About
About Food Consultants Group (FCG)
Food Consultants Group (FCG) is a curated network of experienced food industry consultants—built to help brands, startups, and established companies find the right expert fast, and get projects done right the first time.
A new chapter: FCG is now led by KitChem
FCG is entering its next era under the leadership of KitChem, a product development consultancy known for turning ideas into commercially successful products across food, beverage, supplements, and more.
Our goal is simple: protect what makes FCG valuable—an elite member network—while modernizing the experience for both members and clients through better matching, clearer scope definition, and stronger operational support.
What stays the same: FCG remains a member-focused group built on expertise and referrals.
What improves: faster client-to-consultant matching, cleaner intake, better follow-through, and more consistent quality control.
What is Food Consultants Group?
FCG is one of the largest alliances of independent food industry experts, with a deep bench of specialists across product development, operations, commercialization, restaurants, safety, regulatory, sensory, packaging, and manufacturing strategy.
Clients come to FCG when they need:
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A consultant with specific category experience
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A specialist who can troubleshoot a problem quickly
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Senior guidance for formulation, scale-up, and commercialization decisions
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An expert who understands real-world constraints (cost, timelines, labeling, shelf-life, and manufacturing realities)
How FCG helps clients
1) We clarify the need
We start with a quick intake to understand your product, timeline, budget range, and what “success” looks like.
2) We match you with the right expert
We recommend the best-fit consultant(s) based on category, technical fit, and stage (concept → bench → pilot → commercial).
3) We help projects move smoothly
When helpful, our leadership team can support scope definition, handoffs, and project tracking to keep work moving.
Looking for a consultant?
Use our directory or contact us to be matched with the right expert.
KitChem services (and how we support FCG)
KitChem is a product development and commercialization partner specializing in:
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Formulation & reformulation (taste, texture, stability, nutrition targets)
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Flavor strategy & masking (protein, botanicals, functional actives)
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Shelf-life and preservation strategy
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Scale-up readiness (process development, SOPs, pilot planning)
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Ingredient sourcing support (fit-for-purpose ingredients, spec alignment)
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Regulatory and label strategy support (as part of commercialization planning)
Within FCG, KitChem’s role is to strengthen the network, support better client outcomes, and ensure members have a well-run platform that consistently generates high-quality opportunities.
Leadership
Carolina Vazquez Mitchell, MS – President
Carolina is the Founder & CEO of KitChem and a career product developer with deep expertise spanning food, beverage, supplements, and multiple form factors. She has led R&D and product strategy across hundreds of launches and is known for bridging science, taste, and real-world commercialization.
As President of FCG, Carolina’s focus is:
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elevating the member experience
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improving lead quality and project fit
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building a more consistent, high-trust client journey
Benjamin Mitchell, JD – Vice President
Benjamin is a business and operations leader and co-founder of KitChem. He supports FCG with:
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partnerships and growth strategy
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systems, process, and operational excellence
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member support infrastructure and quality control
Casee Gabuya – Membership Director
Casee leads member operations, onboarding, and day-to-day membership support. She ensures that:
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member information stays current
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new members have a smooth onboarding experience
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inquiries are routed quickly and accurately
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the network runs with consistency and follow-through
Our commitment to members
FCG exists because of its members. We’re committed to:
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protecting the value of membership
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improving lead flow and lead quality
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creating a clearer and more efficient experience for referrals and matching
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building systems that help members spend more time consulting—and less time chasing logistics
A Proven Track Record
The Food Consultants Group was founded in 1989 by several key food industry consultants. The purpose of the group was to bring together food industry consultants in a forum where ideas, trends and areas of expertise could be discussed and shared. From this beginning, the Food Consultants Group quickly attracted top consulting experts from virtually every facet of the food industry. Today, it is the largest alliance of food industry experts of its kind in the country, boasting a core membership of over 75 high caliber consultants.
The Food Consultants Group can provide assistance and problem-solving expertise for virtually any area within the food industry.
Flexibility and Efficiency
In today’s competitive environment, more and more companies are realizing that it is not cost efficient to maintain in-house expertise in all functional areas. They are finding that by utilizing outside consultants, as the need arises, they can both save money and tap into a wealth of experience that they simply can not afford to maintain themselves.
That’s where we come in. Through us, you have access to the right consultants when you need them, and all without the cost associated with large consulting firms or permanently adding to your overhead with new employees. We can refer you to a single consultant or assemble a team that is perfectly matched to meet your objectives. You pay only for what you need, when you need it.