A first call goes further when we have a few details in hand. You don’t need all of them, and some are things we can work out together, but the more you can bring, the more specific we can be about what your product will take.
What you’re making
- The format: tincture, gummy, functional beverage, or a bulk ingredient for your own production.
- The ingredients you have in mind, and which ones are must haves.
- Anything you want to avoid, such as alcohol, certain carriers or common allergens.
How much goes into a serving
For mushroom ingredients we work in dried mushroom equivalent, or DME. It’s the weight of dried mushroom that went into the extract behind each serving. A gram of a 5:1 concentrate, for example, was made from 5 grams of dried mushroom, so it carries 5,000 mg DME.
We use DME because our extracts are whole mushroom extracts. Much of what’s in a mushroom hasn’t been identified or can’t yet be measured reliably, so instead of adjusting each batch toward a single marker compound, we carry the full profile through extraction and concentration. DME describes that whole extract in a way you can plan around, and it gives you one number to work with, whatever the ratio. Our article on whole and standardized extracts goes into why we work this way.
If you already know the DME you want per serving, bring that number. If not, tell us what you’ve seen in similar products and we can help you land on one. Our guide to dosing solid extracts walks through the math.
Quantities and timeline
- A rough size for your first order, and what you expect over the first year.
- For private label, the number of units. For bulk, the amount of finished extract.
- When you need finished product, and any launch date you’re working toward.
Packaging and labels
- Bottle size and type, or the format your manufacturer needs if we’re supplying an ingredient.
- Who is designing the label and reviewing its claims. It helps to know this early.
If you already have a formula
For contract manufacturing, send what you have: the ingredient list, amounts per serving, any specifications or supplier documents, and notes from earlier production runs. We’ll read through it and come back with questions before we quote.
What happens next
After the call we put together a quote and, when it makes sense, samples for you to approve. Our How to order page walks through each step. When you’re ready, send us the details. We reply within 2 to 3 business days.