CO-DEVELOPMENT PARTNERSHIP
From formulation challenge to finished product
For over 40 years, manufacturers have come to Food Specialties with formulation challenges. Our in-house lab co-develops custom frozen dessert formulas with you, from a rough idea to a production-ready specification.
Free, no-obligation co-development consultation
NDA protection if needed
Work directly with our qualified & experienced team
Prototype to production scale-up, all in-house
Request a free consultation*
*Free consultations are available to businesses with commercially viable projects that align with our capabilities. Eligible applicants will be contacted.
HOW CO-DEVELOPMENT WORKS
From a rough idea to a production-ready formula
A structured process that takes the guesswork out of custom ingredient development, with you involved at every step.
Share your brief
Tell us your target: flavour, format, texture, base, certifications, and any constraints. A rough idea is enough to start.
Lab develops a prototype
Our R&D team formulates a prototype matched to your application and production conditions, then sends it for evaluation.
Refine together
You taste, we adjust. We iterate on texture, flavour, cost, and label until the formula is exactly right for your product.
Scale to production
We move from approved sample to full production with export-ready documentation, all manufactured in-house.
Co-development works because of what sits behind it: an in-house lab where frozen dessert formulas are developed, tested, and refined. Our formulation library has been built through decades of laboratory work and customer projects. It gives our technical team a proven starting point for new concepts, reformulations and production challenges, helping us move more quickly from brief to prototype.
OUR R&D LAB
At heart, a research & development company
Our annual new-concept tasting
Every year we survey our customers, research global flavour trends, and develop 20+ new concepts in the lab, then present the top five at our annual tasting event. It keeps our customers ahead of the market and keeps us innovating ahead of demand, not just on request.
Testing & validation
A formula isn't finished when it tastes right, it has to survive production, distribution, and shelf life. Our lab runs sensory analysis and shelf-life testing so you launch with confidence, not guesswork.
Frozen dessert formula development, testing, and refinement
Annual new-concept preview tasting (20+ concepts, top 5 presented)
Sensory analysis and shelf-life testing
Production troubleshooting and problem-solving
Non-dairy, vegan, and clean-label formulation
Reduced-sugar and reduced-fat reformulation
WHAT WE CAN DEVELOP WITH YOU
Tell us what you are trying to achieve
New flavour concepts
From a flavour you can almost taste but can't describe, to a finished, repeatable, production-ready formulation.
Private label development
Bespoke, NDA-protected formulas developed exclusively for your brand, from concept through to bulk supply.
Non-dairy & plant-based
Stabilizer systems and bases for oat, almond, coconut, and pea-protein frozen desserts that match dairy on mouthfeel.
Texture & stability fixes
Solving iciness, heat-shock damage, fast melt, gumminess, and inclusion sinking in existing or new products.
Clean label reformulation
Re-engineering products to remove additives, reduce sugar, or hit clean-label targets without losing quality.
Export & compliance
Formulations and documentation built to meet Canadian, US, and UK regulatory and labelling requirements.
Over 40 years of frozen dessert problem-solving experience
Bring us a challenge, and our team will work with you to develop a sample tailored to your application. We make 95% of what we sell, which means we control every variable that affects your product.