testing Process and Third-Party Labs
5. Gummy Manufacturing Challenges: Texture and Shelf-Life
6. Documentation, Version Control, and IP Protection
7. AI in Product Development and Future Trends

## Topics

- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [Validation & product-market fit](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/validation-and-product-market-fit)
- [Scaling production](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/scaling-production)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [Intellectual property](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/intellectual-property)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- Grüns (company)
- Unilever (company)
- Eurofins (other)
- Johnson & Johnson (company)
- Neutrogena (product)
- Tylenol (product)
- Stanford (other)
- Nootropics (product)
- Simune (product)
- Juice (product)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [169: Critical Testing Stages in New Product Development](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/product-startup/2023-03-30-169-critical-testing-stages-in-new-product-development) (Product Startup)
- [360 - Beyond the Die Line - The pitch was awful. They liked the bar! Tom Seymour and Ree Dolnick](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/people-of-packaging/2026-10-08-360-beyond-the-die-line-the-pitch-was-awful-they-liked-the-bar-tom-seymour-and-r) (People of Packaging)
- [SmartSweets: Tara Bosch](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2024-08-05-smartsweets-tara-bosch) (How I Built This)
- [Advice Line with Katlin Smith of Simple Mills](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2025-01-23-advice-line-with-katlin-smith-of-simple-mills) (How I Built This)
- [Sir Kensington's: Scott Norton and Mark Ramadan](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/how-i-built-this/2023-10-23-sir-kensingtons-scott-norton-and-mark-ramadan) (How I Built This)

## Citing this page

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