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In this Taste Radio interview, Melissa Traverse sits down with Matt Lynn of Belay Solutions at Expo West to unpack the operational growing pains that many CPG founders face as they scale. Drawing from his experience leading inventory accounting for an outsourced finance firm, Matt explains how brands often begin with scrappy systems like spreadsheets before encountering increasing complexity acros...

In this  Taste Radio interview , Ray Latif speaks with  Scott Florentino , Chief Commercial Officer of  Bio-Botanica , about how botanical extracts are powering innovation across today's beverage landscape. Florentino explains how the 50+ year-old, family-run company works with brands to develop high-quality, made-to-order botanical extracts, helping founders bring differentiated products to marke...

In this Taste Radio interview, Ray Latif sits down with Jessica Wellnitz, Director of Business Development at Bay State Milling, to discuss how ingredient partners can play a critical role in helping emerging food brands scale with confidence. Bay State Milling is a nearly 127-year-old, family-owned company now in its fifth generation of leadership. With a mission to build a better food system, th...

In this Taste Radio Interview, host Ray Latif sits down with Liana Salama of the Specialty Food Association to preview the first-ever Winter Fancy Faire* , the reimagined evolution of the Winter Fancy Food Show. Relocated to San Diego and positioned as the first major food and beverage event of the year, the Winter Fancy Faire* is designed to help brands, buyers, and retailers reset after the holi...

In this Taste Radio Interview, host Ray Latif speaks with Keely Johnson, VP of Sales & Marketing at Arjuna Natural , about how the long-standing botanical innovator is pushing functional ingredients forward with its latest breakthrough, Shoden-R® Ashwagandha . Drawing on nearly 40 years of scientific expertise, Arjuna Natural has developed a root-only, 100% water-soluble form of ashwagandha that d...

In this Taste Radio Interview, host Ray Latif speaks with Dena Strehlow, Ph. D., Food Scientist and representative of Magtein by Threotech , about how magnesium is emerging as one of the most in-demand functional ingredients in the beverage industry. With more than 30 years of product development and ingredient science experience, Strehlow explains why magnesium is essential to more than 300 biolo...

In this Taste Radio interview, host Ray Latif sits down with Daniel Tejada, Co-Founder of Straight Up Growth , and Manny Lubin, Co-Founder of Slate Milk , to unpack how the two companies partnered to supercharge Slate's presence on Amazon. SUG has helped CPG brands generate billions in online revenue through strategic planning, data-driven advertising, and content optimization. Slate Milk, one of...

On this episode of Taste Radio, host Ray Latif speaks with Ben Larson, founder and CEO of Vertosa , about how his company is driving the future of cannabis and hemp-infused beverages. Vertosa specializes in creating fast-acting, consistent, and safe active ingredients for some of North America's leading brands, helping them develop products that serve as functional, mainstream alternatives to alco...

In this Taste Radio interview, host Ray Latif speaks with Brian Rosen, founder & CEO of InvestBev , about why his firm focuses on the "disenfranchised" small and midsize beverage brands most investors overlook. A third-generation beverage operator, Rosen explains how InvestBev deploys a mix of equity, credit, acceleration, and even insurance to help emerging alcohol and non-alcohol brands scale fr...

In this Taste Radio conversation, host Ray Latif sits down with Adams Berzins, Innovation Project Manager at Ingredion , to discuss how the company is helping modern food and beverage brands navigate the evolving landscape of sweetness, formulation, and consumer expectations. With 20 years in the industry and deep expertise in sugar reduction, Berzins explains how his creative and scientific backg...

In this Taste Radio Interview, host Ray Latif sits down with Scott Riefler, Chief Science Officer at SoRSE Technology , to discuss how the company is breaking barriers in cannabis-infused products. Riefler shares the story of SoRSE's beginnings, its emulsion technology that transforms cannabis extracts into shelf-stable, water-compatible ingredients, and how this innovation led to the launch of Ha...

On the Brewbound podcast, Ray Latif speaks with Chris O'Connor and David DeLine of Prost Brewing . Founded in Denver in 2012, Prost specializes in German lagers and has since expanded into a 70,000 sq. ft. production facility in Northglenn, Colorado. The company focuses on quality, transparency, and trust , offering full-service co-manufacturing and co-packing for breweries and beyond-beer brands....

In an interview on Taste Radio, ColdTrack's Chief Revenue Officer, Warner Seabird, explained how brands can profitably ship cold and frozen products directly to consumers. He outlined five key strategies: using multiple carriers and regional shippers to get better rates, setting up multiple distribution centers to reduce shipping distance, optimizing packaging size and coolant to lower weight, uti...

Ray from Taste Radio interviews Jillian Wishman of Bay State Milling, a 125-year-old, family-owned company specializing in grain-based food solutions. Jillian highlights their innovative product HealthSense , a high-fiber wheat flour with 10x the fiber of traditional wheat, offering the nutrition of whole wheat in a white flour format—without affecting taste or texture. It's being used in products...

In this episode, David Ames, founder and CEO of Sovereign Flavors, shares how the company partners with CPG brands to develop standout beverages and flavor solutions. With facilities in California and Texas, Sovereign Flavors offers custom formulations for drinks, gummies, bars, and more,  helping both startups and global brands bring ideas to market. David discusses the company's recent expansion...

In a recent episode of Taste Radio, John Bissell, CEO and Co-Founder of Origin Materials, introduces a game-changing innovation: a fully recyclable PET cap designed to replace traditional polypropylene (PP) closures. Built for performance, aesthetics, and scalability, Origin's PET caps offer compatibility with standard formats like 1881, work with off-the-shelf PET (including recycled materials),...

Mark Webster, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at T. Hasegawa USA, joined Taste Radio to spotlight Hasearoma, a cutting-edge analytical flavor technology developed in partnership with their Tokyo-based parent company. This proprietary innovation enables beverage brands to replicate "gold standard" flavors, from Maui pineapple to Japanese Wagyu, delivering unmatched authenticity and impact. With...

In this Taste Radio interview, host Ray Latif interviews Ed Fish, SVP & General Manager of Varietal Solutions at Bay State Milling. Ed discusses the company's commitment to providing innovative plant-based ingredients, including HealthSense high-fiber wheat flour and SowNaked oats, to food manufacturers and restaurants. He highlights how Bay State Milling's extensive expertise in food science and...

In this Taste Radio interview, host Ray Latif interviews Alexis Guetzlaff , Director of Marketing Beer and Non-Alcoholic Beverages at O-I , a global leader in glass packaging. Alexis discusses the benefits of glass packaging in the beverage industry, emphasizing its ability to create a premium experience for consumers. Alexis explains how O-I helps brands differentiate themselves by using glass pa...

In this Taste Radio Interview, host Ray Latif sits down with David Ames, President and Co-Founder of Sovereign Flavors, to discuss the company's role in fueling innovation in the food and beverage industry. David shares his insights from over 30 years in the flavor industry, emphasizing the importance of serving entrepreneurs and offering tailored solutions, regardless of business size. With a com...

Ray Latif sits down with Alexis Guetzlaff, Director of Marketing for Beer and Non-Alcoholic Beverages at O-I, to explore the enduring appeal and strategic value of glass packaging in the beverage industry. With over 15 years of experience in the packaging manufacturing sector, Alexis shares insights into how glass packaging can elevate brand perception, drive consumer engagement, and support premi...

In this interview, Ray chats with Mark Webster, Vice President of Sales and Business Development for T. Hasegawa. Mark provides an overview of T. Hasegawa, a global leader in flavor and fragrance manufacturing since 1903. He discusses the company's journey from its origins in Tokyo to its expansion into North America in 1978, emphasizing their focus on developing custom flavors for food and bevera...

In this interview, Ray chats with Ben Meggs, co-founder and CEO of Bayou City Hemp Company. Ben shares the company's journey from its founding in 2018 following the passage of the Farm Bill, highlighting their strategic transition from the oil and gas industry to the burgeoning cannabis sector. Specializing in THC beverages, Bayou City Hemp utilizes advanced nano-emulsion technology to enhance the...

In this Taste Radio interview, Ray sits down with Dr. Danielle Citrolo, Vice President of Scientific and Regulatory Affairs for Kyowa Hakko USA, to explore IMMUSE, an innovative immune health ingredient. Dr. Citrolo delves into how IMMUSE supports the immune system, reducing the severity and duration of symptoms to promote overall wellness and vitality. As a postbiotic, IMMUSE offers the benefits...

Functionality is table stakes for modern beverage brands. Consumers are looking for more than simple refreshment and they are seeking out products with supplemental ingredients that provide health and wellness benefits. Cognitive health, in particular, is one of the most in demand attributes among functional beverages. Enter Cognizin, a clinically tested and patented form of citicoline that provid...