A person wearing blue gloves and a white coat places a stack of nut and seed bars on a stainless steel conveyor belt in a food production facility.

Flexible Services

At Chau Time, we tailor services to fit your needs, beginning with a thorough consultation. We work together to create and adjust plans for the best results. Our team stays responsive, changing strategies to match your schedule and goals. Clear communication and feedback keep our work on track with your vision. Our flexible method provides personalized solutions that help your organization succeed.

Research & Development

We support in ideation, new product development, new process development, reformulation, reverse engineering, and technology transfer.

Sourcing

We evaluate primary and secondary suppliers of raw materials from ingredients to packaging to equipment domestic and international to the USA.

Regulatory Compliance

We support in creating US FDA nutrition or supplement labels. We provide review and recommendations for US, EU/UK, JAP, MEX, CAN, and LATAM regulatory support. We support compliance to organic, non-GMO, American Heart Health, and Prop 65.

Food Safety Design

We create HACCP plans, process authority letters, and GRAS dossiers to support the appropriate food safety plans. We prepare for your facility to be USDA, FSVP, SQF, PFR, FDA, and California Department of Public Health ready.

Financial Modeling

We understand your COGS and work in developing or refining to better improve your margins and then we develop financial models from evaluating cash flows to S&OP.

Commercialization

We provide on-site support at your co-manufacturer or owned production in scale-up, QA/QC, sensory shelf life testing, and FATs.

Contract Manufacturing Searches

We search, facilitate introductions, perform on-site due diligence, and negotiate contracts in preparation for commercialization and production.

Grant Support

We support your endeavors in filing for SBIR and USDA grants. We work to develop programs and strategic partnerships for state, federal, and international cooperation.

Technical Due Diligence

We support M&A technical due diligence for family offices, VC firms, PE firms, and Venture Studios.

Client
Ghirardelli Chocolate Company

Year
January 2015 - May 2015

Work
R&D, Sensory Testing

Case Study

We supported the reformulation of CPG items for Ghirardelli Chocolate Company including chocolate chip cookie mix, brownie mix and a foodservice item including fudge. New product development work included blueberry filling squares, cocoa nibs squares, and chocolate covered pretzels with peppermint toppings. Sensory evaluation included chocolate liquors and chocolate squares. Co-manufacturing due diligence support includes evaluating panning operation samples of chocolate covered nuts.

A ripe, red cacao pod hanging from a branch of a cacao tree with green leaves in the background.
Hands holding cocoa beans with more cocoa beans spread on a dark surface in the background.

FROM BEAN TO BAR

Aerial view of a large cargo ship carrying multicolored shipping containers sailing on the ocean.
Workers wearing protective gear in a laboratory are handling samples, with scientific equipment and machinery in the background.
Assorted chocolate and cocoa products on a rustic wooden surface, including chopped chocolate bars, cocoa nibs, cocoa powder, and cocoa butter with cinnamon sticks nearby.
Broken piece of dark chocolate on white surface, with an embossed logo and brand name 'Ghirardelli'.
Ghirardelli Chocolate logo with a blue background and gold eagle emblem

Working with Ghirardelli Chocolate Company in R&D meant understanding the food systems from bean to bar in evaluating the cocoa varietals, country of origins, processing, flavor development, sensory evaluation, shelf life testing, and applications in various form factors.

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