Over the last few years, smaller food and beverage brands have made a serious impact on the market. Whether it’s a low-sugar ready-to-drink (RTD) beverage, a clean-label sauce, or a high-protein broth, consumers are gravitating toward products that feel fresh, niche, and often founder-led.

But if getting into the market is one challenge, scaling up to meet demand is another.

Most emerging brands start small. As in hand-blended batches, shared kitchen spaces, semi-manual fillers, or co-packers with limited flexibility. These setups can quickly hit limitations: inconsistent batching, low throughput, and minimal automation. Add in growing distribution demands, shelf stability concerns, and strict food safety regulations, and the need for a scalable processing solution becomes urgent.

According to PMMI’s “Emerging Brands and Their Packaging Journeys” report, 62% of startups begin with manual processes, but more than half aim to invest in automation within the first three years of growth. This transition often marks a turning point—where processing decisions can accelerate momentum or stall expansion.

What Scaling Means in Processing

Scaling up isn’t just about producing more product faster. It’s about producing consistently, safely, and efficiently—and doing so in a way that allows room for future growth.

Here are a few key areas of focus:

1. Batching & Blending for Consistency

Small runs often allow for a looser margin of error, but larger volumes require precise ingredient measurement, repeatable processes, and consistent output. Inline blending and automated batching systems reduce variability, support clean-label claims, and improve speed.

In a recent ProFood World article on automation readiness, industry experts emphasized the importance of automating core processing functions early in the scaling journey, not just packaging lines.

2. Shelf Stability & Safety

Emerging RTD and liquid food brands often need to make the leap from refrigerated products to shelf-stable offerings. That means introducing thermal processing methods such as pasteurization or retorting to extend shelf life while meeting FDA requirements.

The growing popularity of functional beverages, bone broths, and nutrient-dense sauces puts even greater focus on processing systems that preserve nutrients while ensuring microbial safety.

3. Sanitary Design & Compliance

As volumes grow, so do the risks. Investing in equipment designed for easy cleaning (CIP/SIP), hygienic materials, and compliance with standards like FSMA and HACCP is essential, not just to protect consumers but to protect the brand’s reputation.

What Emerging Brands Need from a Processing Systems Partner

Scaling isn’t a solo effort. Many brands rely on OEMs, engineering consultants, and integrators to design systems that grow with them. The most successful partnerships often come from vendors who understand not just processing machinery and equipment, but also the realities of growing a business.

Here’s what growing brands are looking for:

• Modularity – Start with what you need now, but ensure expandability.
• Small footprint – Space is a premium in growing facilities.
• Flexible SKUs – Accommodate product line extensions without massive overhauls.
• Ease of use – Intuitive systems reduce labor dependency and training time.

What the Data Says

Trends continue to show strong momentum behind small-to-mid-sized brand growth:

• In the RTD space, a 2024 report from the Beverage Industry noted that “craft and niche” players captured nearly 20% of the market share in new functional drink launches.
• Flexible processing systems are more important than ever as brands experiment with seasonal flavors, dietary trends, and alternative packaging formats.
• Sustainability is also playing a more significant role in equipment selection, as many brands aim to reduce energy consumption, product waste, and water usage across processing and cleaning operations.

What Should Emerging Brands Look For?

If you’re starting to plan your scale-up, here are a few things worth thinking about:

• Can your current processing setup grow with you?
• Do you want to continue using a co-packer, or bring it in-house eventually?
• Are there manual steps in your process that could be automated?
• Is your shelf life working for you—or limiting you?

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach here. Some brands will need small, modular systems they can build onto over time. Others will benefit from turnkey processing and packaging integration. Either way, the more you plan ahead, the less painful your growth will be.

And the good news? There’s a lot more support out there for small and mid-sized brands than there used to be.

Market Momentum Is on Your Side

Emerging brands are still booming. In the beverage space alone, RTD coffee, functional hydration, and non-alcoholic alternatives are growing fast. Beverage Industry Magazine recently reported that many niche brands are now capturing double-digit market shares in formerly stagnant categories.

On the food side, the demand for clean-label ingredients, higher protein content, and global flavor profiles continues to rise. These trends are fueling innovation, but also putting pressure on small producers to scale quickly while maintaining quality.

What’s Next?

As brands grow, processing strategy becomes more than just a means of production—it becomes a key differentiator. The ability to launch new products quickly, ensure compliance across markets, and maintain a high level of quality becomes a competitive edge.

But processing is also where emerging brands often feel the most growing pains. Scaling too slowly can lead to missed market opportunities. Scaling too quickly without the right infrastructure can result in costly mistakes.

If you’re part of an emerging brand—or work closely with one—what’s been your biggest challenge when it comes to scaling up processing?

• Was it a capital investment?
• Navigating equipment sourcing?
• Building the right team?
• Choosing between in-house production and co-packing?

And if you’ve been through it already, what advice would you give someone just beginning that journey?