In this episode of R&D Radio, hosted by Adam Yee, Adam sits down with Brian Chau, founder of Chau Time — an R&D operations consulting firm lowering the barrier to entry in the food industry. With a team of 12 spanning every U.S. time zone and experience across 20+ countries, Brian walks through the full concept-to-commercialization process and shares why setting clear parameters — with ranges — is the single most important thing an entrepreneur can do before working with a food scientist.

Brian breaks down his four-phase R&D process, explains the trade-offs between cost, flavor, nutrition, and shelf life that every founder inevitably faces, and makes a bold prediction: fiber will eventually surpass protein as the dominant functional ingredient trend.

He also shares two standout case studies in better-for-you chocolate: Dirty Gut (prebiotic/probiotic chocolate using fiber stacking from upcycled cocoa husks, acacia fiber, and chicory inulin) and Femme Health (a women's health chocolate using lactoferrin for improved iron absorption) — both developed during the global cacao supply crisis.

Listen in as they discuss:

Why you should create a parameter list with ranges before engaging any food scientist
The four phases of R&D and why three rounds of development is the magic number for an MVP
Fiber stacking: what it is and why it makes functional chocolate work
How to navigate the cacao supply crisis by going direct to smaller and heirloom farmers
Why fiber is poised to surpass protein over the next decade
Bioactives trending in women's health, sexual wellness, and mushroom-derived nutraceuticals
How startups vs. large companies prioritize trade-offs very differently

Episode Links:

Brian Chau – Founder & Principal, Chau Time

🌐 Website: www.chau-time.com

🍄Webiste Linked: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chau-time/

🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chautime/

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Show Links:

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Episode music by Super Fantastics

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