New recipes, healthier reformulations, longer shelf life, scaling a product from the test kitchen to the plant, it’s all technical development, and much of it qualifies. Food and beverage is one of the most under-claimed industries there is.
Request a Complimentary AssessmentEvery reformulation to cut sugar, extend shelf life, remove an allergen, or hit a texture target involves testing, iteration, and technical uncertainty. Scaling a recipe to production is its own development challenge. The credit covers both the product and the process, and most food companies claim only half of it.
Reformulating a beverage to cut sugar while holding flavor, mouthfeel, and stability.
Developing a preservation approach to extend a product’s life without added preservatives.
Re-engineering a small-batch recipe to run consistently at plant scale.
Many food companies claim the recipe work but miss the process side, scale-up, yield, food safety, and equipment, which is often the larger pool of qualifying cost. Routine production and cooking to a known recipe don’t qualify, but the technical development behind them does.
A new or improved product or production process, taste, nutrition, shelf life, safety, or yield.
Grounded in food science, chemistry, microbiology, and process engineering.
It was uncertain whether a formulation or process would achieve the target.
Resolved through batching, sensory and stability testing, and iteration.
Cooking to a known recipe doesn’t qualify. Developing or reformulating a product, or solving a production challenge, involves the testing and uncertainty the credit rewards.
It can affect who claims what. We sort out the roles and apply the contract-research rules correctly.
Yes. A process of experimentation includes the versions that didn’t work, that’s exactly what the credit is for.
This page is general information, not tax or legal advice. Whether specific activities and expenses qualify depends on the taxpayer’s facts and applicable law, and is determined through the appropriate R&D study. Novaric does not guarantee eligibility, credit amounts, or any IRS outcome.