From Concept to Cup: How Our Custom Flavors Are Made

What was the last dessert or beverage you had that was so memorable you can’t wait to get it again?

Maybe it’s the tang of a paloma sipped on a rooftop in Spain or the nutty citrus layers of a pistachio blood orange croissant from a Parisian bakery. Moments like these make creative artisans wonder: Could I bring that same experience to my customers?

Innovation defines brand identity. Consumers crave originality, transparency, and flavors that tell a story. Understanding the custom flavor manufacturing process is how forward-thinking brands stay ahead, offering unique flavors in a saturated market.

Here’s how Itaberco makes turning your ideas into signature creations faster, easier, and tastier than ever with our proven flavor manufacturing process.

Step 1: A Discovery Call to Turn Vision into Flavor

Our free, no-obligation discovery call is where your idea begins to take shape.

You don’t need technical jargon or a background in food science to get started. Just a vision is enough! Our team of pastry chefs, food scientists, and R&D innovators guides you through every detail, helping translate inspiration into something tangible. We’ll define your applications and flavor profile together so it performs the way you imagine it in your final menu item.

Step 2: R&D Collaboration

Once your goals are defined, our R&D team takes the lead, combining culinary intuition with scientific precision to bring your idea to life. This stage is the heart of the flavor manufacturing process, where science and creativity meet to produce something truly original. Your samples are ready fast in just 4-6 weeks.

Custom Development Options

From bold, trend-driven concepts to subtle, balanced notes that elevate your existing lineup, our team develops flavors that express your brand’s story in every bite and sip. We formulate custom flavor compounds, syrups, and toppings to perform beautifully in any setting. Our capabilities extend across beverages, pastries, frozen desserts, and confections.

Some brands come to us to reimagine a nostalgic favorite; others want to create something entirely their own. Maybe you want the crisp tartness of a Granny Smith apple instead of a generic “apple” base. Or maybe you’re imagining a tropical punch that bursts with coconut, then follows with a hint of cherry. Each custom flavor is crafted for its intended use, like shining in a latte, retaining its integrity through freezing, or perfectly complementing a delicate mousse.

While custom flavor is the star of the show, we also fine-tune texture and dietary solutions so every formulation performs beautifully in the real world.

The All-Natural Ingredients Behind Every Exceptional Flavor

Every flavor we create begins with clean, trustworthy ingredients. “Natural” is the foundation of how we operate, not just meeting a trend.

While the recent bans and scrutiny surrounding synthetic colorants like Red Dye 40 are pushing brands to rethink their ingredients, we’ve always stayed ahead of that curve. Our color and flavor solutions have long been designed without synthetic dyes. Instead, we use natural sources that deliver vibrant results without compromise like beet, spirulina, turmeric, and carrot.

Step 3: Perfecting the Flavor Profile

Next, we develop iterations of your custom flavor. You’ll get to taste-test samples until everything is fine-tuned to your vision. Join us at our kitchen in Baltimore, MD for an in-person tasting or look for samples to arrive at the address of your choosing!

Beyond taste, we evaluate texture and viscosity as well to ensure the flavor performs beautifully across your real-world conditions. The result is a formula that’s not only delicious but repeatable, scalable, and ready to become a signature part of your brand.

Step 4: Production & Delivery

All production takes place in our U.S.-based, SQF-certified U.S. facility. With all of the flavor manufacturing process under one roof from formulation to production, we’re able to deliver a level of control and reliability that global brands can depend on.

Speed and flexibility are at the core of our process. Take advantage of short lead times and some of the lowest minimum order quantities (MOQs) in the industry, making it easy to move from prototype to market launch without unnecessary hurdles. Introducing a seasonal menu item fast or preparing for a nationwide rollout is a breeze with Itaberco as your partner!

Each order is thoughtfully packaged to match your application and brand needs. Versatile liquid and dry packaging options, including bottles, jugs, pails, drums, jars, and resealable bags, offer a format that will fit your workflow perfectly.

Our products are built to scale, performing with the same consistency and quality in a single shop as they do across a hundred locations.

Step 4: Production & Delivery

Our products are built to scale, performing with the same consistency and quality in a single shop as they do across a hundred locations.

What started as a spontaneous weekend hobby and a pink ice cream bike at a local farmers market has grown into a thriving dessert brand with nationwide reach. Katherine O’Brien, founder of Cream Cruiser, turned curiosity and creativity into a business one handcrafted ice cream sandwich at a time.

Through partnership with Itaberco, Katherine learned how to scale production efficiently, refine her recipes, and transform a passion project into a fully realized business. The Itaberco team helped her develop frozen dessert formulations, streamline packaging systems, and even guided her through her first Whole Foods collaboration.

Real Results: Turning Ideas into Market Success

“When I first was connected with Itaberco I knew absolutely nothing. I had zero culinary experience. They shaped my entire business into what it is today. And set me up with the tools to make my products efficiently and affordably.”

– Katherine O’Brien, Cream Cruiser Founder

Your Partner in Custom Flavor Manufacturing

The flavor industry is at an exciting crossroads. As consumer expectations evolve, the brands that thrive are those that invest in innovation. Itaberco sits at the forefront of this movement, helping artisans turn evolving trends into lasting success with custom flavor manufacturing. Our focus remains simple: empower creators to make better, cleaner, and more meaningful flavor experiences.

Imagine what you could create with the right support behind you! A signature flavor that captures your brand’s essence, a product line that sets a new standard, or a menu that customers can’t stop talking about are all within reach. Take the first step today to turn your idea into reality.