Custom Flavors

What Custom Flavors does

Custom Flavors is a B2B flavor manufacturer founded in 2005 in San Clemente, California, originally as Custom Ingredients before rebranding in 2018. The company develops and produces made-to-order liquid and powdered flavor concentrates for food, beverage, and supplement manufacturers across at least nine application categories: bakery, beverages, confectionery, dairy, nutraceuticals, sports nutrition, meal replacement, snack foods, and food service. Its technology stack centers on flavor chemistry and food science, anchored by Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS) equipment used for analytical flavor matching and quality control. The company's proprietary knowledge base includes a portfolio of more than 20,000 flavors and flavor combinations, more than 100 flavor modulator formulations for masking off-notes in functional ingredients, and a regulatory database of more than 50,000 documents supporting certifications including BRC, USDA Organic, Kosher, Non-GMO, and Gluten-Free.

The business operates a sales-led go-to-market with direct enterprise engagement via email ordering and Net 30 commercial terms, complemented by a channel partnership with Ingredients Online that serves startups and emerging brands through an e-commerce storefront with sub-15-day delivery and low minimum order quantities. Manufacturing is conducted from three California facilities (corporate office and liquid manufacturing in San Clemente, an Innovation Center and powder manufacturing in San Clemente, and a warehouse/distribution site in Corona) and a newly inaugurated 53,000-square-foot East Coast facility in Concord, North Carolina that doubles production capacity and triples innovation space, enabling two-business-day reach to 85% of the U.S. population. The company is family-owned and private, with 101-250 employees, and is led by CEO Alex Wendling (promoted February 2025), President Scott Nadison (recruited from International Flavors and Fragrances and Symrise), and founder-Chairman Mike Wendling.

Revenue is generated primarily through unit-priced product sales with minimum order quantities of four gallons (liquid) or 100 pounds (powdered), reduced to one gallon or 25 pounds for first orders and trials. Lead times of 10 business days for liquid and 15 for powdered are positioned as industry-leading. Sustainability infrastructure — including 63% renewable energy use, 37% solar self-generation, RSPO-certified glycerin, and Rainforest Alliance-certified cocoa — provides a procurement-side differentiator increasingly demanded by enterprise CPG customers.

Name

Custom Flavors

Legal name

Custom Flavors

Website

https://customflavors.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Custom Flavors is a B2B flavor manufacturer developing made-to-order liquid and powdered flavor concentrates for food, beverage, and supplement manufacturers, serving enterprise customers directly and emerging brands through its Ingredients Online channel partnership.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Flavor Manufacturing

NAICS

Flavoring Syrup and Concentrate Manufacturing (31193), Flavoring Syrup and Concentrate Manufacturing (311930)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090), Food And Kindred Products (2000)

akta.pro primary industry

Flavor Houses & Compound Flavor Manufacturing (AFAJADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Ingredient Blends & Systems / Custom Formulation (Seasoning Systems, Functional Blends) (CRADAOAO), Soft Drink & Carbonated Beverage Syrups (AFAFAGAA), Flavorings & Extracts (Natural & Artificial) (CRADAOAA)

Keywords

• Flavor concentrates
• Custom flavor development
• Food and beverage ingredients
• Liquid and powder flavors
• Natural flavor manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

San Clemente

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Flavor Product Sales: Custom Flavors develops and manufactures custom liquid and powdered flavor solutions sold directly to food and beverage manufacturers. Flavors are made to order. Revenue is generated through per-order product sales with pricing based on order volume (minimum 4 gallons for liquid, 100 lbs for powder; first orders/trials as low as 1 gallon or 25 lbs). Lead times of 10 business days for liquid and 15 for powdered.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Custom Flavors develops and manufactures made-to-order liquid and powdered flavor concentrates for food, beverage, and supplement manufacturers. The company offers a portfolio of more than 20,000 flavors and flavor combinations, providing hands-on product development support from benchtop prototyping through commercial production, complemented by regulatory documentation, flavor modulation, and quality control services.

Product overview

Custom Flavors is a B2B flavor manufacturing company specializing in liquid and powdered flavor solutions for food and beverage applications. The company offers a portfolio of more than 20,000 flavors spanning organic, natural, and artificial variants across flavor categories including citrus, berries, traditional and regional fruits, herbs, nuts, spices, chocolates, vanillas, caramels/sugars, desserts, nostalgia favorites, and cocktail/mocktail flavors. Their core products include liquid flavors (4+ gallons minimum) and powdered flavors (100+ lbs minimum). The company provides complementary services including flavor creation and matching, product development support, regulatory documentation, quality control, and flavor modulation services with over 100 off-note masking formulations. The company operates manufacturing facilities in San Clemente, CA, Corona, CA, and Concord, NC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Liquid Flavors Liquid flavor solutions for food and beverage applications, produced to order with a minimum order quantity of 4 gallons and a 10 business day lead time. Available across natural, organic compliant, non-GMO, gluten-free, and kosher variants for use in bakery, beverage, confectionery, dairy, nutraceutical, sports nutrition, and food service applications.
• Powdered Flavors Powdered flavor solutions for food and beverage applications, produced to order with a minimum order quantity of 100 lbs and a 15 business day lead time. Available across natural, organic compliant, non-GMO, gluten-free, and kosher variants for use in bakery, beverage, confectionery, dairy, nutraceutical, sports nutrition, and food service applications.
• Organic Compliant Flavors Natural flavors that are organic compliant and suitable for use in products labeled 'Organic' and 'Made with Organic', with complete regulatory documentation support.
• Natural Flavors Flavors made with all natural ingredients as defined by 21 CFR 101.22(a)(3), designed for clean-label food and beverage applications.
• Natural and Artificial Flavors Flavors containing both natural ingredients from the named flavor source and synthetically derived components, offered for cost-sensitive or performance-driven applications.
• Non-GMO Flavors Flavors produced without genetically modified processes or inputs, supported with regulatory documentation for non-GMO certification.
• Gluten-Free Flavors A wide variety of gluten-free flavors produced to address rising consumer demand for gluten-free food and beverage products.
• Kosher Certified Flavors Flavor offerings certified Kosher for food and beverage manufacturers serving kosher-observant markets.
• Flavor Modulators Over 100 formulations of flavor modulators designed to mask off-notes in functional ingredients, including amino acid masking, bitter blockers, botanical masking, caffeine masking, mouthfeel enhancers, sweetness enhancers, and vegan protein masking.
• Flavor Matching Services Analytical flavor matching using state-of-the-art GC/MS (Gas Chromatography Mass Spectrometry) equipment to match any flavor target and convert products to new formats such as Natural, Non-GMO, or Organic.
• Product Development Services End-to-end product development support from benchtop work through prototype creation, provided at no additional charge alongside flavor production for startups and established brands.
• Regulatory Support Services Regulatory documentation and certification support backed by a database of over 50,000 regulatory documents for Non-GMO, Organic, Kosher, Gluten-Free, and other certifications.
• Quality Control Services Strict quality assurance and quality control measures including organoleptic testing, specific gravity analysis, and GC-MS testing performed for every flavor produced, with complete traceability and third-party audits.

Quantifiable outcome

• Lead time of 10 business days for liquid flavors and 15 for powdered flavors — described as industry-leading
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• A M KingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerA M King is an integrated Design-Build firm with offices in Charlotte NC, Greenville SC, and Chicago IL. They completed design and commenced construction on Custom Flavors' new 53,000-sf East Coast processing facility in Concord, NC on a fast-tracked 11-month timeline. The project includes processing areas, laboratories, test kitchen, office spaces, and subsequent phases covering R&D Flavor Lab, Pilot Lab, Expanded Quality Control Lab, and two Applications Labs.
• Ingredients OnlinecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIngredients Online serves as an e-commerce channel partner enabling Custom Flavors to reach startups and emerging brands with low minimum order quantities (1 gallon liquid or 25 lbs powder). Orders placed through Ingredients Online are delivered in under 15 days. This partnership allows Custom Flavors to serve the startup segment without disrupting its standard commercial sales motion.
• South Orange County Wastewater Authority (SOCWA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustom Flavors partners with SOCWA to minimize its environmental footprint beyond its own operations, contributing to community-level environmental stewardship.
• South Coast Air Quality Management District (AQMD)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustom Flavors partners with AQMD to minimize air quality impacts from its manufacturing operations, demonstrating commitment to regulatory compliance and community environmental stewardship.
• Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustom Flavors sources glycerin certified by the RSPO as part of its responsible sourcing commitment, ensuring sustainable supply chain practices.
• Rainforest AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCustom Flavors sources cocoa powder certified by Rainforest Alliance as part of its sustainable ingredient sourcing program.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• T. Hasegawa USA: U.S. arm of Japanese flavor house, focused on savory, sweet, and natural flavors for food and beverage. Comparable mid-to-large custom flavor manufacturer serving similar CPG customers.
• Sensient Technologies: Mid-to-large public flavor house with broad natural and artificial flavor portfolios across food, beverage, and nutraceutical categories. Direct competitor in custom flavor development, especially in natural and clean-label segments.
• Synergy Flavors: Custom flavor manufacturer serving bakery, beverage, dairy, and savory applications with strong natural and organic capabilities. Closely comparable business model and customer base to Custom Flavors.
• Mother Murphy's Labs: Privately-held custom flavor house serving food and beverage manufacturers with liquid and powder flavors. Highly comparable mid-size competitor; notably, Custom Flavors' incoming President Scott Nadison previously worked there.
• Gold Coast Ingredients: Privately-held flavor manufacturer specializing in savory, sweet, and specialty flavors for snacks, sauces, and prepared foods. Closely comparable custom flavor development model and customer profile.
• Treatt: U.K.-based flavor and ingredient manufacturer specializing in beverage, citrus, and natural flavor extracts. Comparable custom development model with strong beverage and nutraceutical focus.

Broad incumbents

• Firmenich: One of the largest global flavor and fragrance houses, with deep R&D and broad natural/organic flavor offerings. Operates as a broad incumbent in the same category, competing for enterprise CPG accounts.
• Robertet: France-based global flavor, fragrance, and natural ingredient house with significant U.S. operations. Competes with Custom Flavors in natural flavors across beverage and confectionery.
• Mane: France-based global flavor and fragrance manufacturer with broad portfolio including natural flavors. Competes as a broader incumbent in the flavor industry, particularly in beverage and dairy categories.
• International Flavors & Fragrances (IFF): One of the world's largest flavor and ingredient companies, serving global CPG customers with extensive R&D and a broad portfolio including natural flavors and modulators. Notable because Custom Flavors' incoming President previously worked at IFF.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ExpertFlavorist

Compliance7 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

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 Custom Flavors