How to Ensure Intellectual Property Protection with a Food Trade Consulting Firm

Guest post is provided by Food Trade Consultants, a consultation service offering seminars and packing of small orders to entrepreneurs in the food industry. Visit Food Trade Consultants for more information.

Big names in the food industry like Coca-Cola and KFC stash their secret recipes in a tiny safe inside their huge headquarters in order to keep their trade secrets from being stolen. However, most often, people don’t have the means to guard their secret this carefully, and need help to get their business going. If you can’t build and maintain your own packaging facilities like most start-ups using a trusted consulting firm is the next best thing.

If you use a food trade consulting firm, ask for a comprehensive Nondisclosure Agreement that legally binds them to keep specific information secret. Do not give any details of your recipe to anyone without having them sign this kind of legal documentation. If something happens where they break the contract you could take them to court and fight for compensation.

Consulting firms should only share your recipes with consultants and affiliates that perform any testing analysis or batch quotes. Data should be stored in a secure location, and better not to be stored in their database at all. After six months upon completion of your business with them, they should destroy all sensitive materials pertaining to your recipe.

Food trade consulting firms help their clients achieve success by steering them away from mistakes that all first-timers seem to make. Consultants can usually boast big-time success, anything less isn’t worth your time or money. Using the wisdom from a consultant allows you to get an edge on your competitors and is well worth the investment.