What Burdock Group does

Burdock Group Consultants is an Orlando, Florida-based food safety and regulatory compliance consulting firm founded in 1989 by Dr. George A. Burdock. The firm helps companies bring food, dietary supplement, cosmetics, pet food, and EPA-regulated products to market by navigating U.S. (FDA, USDA, EPA) and EU regulatory frameworks. Its service portfolio spans Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) determinations, New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) notifications, food additive petitions, FDA 510(k) and PMTA submissions, FSMA compliance, EPA pesticide registration, labeling reviews, claims substantiation, study protocol development, and FDA expert testimony and litigation support. The firm claims the highest industry success rate on GRAS notifications and supports both startups and Fortune 100 companies.

The firm's core technical capability rests on a small, Ph.D.-credentialed scientific team and on proprietary methodology rather than on a software platform. Dr. Burdock is an internationally recognized toxicologist (Diplomate of the American Board of Toxicology, Fellow of the Academy of Toxicological Sciences and the American College of Nutrition) who has authored multiple editions of Fenaroli's Handbook of Flavor Ingredients and co-authors the Food Toxicology chapter of Casarett and Doull's Toxicology. EVP Dr. Erik Hedrick adds molecular toxicology depth with 21 peer-reviewed publications. The firm's distinctive technical asset is proprietary software applied to the USDA's WWEIA survey database for estimated daily intake calculations used in risk assessments.

Burdock Group operates a sales-led, direct-to-client consulting model with project-based professional fees. Initial 30-minute consultations are offered online, and inbound demand is generated through a content-marketing engine (342+ blog posts, webinars on emerging ingredients including cannabis, alternative proteins, and algae), active social-media presence, peer-reviewed publications, and membership in ten industry associations such as AFIA, NASC, CRN, IFT, and the American Board of Toxicology. The firm is privately held, founder-anchored, and headquartered at 859 Outer Road, Orlando, FL, with a stated team size of 11–50 employees.

Name

Burdock Group

Legal name

Burdock Group Consultants

Website

https://burdockgroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Burdock Group is an Orlando-based food safety and regulatory compliance consulting firm founded in 1989. It serves food, dietary supplement, cosmetics, pet food, and EPA-regulated companies with GRAS determinations, NDI notifications, FDA submission support, and claims substantiation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regulatory and Food Safety Consulting

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

akta.pro primary industry

Regulatory Consulting & Compliance Program Management (FDA/USDA/EFSA) (AFALADAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Toxicology & Safety Assessment CROs (GLP) (HLAGAAAC), Dietary/Functional Claim Substantiation (e.g., high-protein, low-sugar, keto, low-FODMAP) (AFALAHAE), Pharmacovigilance, Risk Management & Medical Affairs CROs (HLAGAAAH)

Keywords

• Regulatory compliance consulting
• Food safety consulting
• GRAS determinations
• Toxicology consulting
• Dietary supplement regulatory

Headquarters

HQ city

Orlando

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Regulatory Consulting Services: Professional consulting fees for food safety assessments, GRAS determinations, FDA/USDA/EPA compliance guidance, NDI notifications, claims substantiation, labeling reviews, and regulatory strategy. Services are tailored to client needs with consultation-based engagement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Burdock Group is a scientific and regulatory consulting firm that helps companies bring food, dietary supplement, cosmetic, pet food, and EPA-regulated products to market compliantly. The firm provides GRAS determinations, FDA/USDA/EPA regulatory submissions, NDI notifications, claims substantiation, labeling compliance, safety assessments, study protocol development, and expert testimony services delivered by a team of Ph.D. scientists and toxicologists.

Product overview

Burdock Group is a food safety and regulatory compliance consulting firm offering a comprehensive suite of expert services across multiple regulated industries. The company operates as a single-service practice (regulatory consulting) rather than a software platform. Key offerings include: Sustainable GRAS for ongoing GRAS compliance management; Food & Beverage, Pet Food & Animal Feed, Dietary Supplements, Cosmetics & Personal Care, and EPA regulatory services covering industry-specific compliance needs; GRAS Notifications as a core flagship service; NDI Notifications, Food Additive Petitions, and FDA Submission Support for regulatory approvals; Labeling Services and Claims Substantiation for marketing compliance; Study Protocol Development & Monitoring for preclinical research; EPA Pesticide Registration and Food Contact Substance Evaluation; White Papers & Monographs for regulatory publications; and expert litigation support services. The portfolio is unified by scientific expertise (Ph.D. scientists, toxicologists) and regulatory precision (FDA, USDA, EPA, global compliance), with an Initial Consultation service as the client entry point.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• SUSTAINABLE GRAS: Proprietary service offering for sustainable GRAS determinations.

Products and services

• Food & Beverage Regulatory Services Comprehensive regulatory compliance services for food and beverage products including GRAS determinations, FDA/USDA guidance, GMPs, HACCP protocols, and labeling compliance. For food and beverage companies bringing products to market.
• Pet Food & Animal Feed Regulatory Services Regulatory compliance services for pet food and animal feed products covering AAFCO and FDA regulations, GRAS conclusions, and Feed Additive Petitions (FAP). For pet food and animal feed manufacturers.
• Dietary Supplements Regulatory Services Regulatory compliance for dietary supplements including New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) notifications, GRAS determinations, health claims, and labeling compliance under DSHEA. For dietary supplement and functional food manufacturers.
• Cosmetics & Personal Care Regulatory Services Safety assessments, claims substantiation, and label reviews for cosmetics and personal care products aligned with FDA, EU, and global regulations. For cosmetics and personal care brands.
• EPA Regulatory Services EPA registration services for sanitizers, disinfectants, and pesticides including ingredient evaluation, antimicrobial claim substantiation, label reviews, and safety/risk assessments. For manufacturers of food contact surface sanitizers, disinfectants, and pesticides.
• Sustainable GRAS Proprietary branded service providing ongoing GRAS determination support and compliance management for food ingredients, with focus on California regulatory requirements.
• Risk Scan Risk assessment and gap analysis service to identify potential regulatory compliance issues for food, supplement, and personal care products before market launch.
• GRAS Notifications Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) notification preparation and submission services for food ingredients. Burdock Group claims to have submitted more successful GRAS notifications than any other company or individual, with the highest success rate in the industry.
• NDI Notifications New Dietary Ingredient (NDI) Notification preparation and submission services to FDA under DSHEA requirements, for dietary supplement manufacturers.
• Claims Substantiation Scientific evidence analysis and claim substantiation services verifying health, functional, and structure/function benefits for FDA and EFSA regulatory submissions.
• Labeling Services Label reviews and compliance services ensuring food, supplement, cosmetic, and EPA-regulated products meet regulatory labeling standards and communicate accurate product information.
• FDA Submission Support Expert guidance on FDA regulatory submissions for food, dietary supplements, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and other FDA-regulated products.
• Study Protocol Development & Monitoring End-to-end preclinical trial support including trial design, regulatory compliance, study management, data analysis, and manuscript preparation.
• FDA Expert Testimony & Litigation Support Expert witness preparation and litigation support for legal cases involving FDA regulations including compliance, approvals, labeling, and safety matters.
• EPA Pesticide Registration EPA registration consulting for sanitizers and disinfectants including active ingredient review, formulation evaluation, and regulatory submission support.
• FSMA Compliance Services Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) compliance consulting including preventive controls, inspection support, and imported food safety requirements.
• Initial Consultation 30-minute initial consultation for prospective clients to discuss project needs and outline regulatory compliance pathways before engagement.

Quantifiable outcome

• More successful GRAS notifications than any other company or individual in the industry with highest success rate
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• American Feed Industry Association (AFIA)minorOthersBurdock Group actively participates in and partners with major trade and professional organizations for the industries they serve, including AFIA for animal feed industry collaboration.
• American College of ToxicologyminorOthersProfessional membership and collaboration with American College of Toxicology for toxicology expertise and industry standards.
• National Animal Supplement Council (NASC)minorOthersCollaboration with NASC for animal supplement industry regulatory guidance and standards.
• American Chemical Society (ACS)minorOthersProfessional membership in ACS for chemical and food science expertise connection.
• American College of NutritionminorOthersProfessional membership demonstrating nutrition science expertise. Dr. Burdock is a Fellow of this organization.
• American Society for NutritionminorOthersProfessional association membership for nutrition science collaboration.
• Council for Responsible Nutrition (CRN)minorOthersMembership in CRN for dietary supplement industry collaboration and standards.
• American Board of ToxicologyminorOthersProfessional certification body. Dr. Burdock is a Diplomate of American Board of Toxicology.
• Institute of Food Technologists (IFT)minorOthersProfessional membership in IFT with Professional Member status for food technology collaboration.
• D.L. Newslow & Associates, Inc.minorOthersListed as partner organization for food safety and regulatory consulting collaboration.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AIBMR Life Sciences: AIBMR Life Sciences is a regulatory and toxicology consulting firm specializing in GRAS determinations, NDI notifications, and FDA submissions for dietary supplements, food, and natural products. It is the closest direct competitor to Burdock Group in boutique food/supplement regulatory advisory.
• ToxStrategies: ToxStrategies is a scientific consulting firm providing toxicology, risk assessment, and regulatory support across food, chemical, and pharmaceutical product categories. Comparable to Burdock Group through its Ph.D.-led toxicology and FDA regulatory practice.
• D.L. Newslow & Associates: D.L. Newslow & Associates is a food safety and regulatory consulting firm supporting food, supplement, and cosmetics manufacturers with HACCP, FSMA, FDA submissions, and GFSI audits. Listed as a partner in Burdock Group's materials and a directly comparable boutique food regulatory firm.
• EAS Consulting Group: EAS Consulting Group is a regulatory and scientific consulting firm offering services for FDA-regulated products including dietary supplements, food, cosmetics, and animal feed. Directly comparable to Burdock Group's vertical-focused FDA regulatory advisory practice.

Broad incumbents

• NSF International: NSF International is a global public health and safety organization offering food safety certification, dietary supplement auditing, and regulatory services (including acquired GRAS Associates). It is a much larger incumbent serving similar FDA/USDA-related regulatory needs as Burdock Group, but at significantly broader scale.
• Exponent: Exponent is a large engineering and scientific consulting firm with practices in toxicology, food safety, and consumer product regulatory support. Comparable to Burdock Group in food/toxicology advisory but operates at far greater scale and breadth across industries.
• Spherix Consulting Group: Spherix is a regulatory and IP consulting firm serving food, dietary supplement, and pharmaceutical clients with FDA strategy and scientific advisory services. Overlaps with Burdock Group's FDA/GRAS/NDI advisory practice from a broader commercial position.
• Intertek: Intertek is a global testing, inspection, and certification company with food and supplement regulatory advisory capability. Comparable to Burdock Group through services supporting food/supplement regulatory compliance at massive global scale.
• Eurofins Scientific: Eurofins is a leading international food testing and certification network with regulatory and consultancy services for food, supplement, and cosmetic clients. Comparable to Burdock Group in serving FDA/EU regulated categories but as a much broader incumbent.
• ERM (Environmental Resources Management): ERM is a global environmental, health, and safety consulting firm with significant EPA registration, pesticide, and chemical regulatory practice. Comparable to Burdock Group in its EPA-sanitizer/disinfectant registration work but far broader in environmental consulting scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights8 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/burdockgroup
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@burdockgroup435
• Facebookfacebook.com/burdockgroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/burdock-group-consultants
• Instagraminstagram.com/burdockgroupconsultants

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Burdock Group