The food & beverage industry is evolving rapidly as consumer preferences and demands change. There is a massive focus on vegan and organic food, as well as innovative nutraceuticals, cannabis-based foods and healthy supplements. The pledge to reduce plastic usage has also impacted the food packaging industry, and businesses are coming up with novel ways of packaging and distributing food. Small businesses play a key role in the food industry, and often do not have the resources to hire full time food experts. Working with freelance food scientists is a great way to access expertise on demand while formulating a recipe or optimizing a product for the shelves. Companies both big and small see benefit in collaborating with freelance food scientists, as it helps them develop reduce time to market and gain confidence in their products.