Formulation is where the cost and timeline of a custom product gets decided. A stock private-label SKU has no formulation work; the factory's R&D team did it years ago. A custom contract-manufactured SKU has 8-26 weeks of formulation work ahead of any production run.
Stages of a custom formulation engagement:
- Brief: Target benefit, target ingredient panel, target form (capsule, gummy, liquid, cream), target price point, target compliance posture (organic, kosher, non-GMO, NSF Sport).
- Ingredient feasibility: R&D evaluates whether the target ingredient panel is processable at the target form, compatible with packaging, and within budget.
- Bench samples: Small-scale lab samples — typically 1-2 kg or 10-50 units. Multiple iterations on flavor, viscosity, color, fill.
- Pilot batch: Scaled-up trial run, typically 5-10% of intended production scale, to validate manufacturability and processing parameters.
- Stability testing: 3, 6, 12-month accelerated and real-time stability under controlled conditions (typically 40°C/75% RH accelerated, 25°C/60% RH real-time).
- Master formula lock: Final formula, master manufacturing record, finished product specifications, raw material specifications, packaging spec, label spec.
Cost ranges for formulation: simple capsule reformulation $3,000-10,000; complex multi-ingredient supplement $15,000-50,000; novel cosmetics serum with clinical claims $25,000-100,000+; functional beverage with stability and shelf-life testing $40,000-150,000+.