The Food Lab

Manon Galizzi
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I’m a flavour expert and food scientist with 10+ years’ experience helping food and drink brands create products that taste as good as they promise. In this podcast, I share how to Create clean-label, planted-based and allergen-free launch-ready products, Choose the right flavour direction, and Fix underperforming products. No jargon, no off-the-shelf solutions, just food science, flavour strategy, and expert insight to make flavour your competitive advantage.

  1. FEB 9

    #11 How To Know When Your Product Is Actually Ready To Launch?

    You've done the trials. The product is really good. But you're not launching. Because what if it could be better? What if it's not perfect yet? Here's the truth: it will never be perfect. And waiting for perfection is keeping your product off shelves while your competitors are building their customer base. In this episode: Real client story: When personal preference nearly killed a launchWhy "perfect" is costing you thousands in lost revenueThe 5-question readiness checklist to know if you should launchLaunch and learn: Why you'll need to tweak after launch anyway (and that's okay)How to tell the difference between "not ready" and "not perfect" 💌 Want to dive deeper? Read the full ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠transcript of this episode here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you found this episode helpful, leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on whatever platform you're listening to this podcast. Your review genuinely helps this podcast grow and makes it more visible to other food and drink brands who are struggling with the same challenges you might be facing. 🙏 ________________________________________________ 👋 Hi, I'm Manon Galizzi, a food scientist and flavour expert with over 10 years in the food industry. If your food or drink product sales are dropping, reviews keep saying the taste isn't right, or you're launching something plant-based or functional but can't figure out which flavours will actually work, you are not alone! I see this all the time with the brands I work with. That's why I help established food and drink brands create products from scratch, choose the right flavour direction, or fix flavours that just aren't performing. And here's the thing: unlike most flavour houses or co-man that just throw samples at you and disappear, I actually guide you through the entire process. I stay with you, tweak on the day, and help you understand what's really happening in your product. Because here's the truth research keeps showing year after year: flavour is the number one driver of repeat purchase. Get it right, and your customers keep coming back. Get it wrong, and they buy once and never return. In each episode, I share what I've learned from helping food and drink brands like yours, turning confused tastings into confident decisions, and underperforming products into ones that actually sell. 👋 Connect with me directly on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠a href="https://www.instagram.com/epicsi.uk/" rel="noopener noreferrer"...

    14 min

  2. FEB 2

    #10 The Supply Chain Change That Destroyed A Product

    Your product was perfect. Then suddenly it doesn't taste the same anymore. What happened? Nine times out of ten, someone in your supply chain switched suppliers without telling your R&D team. Because "it's the same ingredient on paper." Except it's not. In this episode: - Real client story: How a cocoa powder switch undid 6 months of development work in weeks - Why "same ingredient on paper" ≠ same in your product - The hidden costs of switching suppliers without testing - How to protect your product from procurement decisions that destroy taste - The one diagnostic question to ask when your product changes 💌 Want to dive deeper? Read the full ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠transcript of this episode here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you found this episode helpful, leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on whatever platform you're listening to this podcast. Your review genuinely helps this podcast grow and makes it more visible to other food and drink brands who are struggling with the same challenges you might be facing. 🙏 ________________________________________________ 👋 Hi, I'm Manon Galizzi, a food scientist and flavour expert with over 10 years in the food industry. If your food or drink product sales are dropping, reviews keep saying the taste isn't right, or you're launching something plant-based or functional but can't figure out which flavours will actually work, you are not alone! I see this all the time with the brands I work with. That's why I help established food and drink brands create products from scratch, choose the right flavour direction, or fix flavours that just aren't performing. And here's the thing: unlike most flavour houses or co-man that just throw samples at you and disappear, I actually guide you through the entire process. I stay with you, tweak on the day, and help you understand what's really happening in your product. Because here's the truth research keeps showing year after year: flavour is the number one driver of repeat purchase. Get it right, and your customers keep coming back. Get it wrong, and they buy once and never return. In each episode, I share what I've learned from helping food and drink brands like yours, turning confused tastings into confident decisions, and underperforming products into ones that actually sell. 👋 Connect with me directly on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/manon-galizzi-94700666/"...

    12 min
  3. #9 Why "Free" Flavour Development Is Costing You Thousands

    JAN 26

    #9 Why "Free" Flavour Development Is Costing You Thousands

    That "free flavour development" from your flavour house or contract manufacturer? It might be the most expensive decision you make. After working inside a flavour house, I'm sharing what really happens when smaller brands rely on free development, and why it often ends up costing thousands in wasted time, delayed launches, and underperforming products. In this episode: - The 5 hidden costs of free flavour development nobody tells you about - Why 6 months of "free" samples can cost more than strategic guidance upfront - When free development makes sense (and when it absolutely doesn't) - The IP trap that leaves brands stuck with their co-manufacturer - Real cost comparison: free vs strategic flavour work 📄Want some help with my French accent? Read the full ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠transcript of this episode here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💌If you never want to miss an episode, and want weekly tips around flavour profile and food and drink product development, subscribe to my Newsletter. And if you found this episode helpful, leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on whatever platform you're listening to this podcast. Your review genuinely helps this podcast grow and makes it more visible to other food and drink brands who are struggling with the same challenges you might be facing. 🙏 ________________________________________________ 👋 Hi, I'm Manon Galizzi, a food scientist and flavour expert with over 10 years in the food industry. If your food or drink product sales are dropping, reviews keep saying the taste isn't right, or you're launching something plant-based or functional but can't figure out which flavours will actually work, you are not alone! I see this all the time with the brands I work with. That's why I help established food and drink brands create products from scratch, choose the right flavour direction, or fix flavours that just aren't performing. And here's the thing: unlike most flavour houses or co-man that just throw samples at you and disappear, I actually guide you through the entire process. I stay with you, tweak on the day, and help you understand what's really happening in your product. Because here's the truth research keeps showing year after year: flavour is the number one driver of repeat purchase. Get it right, and your customers keep coming back. Get it wrong, and they buy once and never return. In each episode, I share what I've learned from helping food and drink brands like yours, turning confused tastings into confident decisions, and underperforming products into ones that actually sell. 👋 Connect with me directly on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠a...

    20 min
  4. #8 When A Food Scientist Tried To Sabotage My Clean-Label Product (And Why We Proved Them Wrong)

    JAN 19

    #8 When A Food Scientist Tried To Sabotage My Clean-Label Product (And Why We Proved Them Wrong)

    We spent months perfecting a clean-label plant-based product. No additives. No seed oils. No compromises. Then we booked a pilot plant run with a food scientist who, within minutes, tried to convince my client to add everything we'd worked to avoid. This is the story of what happened when traditional food science thinking clashed with clean-label values, and why we proved them completely wrong. In this episode: • Real client story: How a food scientist dismissed clean-label as "impossible" without even tasting the product • Why traditional food science training creates an additives-first mindset • The 4 pilot runs that proved clean-label can work (without compromising) • Red flags when working with food scientists and production facilities • How to protect your brand values when "experts" try to talk you out of them 💌 Want to dive deeper? Read the full ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠transcript of this episode here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you found this episode helpful, leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on whatever platform you're listening to this podcast. Your review genuinely helps this podcast grow and makes it more visible to other food and drink brands who are struggling with the same challenges you might be facing. 🙏 _____________________________________________________________ 👋 Hi, I'm Manon Galizzi, a food scientist and flavour expert with over 10 years in the food industry. If your food or drink product sales are dropping, reviews keep saying the taste isn't right, or you're launching something plant-based or functional but can't figure out which flavours will actually work, you are not alone! I see this all the time with the brands I work with. That's why I help established food and drink brands create products from scratch, choose the right flavour direction, or fix flavours that just aren't performing. And here's the thing: unlike most flavour houses or co-man that just throw samples at you and disappear, I actually guide you through the entire process. I stay with you, tweak on the day, and help you understand what's really happening in your product. Because here's the truth research keeps showing year after year: flavour is the number one driver of repeat purchase. Get it right, and your customers keep coming back. Get it wrong, and they buy once and never return. In each episode, I share what I've learned from helping food and drink brands like yours, turning confused tastings into confident decisions, and underperforming products into ones that actually sell. 👋 Connect with me directly on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/manon-galizzi-94700666/"...

    15 min
  5. #7 2026 Flavour & Consumer Trends

    JAN 12

    #7 2026 Flavour & Consumer Trends

    Pineapple is flavour of the year. Gochujang is trending. Functional ingredients are everywhere. But should you jump on these trends? Maybe. But only if they fit YOUR product base, brand, and consumers. Because chasing trends without strategy is how brands waste thousands launching products that flop. In this episode: • 7 major flavour and consumer trends shaping 2026 (from fermented flavours to healthy ageing) • Why "trendy" doesn't mean "right for your product"• The 3-step framework to evaluate if a trend is worth pursuing • Real examples: When trends work vs. when they destroy products • The critical warning every brand needs before chasing flavour of the year 💌 Want to dive deeper? Read the full ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠transcript of this episode here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you found this episode helpful, leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on whatever platform you're listening to this podcast. Your review genuinely helps this podcast grow and makes it more visible to other food and drink brands who are struggling with the same challenges you might be facing. 🙏 _____________________________________________________________ 👋 Hi, I'm Manon Galizzi, a food scientist and flavour expert with over 10 years in the food industry. If your food or drink product sales are dropping, reviews keep saying the taste isn't right, or you're launching something plant-based or functional but can't figure out which flavours will actually work, you are not alone! I see this all the time with the brands I work with. That's why I help established food and drink brands create products from scratch, choose the right flavour direction, or fix flavours that just aren't performing. And here's the thing: unlike most flavour houses or co-man that just throw samples at you and disappear, I actually guide you through the entire process. I stay with you, tweak on the day, and help you understand what's really happening in your product. Because here's the truth research keeps showing year after year: flavour is the number one driver of repeat purchase. Get it right, and your customers keep coming back. Get it wrong, and they buy once and never return. In each episode, I share what I've learned from helping food and drink brands like yours, turning confused tastings into confident decisions, and underperforming products into ones that actually sell. 👋 Connect with me directly on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or via my ⁠⁠a...

    18 min
  6. #6 What I Learned Fixing Flavours in 2025 | Year-End Reflections & Case Studies

    12/30/2025

    #6 What I Learned Fixing Flavours in 2025 | Year-End Reflections & Case Studies

    2025 has been a year of incredible learning, challenging projects, and some hard-won lessons about what really works when it comes to flavour strategy. And if you're a food and drink brand launching something new in 2026 or struggling with a product that's not performing, these insights might just save you months of back and forth. This year, I worked on some of the most challenging projects I've ever taken on. A 16-month plant-based barista milk that had to foam properly, stay stable in coffee, and use only clean-label ingredients. Functional products with earthy, bitter, fishy bases that required thinking completely outside the box. And I kept hearing the same thing from brands: "I wish I'd found you sooner. We've received a lot of samples from our supplier/co-manufacturer and we're not getting anywhere." Here's what I realised. Food and drink brands know they need flavours, but they don't know there's a strategic process for selecting the right flavour profile for their specific base. They think it's just "ask for vanilla" or "add some fruit juice concentrate" and that's it. But a vanilla is not just a vanilla. In this episode, I share: Why I simplified from 9 services to 3 (Create, Choose, Fix)The brands I love working with (clean label, plant-based, functional, allergen-free)What I learned from 16 months developing a barista milk from scratchWhy brands come to me after wasting hundreds of samples elsewhereThe gap in understanding that's costing brands time and moneyWhat's coming in 2026 (guest interviews, webinars, and more ways to connect) Thank you for being part of this journey. Let's make 2026 even better. 💌 Want to dive deeper? Read the full ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠transcript of this episode here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you found this episode helpful, leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on whatever platform you're listening to this podcast. Your review genuinely helps this podcast grow and makes it more visible to other food and drink brands who are struggling with the same challenges you might be facing. 🙏   _____________________________________________________________ 👋 Hi, I'm Manon Galizzi, a food scientist and flavour expert with over 10 years in the food industry. If your food or drink product sales are dropping, reviews keep saying the taste isn't right, or you're launching something plant-based or functional but can't figure out which flavours will actually work, you are not alone! I see this all the time with the brands I work with. That's why I help established food and drink brands create products from scratch, choose the right flavour direction, or fix flavours that just aren't performing. And here's the thing: unlike most flavour houses or co-man that just throw samples at you and disappear, I actually guide you through the entire process. I stay with you, tweak on the day, and help you understand what's really happening in your product. Because here's the truth research keeps showing year after year: flavour is the number one driver of repeat purchase. Get it right, and your customers keep coming back. Get it wrong, and they buy once and never return. In each episode, I share what I've learned from helping food and drink brands like yours, turning confused tastings into confident...

    13 min
  7. #5 Why Popular Flavours Don't Work | Plant-Based Protein Case Study

    12/16/2025

    #5 Why Popular Flavours Don't Work | Plant-Based Protein Case Study

    I have created something special for you! If you are tired of doing endless back and forth with your supplier and still not understanding why your product isn't performing, Download The Flavour Blueprint⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a free step-by-step guide based on the process I use with my clients. It shows you exactly what's wrong with your flavours and how to fix it, so you can stop guessing and start acting. Your product launched a few years ago with all the "safe" flavours: chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, caramel. It did well at first. But now sales are slipping, competitors are catching up, and you're thinking... these are popular flavours. They should be working. What's going on? If you're a food and drink brand experiencing declining sales and you've already tried going back to your flavour house (back and forth, more samples, nothing's making a difference), this case study is for you. I recently worked with a plant-based protein brand facing exactly this situation. It took 150 trials across their six flavours to fix it, but we got it right. And what we discovered completely changed how they think about flavours. Here's the thing: they were asking the wrong question. Instead of "which flavours are most popular?" they should have been asking "which flavour profile will actually work with my base?" In this episode, I walk you through: The biggest mistake food and drink brands make when choosing flavoursWhy their Madagascan vanilla tasted like Play-Doh (I'm not joking)The exact process I used to fix all six flavours (from my Fix package)How we ran structured workshops to identify the right flavour profilesWhy "chocolate brownie" and "banana bread" emerged naturally from tasting sessionsThe four common mistakes food and drink brands make with flavour houses You don't need luck. You need a proper flavour strategy. 💌 Want to dive deeper? Read the full ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠transcript of this episode here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ If you found this episode helpful, leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on whatever platform you're listening to this podcast. Your review genuinely helps this podcast grow and makes it more visible to other food and drink brands who are struggling with the same challenges you might be facing. 🙏   _____________________________________________________________ 👋 Hi, I'm Manon Galizzi, a food scientist and flavour expert with over 10 years in the food industry. If your food or drink product sales are dropping, reviews keep saying the taste isn't right, or you're launching something plant-based or functional but can't figure out which flavours will actually work, you are not alone! I see this all the time with the brands I work with. That's why I help established food and drink brands create products from scratch, choose the right flavour direction, or fix flavours that just aren't performing. And here's the thing: unlike most flavour houses or co-man that just throw samples at you and disappear, I actually guide you through the entire process. I stay with you, tweak on the day, and help you understand what's really happening in your product. Because...

    21 min
  8. 30 November - Your Food Product Development Questions Answered

    11/30/2025

    30 November - Your Food Product Development Questions Answered

    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to download The Flavour Blueprint⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, a free guide based on the process I use with my clients to fix underperforming food and drink products. We made it! This is the final episode of my 30-day podcast challenge, and I'm doing something different today, answering YOUR questions about product development, flavours, and everything in between. If you're a food and drink brand struggling with product development decisions, wondering how to choose the right flavours, or curious about what's coming next in the industry, this episode is packed with answers. I've been getting so many messages from listeners asking about my services, about flavour trends, about the biggest mistakes brands make, so let's tackle them all in one place. Honestly, these are the questions I wish more brands would ask before they waste time and money going in the wrong direction. In this Q&A episode, I cover: My three service packages explained: Create, Choose, and Fix (and what's included in each)The #1 mistake food and drink brands makeThe 5 biggest flavour trends for 2026My step-by-step process for choosing the right flavour for your next launchWhy "I like it" doesn't help product development at allWhat new affordable services I'm creating for 2025 (I want YOUR input!) Thank you for following along this entire challenge. Your support means everything 🙏. 💌 Want to dive deeper? Read the full ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠transcript of this episode here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠ 📩 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Get my free newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and join hundreds of founders and brand teams learning how to make their food & drink products taste better, scale smoother, and sell faster.   If you want to design food or drink products that taste perfect for your consumers, hit those repeat purchases, and see your sales go through the roof — there’s no luck or miracle involved. You need a flavour strategy.   👋 Hi, I am Manon Galizzi, a food scientist and flavour expert with over 10 years in the food industry. In each episode, I share what I’ve learned from helping food and drink brands create new products from scratch, choose the right flavour direction, or fix products that just aren’t performing. Because flavour isn’t just a nice-to-have — it’s the number one reason people buy.   👋 Connect with me directly on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠or ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.   If you enjoy this podcast, leave a ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ review on Spotify or Apple Podcast, it really help developing the podcast, and share with a fellow food or drink founder that will benefit from it! 🙏

    16 min
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About

I’m a flavour expert and food scientist with 10+ years’ experience helping food and drink brands create products that taste as good as they promise. In this podcast, I share how to Create clean-label, planted-based and allergen-free launch-ready products, Choose the right flavour direction, and Fix underperforming products. No jargon, no off-the-shelf solutions, just food science, flavour strategy, and expert insight to make flavour your competitive advantage.

Information

  • Creator
    Manon Galizzi
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    42
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © EPICSI
  • Show Website
    The Food Lab