True Leaves Consulting

About True Leaves Consulting

True Leaves Consulting is a food and beverage product development consultancy located in the Old East Village on King St in London, Ontario. The business serves consumer packaged goods (CPG) brands, ranging from early-stage startups to established industry leaders, by providing end-to-end support to take food and beverage innovations from initial concept to commercialization. The company offers a comprehensive suite of services including new product development, which involves ingredient sourcing, benchtop prototypes, cost analysis, and finalized formulas. They also provide reformulation and optimization services to improve existing recipes, extend shelf life, and source ingredients. Their technical support extends to food label compliance for Canadian and U.S. markets, including Nutritional Facts Tables and ingredient declarations in English and French, as well as reviews for CFIA and FDA standards. Additionally, they offer certification consulting for Organic, Fair Trade, Kosher, Gluten Free, Non-GMO, and Vegan labels. Clients can access 1-on-1 consulting via Zoom or in person, R&D plant trials, production runs, and QA/Food Safety support. The firm also provides lab analysis and shelf life testing through a partnership with Fanshawe CRI. True Leaves Consulting was founded by Food Scientist Karen Cardona, who brings over two decades of experience from global leaders such as Nestlé and Kraft Heinz, as well as startup roles with Nuts For Cheese and Rainfed Foods. The team includes Product Developer Steve Wright, who specializes in scaling vegan and gluten-free recipes for industrial production, and Marketing & Project Manager Beste Guney, who focuses on market research and consumer trends. The company describes its approach as being rooted in practical, industry-first experience that balances taste with manufacturing performance, cost, and regulatory requirements. They are also collaborators with regional economic development and entrepreneurship organizations that support food innovation across Canada.