017: What It Takes to Launch an Exceptional Food Product with Values with MJ Kinney

<p><em><span style="font-weight: 400;"> "Plant-based was born and became adopted by the industry because this is not necessarily a vegan product, but it has some of these same values." -MJ Kinney</span></em></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Creating a plant-based food product is no small feat— from developing a nutritious and flavorful recipe to designing your labeling and packaging, and eventually coming up with a strategy for getting your products into the hands of potential consumers. </span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">It takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and passion to get to your first sale. But if you have a great idea for a plant-based product, it can be extremely rewarding both personally and professionally.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">In this episode, Justine sits with MJ Kinney, the founder and Principal Food Scientist at</span> <a href="https://www.farescience.com/"><span style= "font-weight: 400;">FareScience</span></a><span style= "font-weight: 400;">. MJ works in the advancement of plant-based food products in terms of nutrition, taste, price, and scalability. Her work in moving food science forward is not only tailored with the society's need for better alternatives but also to promote product development with values.</span></p> <p> </p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">Listen in as Justine and MJ discuss the necessary steps in launching a plant-based food product— from concept building, to finding the right contract manufacturers, and from making sure your product follows the plant-based values to finally seeing your own products in store shelves. They also talk about the shaming around vegetarianism and veganism, how plant-based was born, and how long it takes to launch your product.</span></p> <p><br /> <br /></p> <p><strong>Meet MJ: </strong></p> <p><span style="font-weight: 400;">MJ Kinney uses her specialized scientific, social, and commercial knowledge to develop exceptional food products that do well for both producers and