Preview
  • The Food Business Tool Kit for Entrepreneurs

  • How to Research, Develop and Produce a New Food Product
  • By: Rachel Zemser
  • Narrated by: Robin Brooke
  • Length: 3 hrs and 10 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (27 ratings)

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The Food Business Tool Kit for Entrepreneurs

By: Rachel Zemser
Narrated by: Robin Brooke
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Publisher's summary

What is the secret process for turning your food product idea into a shelf-stable manufactured item? Having a business plan is one thing, but the magic happens in the food science laboratory! The technical part of the food industry has always been a mystery because most food scientists work directly for food companies and are not allowed to share proprietary methods or know-how.

As a 25-year veteran food scientist, I have helped many aspiring food entrepreneurs understand the technical steps needed to bring an idea from kitchen to market.

The Food Business Tool Kit for Entrepreneurs explores these concepts:

  • Sourcing ingredients
  • Finding co-manufacturers
  • Creating food prototypes using weights and percentages (no tablespoons and teaspoons!)
  • Avoiding food safety disasters like microbial growth

The Food Business Tool Kit for Entrepreneurs guides entrepreneurs through the technical process of formulating a commercial recipe, which is very different from the recipe you are making at home. This book gets into the nitty-gritty, hard-to-find information related to FDA regulations, food safety, shelf life testing, and how to create a “formula”.

It is not possible to find all the information in this book online. Most of it comes directly from experiences working in the food industry. I am happy to share this hard-to-find information with you in an organized, step-by-step process.

For those who are buying this audiobook, the live links are available via a separate accompanying PDF download on Audible. I update the HTML links regularly to ensure they are current.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2016 Rachel B. Zemser (P)2016 Rachel B. Zemser
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What listeners say about The Food Business Tool Kit for Entrepreneurs

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A great reference for food entrepreneurs

Zemser brings entrepreneurs a well-structured how-to guide that serves to navigate the most critical aspects of developing and launching a new food product. With a clear dedication to food safety and compliance, she guides readers through the new product development basics all while emphasizing the importance of creating great-tasting, desirable products. Not only does Zemser share her decades of personal experience, but she also provides a variety of resources for more detailed exploration. If you are considering launching a new food product this reference is the perfect first step.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Wish I Had This Early in my Career

Would you listen to The Food Business Tool Kit for Entrepreneurs again? Why?

(Written by Krista Ruhnke, 30 year Food Industry Professional... and using husband's Amazon account) - I envision using this book as a reference for years to come as I encounter specific topics on which I want to advise my potential customers. I often encounter entrepreneurs who ask my "professional" opinion about various aspects of food science, regulatory, labeling, etc.. Listening to this book reminded me of the intricacies and how I am far from a professional adviser. Rachel Zemser, however, is just that.

What did you like best about this story?

It brought me back to my early days in the food industry and how I didn't realize how much there was to learn. Now that I am in the autumn of my career, it spoke to how much I have learned along the way. However, as I said above, I still don't feel like I could deliver the information as eloquently and thoroughly (attention to detail) as Rachel and Robin have here.

What does Robin Brooke bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Robin's delivery is such that I often forgot that it wasn't Rachel speaking. In other words, she spoke as confidently and with as much conviction as I would expect Rachel to do herself. There is the occasional mispronounciation of a technical term (or choice of the lesser used pronounciation) and that was distracting, but this is a minor flaw.

What did you learn from The Food Business Tool Kit for Entrepreneurs that you would use in your daily life?

I sell food ingredients and am often approached by entrepreneurs with questions in helping them build their business to full retail, etc. I now have a resource that I would suggest in a heartbeat. I even have equally professional colleagues who, when told about this book said that they would like to know more about it. My younger colleagues, who have a lot to learn (which is not taught in college) stand to learn a lot from this book and I am going to suggest they purchase the audio version so that they can learn during the many hours of travel associated with sales.

Any additional comments?

If you are a food entrepreneur who feels that there is a lot to learn, you are correct. This is the perfect way to get up to speed and it can act as a resource for years to come; especially if Rachel updates it as the ever-changing food industry changes.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A must read for new food creators

Where does The Food Business Tool Kit for Entrepreneurs rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

There is no other book like this that actually arms you with all of the information that you need to launch a new food item.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Food Business Tool Kit for Entrepreneurs?

It is loaded with more information that you are going to know what to do with. Go ahead, listen a few times and listen to the author, get professional R&D consulting help when possible.

What about Robin Brooke’s performance did you like?

The reading of the material is clear and exciting.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

If you want to create a new food item, this is the best book that I have read. I am culinary trained and this book puts everything neatly in next steps and best practices.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Practical, if at times disheartening

This book pragmatically details the myriad steps and challenges that an inspiring food entrepreneur will confront as he or she builds a business. In that regard, it is quite to-the-point and good.

Yet the reader's strident voice irritates at times, and the way in which the author uncritically relates the litany of manners in which people in government coercively control what we can do with our bodies and how we may work in freely-chosen relationships with others was practical, yet also disheartening -and doubly disheartening in that an author who apparently loves the field apparently felt no strong inclination to comment on how government compulsion ruins it, renders it more expensive and more difficult, and stymies creativity and innovation -all by ushering people around with force and threat, and charging them for their coerced 'service'. The book felt a little soulless In that respect.


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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great book for a beginner like me

What did you love best about The Food Business Tool Kit for Entrepreneurs?

Clear and concise information. Important facts that help protect you with your idea and product development process

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Food Business Tool Kit for Entrepreneurs?

Develop your formula in percentage format to avoid intellectual theft

Which scene was your favorite?

Enjoyed most all

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

It was all helpful because it guides you through the process.

Any additional comments?

Read or listen if you are interested in developing your own food product for sale.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Outstanding audio "GPS" for food product start up

This book is "priceless" as it provides you with all the information you need at your fingertips! As a Food Scientist myself, I command Rachel’s knowledge, diligence and discipline to compile this perfect guide for essential research, rules, regulations, resources, and legal requirements it takes for the process to translate an idea into a commercial product.

It is easy to listen to the audio book, written in a clearly understandable language to anyone; the technical /legal terms are explained, and a wide array of necessary resources specified. It guides you in a precise and organized way thru the maze of things to know, explore and watch out for, all towards making your delicious dream to bring your product to the market and come true.

Listening to or reading Rachel's "The Food Business Tool Kit for Entrepreneurs: How to Research, Develop and Produce a New Food Product" is a MUST resource for everyone thinking about developing and launching a food products. It is a true “tool kit”.

I highly recommend to purchase a copy of the e-book in the MOBI format to go along with the audio to access to all the live links and visual aids. It is a smart investment. It will help turn your idea into profitable commercial product.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Extremely Useful Resource!!!

An excellent starting point for those launching a food business...gives a great overview of all the topics you need to consider. Rachel guides you through the basic questions, offers many useful explanations within the book, and provides pointers to additional resources if you need to dig deeper. As an entrepreneur in the process of growing a new food business, I can say that I'm very pleased with this purchase, and will be seeking out more information from Rachel!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A Must Read for any Start up Food Business

This book does a wonderful job in condensing hours of questions and helps prevent mistakes due to lack of experience. As a food product designer, the tradeshows, contacts and definitions are invaluable. The narrator of this book did a great job conveying some pretty technical stuff! Even for the most experienced of folks, it is a great read or listen to help brush up.

Congratulations, Rachel, on a great job

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Great Reference for Food Product Development

If you could sum up The Food Business Tool Kit for Entrepreneurs in three words, what would they be?

Concise, Through, Idea-Generating

What about Robin Brooke’s performance did you like?

I liked the way she handles all the numbers dealing with different food codes and policies

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The idea of teaming with co-packers to simplify production.

Any additional comments?

A great resource to anyone looking to enter the field. While listening to all the different numerical codes could get difficult they would ultimately be of great help when / if dealing with a particular problem or product in the industry.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

just what I was looking for

the book had valuable content, provided a succinct overview along with good references for finding more details

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