This company's professional field force in 52 countries evaluates product and package quality at the retail level; performs product and consumer complaint retrieval, and product recall and withdrawal; provides crisis management consulting; and offers facility quality systems and food safety audits. RQA Inc. is a leading provider of retail quality services to the food industry, and is the only company with NFPA-SAFE certified auditors in the U.S., Europe and Asia Pacific. CNS/RQA offers food safety audits, HACCP training and certification to the food service industry. RQA Inc., Mary Ann Platt, 630-512-0011,m.platt@rqa-inc.com
High-quality, cost-effective research and development services to the food industry are available from Merlin Development. Merlin specializes in all technical aspects of food product development—from concept through commercialization, including prototype development, formulation, scale-up, quality system design and production start-up. Prior to founding Merlin Development, Leslie Skarra held various product development and management positions at The Pillsbury Company. Merlin Development Inc., Leslie Skarra, 763-475-0224,Lskarra@merlindev.com,www.merlindevelopment.com
For nearly 30 years, Tragon has teamed with food and beverage companies to bring innovations to the marketplace. A marketing research and consulting firm, our wide range of research offerings leverages a unique expertise: measuring and understanding customer perception. Tragon is an ongoing, strategic, decision-making and implementation partner linking marketing, R&D and QC/QA departments to create winning products and brands. Tragon Corp., Joseph Salerno, 800-841-1177,info@tragon.com,www.tragon.com
These food safety experts provide comprehensive support in helping food manufacturers, restaurants, and retailers ensure product safety. With 30 labs in 11 countries meeting and exceeding ISO 17025 requirements, Silliker is the leading international network of accredited food-testing laboratories. These experts can help develop a systematic management approach to food safety that reduces your company's risk of intentional or inadvertent pathogen contamination. Silliker Inc.,www.silliker.com
Product Insight - Bite by Byte! Call 21st Sensory for descriptive sensory analysis, in-house training, consumer testing, home use testing or ideas about what will help you get the product or consumer information you need. The company's clients include Fortune 500 companies, large food and packaging manufacturers, OTC pharmaceutical companies and restaurants. Let their expertise work for you! 21st Sensory, 888-499-3370,www.21stSensory.com
For over 25 years, this company has provided experience in the fast-moving product intelligence market. No other information service provider can put you in contact with global consumer markets with services such as product retrieval in over 130 countries, quality assurance, retail audits and mystery shopping. Mintel Services will provide a customized service tailored to your needs with tactical delivery of information according to your requirements. Mintel Services, Heidi Picard, 312-932-0400, x235,hpicard@mintel.com,http://reports.mintel.com
A leading independent R&D firm and testing laboratory, Shuster Laboratories provides comprehensive product development, quality assurance and regulatory consultation services to manufacturers and marketers of conventional, functional, and natural/organic foods. The company has a 42,000-sq.-ft., state-of-the-art laboratory in Canton, Mass. that is FDA-registered and complies with cGMP and cGLP standards. Facilities include product formulation laboratories, microbiology and chemistry laboratories, sensory evaluation laboratories, and central location testing and focus group facilities. Shuster Laboratories, Tricia Baressi, 800-444-8705,tricia@shusterlabs.com,www.shusterlabs.com.
