For Episode #188 of the PricePlow Podcast, we welcome Edwin Gonzalez, Functional Health Sales Manager at Health Tech Bio Actives (HTBA), alongside Michael Alfaro from Master Foods Lab. This episode marks a milestone collaboration: putting cutting-edge vitamin B12 science into functional foods that consumers can actually feel working.
Edwin Gonzalez from Health Tech Bio Actives and Michael Alfaro from Master Foods Lab discuss MecobalActive vitamin B12 and functional food innovation on Episode #188 of the PricePlow Podcast.
Edwin introduces MecobalActive, HTBA's ultra-pure, optimized methylcobalamin ingredient that's redefining what B12 supplementation can do. Traditionally, the industry positioned B12 as a deficiency vitamin for tired, anemic, or sluggish individuals. HTBA is changing that narrative completely. New clinical research demonstrates that just three days of MecobalActive supplementation significantly improved both physical power output and cognitive reaction time in healthy, well-trained athletes without B12 deficiency. This isn't about correcting what's broken, it's about optimizing what already works.
The conversation explores HTBA's nearly 50-year European heritage, their unique position as the only EU manufacturer of all active B12 forms, and the proprietary green chemistry process that yields MecobalActive's exceptional purity and stability. Michael walks through the technical challenges of incorporating functional ingredients into Skinny Bite cakes (showcased at SupplySide Global 2025), revealing the complex interplay between formulation science, manufacturing constraints, and innovative problem-solving. From raspberry-colored B12 filling to protected cake layers to the partnership model driving functional food innovation, this episode delivers both scientific depth and practical application insights.
Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform to catch every episode exploring the cutting edge of sports nutrition and supplement science:
Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on Your Favorite Service (RSS)
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube
https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/vitamin-b12-htba-mecobalactive-188
Video: Redefining B12 with HTBA’s Edwin Gonzalez and Master Foods Lab’s Michael Alfaro
Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 44:24 — 44.6MB)
Detailed Show Notes: MecobalActive B12 Takeover
-
0:00 - Welcome Back: A Dive Into Functional Foods
The episode opens with Ben welcoming Edwin Gonzalez back to discuss his role at HTBA and the breakthrough ingredient that's been a long time in the making. Edwin expresses genuine excitement about appearing on the podcast, noting he's been a fan of the industry and PricePlow for over 10 years. This milestone appearance comes at the perfect moment, as HTBA prepares to introduce MecobalActive to the broader sports nutrition market.
Edwin serves as one of the Functional Health Sales Managers at Health Tech Bio Actives, a Barcelona-based company with nearly five decades of heritage in botanical and vitamin B12 innovation. The conversation quickly turns to the functional food collaboration that brought everyone together: creating skinny bite cakes with real, measurable performance benefits driven by MecobalActive's unique properties.
Ben recounts the months-long journey trying to figure out how to incorporate Edwin's ingredients into products. The challenge wasn't just formulation, it was finding the right application that protected the ingredient's integrity while delivering consumer benefits backed by specific clinical research at practical doses.
-
2:00 - Redefining B12: From Deficiency to Performance Enhancement
Edwin immediately frames the conversation around a bold thesis: "We are redefining B12." This isn't marketing hyperbole: Traditionally, the supplement industry has always positioned B12 as a deficiency-type vitamin, something you take when tired, sluggish, or diagnosed with anemia. HTBA is fundamentally changing that narrative by showcasing that B12 in its purest and most bioavailable form can actually enhance performance, acting as an ergogenic aid even in people without deficiencies.
This paradigm shift matters because it opens entirely new market opportunities. Rather than targeting the subset of consumers who suspect deficiency (vegans, elderly, those with malabsorption issues), MecobalActive speaks to athletes, competitive amateurs, weekend warriors, and anyone seeking cognitive and physical optimization. The ingredient transforms B12 from reactive health management to proactive performance enhancement.
Ben reflects on his own recent breakthrough realizing that outside of deficiency conversations, B12 has largely functioned as label dressing for energy drinks. You see it on popular cans at 100% RDA, which translates to less than a milligram... actually just 2.4 micrograms, or 0.0024 milligrams. Edwin practically winces at that number, noting there's a push to re-evaluate RDA standards because current recommendations are laughably inadequate for performance applications.
The skinny bite cakes contain a full milligram (1,000 micrograms) of MecobalActive, roughly 30,000% of the outdated RDA. That sounds excessive until you understand that clinical research at this dose produced measurable benefits in healthy athletes within just three days.
-
4:45 - Creating Functional Foods: The Clear Can Problem
The conversation takes an interesting turn as it's revealed they originally planned to put MecobalActive in a concept energy drink served in a clear can. The team was genuinely excited about this direction, gushing over the ingredient's research and performance potential. Then someone from HTBA's technical team cut the entire concept short: "You can't do it, sorry."
HTBA's MecobalActive methylcobalamin delivered 4% more power and 5% faster cognition in just 3 days--in healthy athletes with normal vitamin B12 levels.
The issue? MecobalActive is light-sensitive. The ingredient is manufactured and handled under red light to prevent degradation. A clear can sitting on retail shelves under fluorescent lighting would destroy the active compound before consumers ever opened it. This was "crushing" news since we really wanted to use this ingredient.
The solution came through creative problem-solving: putting the raspberry-colored MecobalActive into jam filling at the center of a cake product. The outer cake and chocolate coating layers provide complete light protection, preserving ingredient integrity throughout the product's shelf life. The team asked Michael to figure out how to make this work, which set off the complex food development process they'll discuss later.
Ben notes that MecobalActive's deep red burgundy color actually inspired the raspberry flavor choice. When they opened bags of the raw material, it looked like natural coloring had been added. Michael confirms the ingredient is bright red in powder form, and when blended into the jam filling, it looks exactly like you added food coloring, except it's all from the B12 itself.
-
7:15 - The Formulation Challenge: Making Actives Work in Real Food
Michael begins explaining the R&D process behind developing the raspberry jam filling with MecobalActive. His colleague Starla drove much of the bench work, figuring out how to achieve the right texture, taste profile, and consistency while controlling water activity for proper filling performance.
Filling development involves multiple considerations most consumers never contemplate. The jam needs appropriate fluidity to run through piston filling machinery without clogging. It must hold enough water to maintain texture but not so much that it migrates into the cake, making it soggy. The filling experience needs to deliver flavor and mouthfeel consumers expect from premium products.
The remarkable aspect of working with MecobalActive? At just one milligram per serving, there were no off-notes to mask or flavor challenges to overcome. Michael emphasizes this point: "The cool thing is that with one milligram, which is not a ton, there were no kind of off notes. We didn't have to fight it." The ingredient actually helped with coloring naturally and didn't interfere with the jam's sensory properties whatsoever.
From their European production site, HTBA advances vitamin B12 technology through nature-led formulation, creative partnerships, and consumer-driven innovation.
Adding context about typical ingredient challenges, even if something tastes horrible, at one milligram, you'd be unlikely to detect that needle in the entire haystack of filling. But MecobalActive didn't even pose that theoretical concern. Ben asks whether Michael needed to bulk up the ingredient or work with diluted versions.
Edwin explains that many B12 ingredients come pre-diluted on carriers like maltodextrin or dicalcium phosphate at 1%, 5%, or 10% concentrations. This makes measuring and blending easier when dealing with microgram quantities. HTBA deliberately sells pure MecobalActive without carriers, and they're proud of that distinction. The 98% pure formulation means formulators work with active ingredient, not filler. You can choose to fill it yourself, after all.
-
11:00 - HTBA's European Heritage and Manufacturing Excellence
Ben prompts Edwin to discuss HTBA's broader story, noting that their earlier conversation at SupplySide East made him "fall in love with the company" due to their environmental initiatives and European manufacturing approach. Edwin shares that Health Tech Bio Actives has been in business since 1978, giving them nearly 50 years of heritage in the botanical and B12 space.
HTBA is the only European company that manufactures all active forms of vitamin B12: methylcobalamin (MecobalActive), adenosylcobalamin, and hydroxocobalamin. This vertical integration and technical expertise sets them apart from commodity B12 suppliers who might source from multiple manufacturers or only offer synthetic cyanocobalamin.
Beyond B12, HTBA is globally renowned for their citrus bioflavonoid portfolio. The company's sustainability story centers on their circular economy approach. They manufacture bioflavonoids from baby oranges that naturally fall from trees before reaching maturity. Within the juice industry, these premature oranges typically go to waste. HTBA extracts valuable compounds from the white pith (albedo) of these otherwise discarded fruits.
Edwin stresses that sustainability isn't a recent marketing term for HTBA, it's at the core of who the company is and has been for decades. Their Beniel, Murcia facility sits in southern Spain surrounded by the orange and lemon groves that supply raw materials. This geographic positioning connects their nature-led philosophy directly to ingredient sourcing.
The group reflects that the sustainability story demonstrates HTBA's values and long-term thinking. Joey jokes they're "saving orphan baby oranges" and giving them purpose, which actually resonates as companies increasingly face scrutiny over environmental practices and ingredient sourcing.
-
14:30 - Green Chemistry: Manufacturing B12 Without Toxic Reagents
Edwin transitions to discussing how MecobalActive is created. Methylcobalamin is synthesized through what HTBA calls their proprietary "green chemistry process". Unlike many competitors who utilize potentially toxic reagents during synthesis, HTBA employs iron and ferric salts, which have dramatically less environmental impact and can be removed magnetically.
Ben quips that removing iron with magnets is "kind of cool" from a manufacturing perspective. Edwin agrees, emphasizing that the combination of green chemistry and careful process control separates the end product in terms of purity and quality. MecobalActive comes in at 98% purity, significantly higher than typical market offerings.
The moisture content difference matters substantially for formulators. Methylcobalamin typically contains around 12% moisture. MecobalActive contains just 6% moisture, half the industry standard. This means less water to account for in formulations, reduced clumping, and better powder flow characteristics. Michael confirms the material behaves almost like a liquid because of how well it flows, which is ideal for manufacturing applications.
HTBA brings nearly half a century of vitamin B12 and flavonoid expertise across pharmaceuticals, functional health ingredients, taste modulation, and animal nutrition applications.
The five-year shelf life is especially impressive to everyone. Industry standard for methylcobalamin is typically 2-2.5 years maximum due to stability concerns. HTBA's manufacturing approach and ultra-low moisture content extends stability to five years, twice as long as competition. This stability advantage reduces waste, improves inventory management for brands, and ensures consumers receive full-potency products even closer to expiration dates.
Edwin emphasizes MecobalActive's stability in both powders and liquids, making it uniquely versatile for diverse product applications from capsules to ready-to-drink beverages to the functional foods they're discussing today.
-
16:45 - Light Sensitivity and Creative Product Applications
The group circles back to the light sensitivity issue that derailed the clear can concept. Methylcobalamin is a delicate molecule sensitive to light exposure, which is why HTBA handles it under red light during manufacturing. For formulators, this creates genuine constraints around packaging and product format.
Ben recounts the initial disappointment when told they couldn't use a clear can, then the creative pivot to putting MecobalActive deep inside cake filling where light never reaches. Michael confirms they needed to work within the ingredient's limitations, which led to using a liner in the baking molds to protect cake structure, then filling with the B12-enriched jam, and finally coating everything in chocolate for additional protection.
Edwin notes that despite the light sensitivity challenge, MecobalActive's exceptional purity and small effective dose makes it dramatically easier to work with than many functional ingredients. No overage needed. No flavor masking. No complicated processing steps. Just one milligram of ultra-pure methylcobalamin protected inside delicious food.
This conversation highlights the reality of functional food development: great ingredients still need thoughtful application that respects their physical and chemical properties while delivering consumer appeal.
-
19:00 - Redefining B12 Like Creatine Was Redefined
European health authorities recognize vitamin B12's contributions to metabolism, nervous system health, immune function, and reducing fatigue.
Edwin makes a compelling comparison: just as everyone knew creatine for years as a strength, ATP, and muscle-building supplement, the past year has seen creatine repositioned for cognition, brain health, Alzheimer's prevention, and even sleep support. The ingredient's benefits extend far beyond its original positioning.
MecobalActive follows the same trajectory. Everyone knew B12 for deficiency correction, but it can also genuinely enhance performance. This reframing opens entirely new market opportunities where B12 becomes a proactive performance ingredient rather than reactive deficiency treatment.
Ben shares feedback from the PricePlow Discord community of about 900 dedicated early adopters when announcing these products. The community raised interesting questions around purchase patterns: do consumers buy functional food products in bulk for regular consumption, or primarily as on-the-go individual purchases?
Michael explains the evolution from seed to loyalty. Consumers might hear about a brand and try a single unit at retail. If they love the flavor profile, texture, and how it makes them feel, they graduate to buying cases either in-store or direct-to-consumer. The key is getting products into people's hands for that initial trial, then delivering an exceptional experience that drives repeat purchase behavior.
He notes variety packs typically sell best for most brands because consumers get a 12-pack with three different flavors, preventing flavor fatigue from eating the same thing repeatedly. One Discord member specifically mentioned this concern: buying 12 identical cakes might lead to boredom. In a commercial scenario, Joey agrees they'd create three different varieties rather than relying on a single SKU.
-
22:00 - The Clinical Study: Triple-Blind Crossover in Healthy Athletes
Ben asks Edwin to explain what users can expect from consuming these MecobalActive-containing cakes. Edwin provides crucial context: to the best of his knowledge, no one had ever conducted an acute study on methylcobalamin and B12 specifically examining performance in an athletic setting. Previous research focused on correcting deficiencies in anemic populations, elderly individuals, or those with documented B12 inadequacy.
Clinical research in healthy cyclists showed that a short loading protocol with MecobalActive boosted power output, reduced fatigue, and sharpened mental processing.
HTBA ran a clinical trial early in the year performed on 18 male trained cyclists (soon to be formally published). These weren't casual exercisers, they were amateur athletes training 4-6 days per week with average body fat around 11% and median age of 32. Critically, they had normal plasma B12 levels at baseline. Edwin stresses this point repeatedly: the subjects weren't deficient.
The majority of B12 studies target deficient populations or elderly demographics. By studying healthy, active individuals with adequate baseline status, HTBA tested whether methylcobalamin provides benefits beyond simply correcting inadequacy. The answer proved remarkably definitive.
Subjects received one milligram (1,000 micrograms) of MecobalActive daily for three consecutive days. On the fourth day, researchers ran comprehensive testing including a sensory reaction time test using light-response photocells and the demanding Wingate protocol for measuring peak power output.
The study employed a triple-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover design. Edwin breaks down what this means: neither the athletes, nor the researchers conducting tests, nor the analysts evaluating data knew who received MecobalActive versus placebo until completion. The crossover component meant each participant served as their own control, receiving both active and placebo conditions separated by a seven-day washout period.
Edwin emphasizes the methodological rigor of triple-blind protocols, which represent the gold standard for minimizing bias in supplement research.
-
26:45 - The Results: 4% Power, 6% Fatigue Resistance, 5% Cognition
Next, Edwin delivers the remarkable findings: after just three days of supplementation, subjects demonstrated 4% increase in peak power output, 6% reduction in perceived fatigue, and 5% increase in reaction time, with a 17% increase in blood plasma B12 levels. These effects occurred in people who weren't deficient to begin with.
Most consumers now take charge of their own wellness, prioritizing mental clarity and sustained energy over simply correcting deficiencies.
The 4% power improvement came from Wingate testing, which measures maximum anaerobic power output during 30-second all-out cycling sprints. In competitive athletics, 4% additional power at the same perceived effort translates to meaningful time advantages in sprint finishes, hill attacks, or any explosive effort.
The fatigue resistance data showed subjects maintained performance better across repeated maximal efforts. Rather than experiencing significant power drop-off from first to fifth Wingate sprint, MecobalActive group sustained intensity dramatically better. This suggests the ingredient doesn't just boost initial output but helps maintain performance through multiple high-intensity intervals.
The 5% cognitive improvement occurred during mental agility testing performed before any physical exertion. Subjects completed light-response tasks measuring attention, reaction time, and hand-eye coordination significantly faster after MecobalActive supplementation. This cognitive enhancement at rest (before exercise-induced fatigue) demonstrates direct neurological benefits.
Edwin is asked whether the 17% increase in plasma B12 suggests there's a higher optimal threshold than current RDA recommendations. He acknowledges this possibility, noting the study validates that even in populations with normal baseline levels, elevating B12 status produces tangible benefits. The research challenges assumptions about B12 supplementation timelines, target populations, and physiological effects.
It's again emphasized that this was a triple-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study, the methodological gold standard. Edwin confirms every precaution was taken to ensure rigorous, unbiased results that validate MecobalActive as a clinically-validated ergogenic capable of increasing peak power output, reducing fatigue, and enhancing mental alertness.
-
31:00 - Structure/Function Claims and Market Applications
Edwin proudly notes that MecobalActive now has B12 structure/function claims that no other B12 ingredient possesses. This exclusive clinical validation gives brands legitimate marketing angles around physical performance, cognitive function, and fatigue resistance backed by human research.
This vitamin B12 ingredient delivers measurable cognitive and physical improvements even in people with adequate baseline levels.
It's asked if this applies only to MecobalActive or if HTBA plans similar studies on their adenosylcobalamin and hydroxocobalamin ingredients. Edwin confirms MecobalActive has massive potential in the US market, particularly in pre-workouts, energy drinks, hydration stick packs, and recovery products. The immediate focus is maximizing MecobalActive's market penetration before expanding research into other B12 forms.
He specifically mentions strips and pouches as ideal applications. Many supplement strips can only accommodate 100 milligrams of total material. MecobalActive requires just one milligram, leaving 99mg for other actives. The rise of nicotine pouches and cognitive enhancement pouches presents another opportunity: Ben sees the ingredient fitting naturally alongside compounds like Cognizin citicoline and caffeine for concentration support.
Michael is asked if this represents his first food product with an ingredient consumers can actually feel, outside of caffeine. He confirms he's developed caffeinated bars before, including an espresso bar with Barstool Sports under their Battle Bars brand containing 100mg total caffeine (partially from espresso, primarily from added caffeine anhydrous).
This crossover between supplement-style functional ingredients and ready-to-eat foods represents where Michael finds innovation opportunities. When ingredients add true function with proven benefits, even if regulatory limitations prevent explicit claims, consumers experience real effects that drive repeat purchases through word-of-mouth rather than just marketing promises.
-
35:45 - Color-Driven Innovation and Future Applications
Here's the formulation thought process: MecobalActive's deep red color immediately suggested raspberry as the flavor direction. Since light sensitivity required protecting the ingredient inside the cake core rather than exposing it in drinks or surface applications, stuffing it deep inside a raspberry lemon cake solved multiple problems simultaneously.
Over half of today's health-conscious consumers seek cognitive and energy benefits from their supplements, with mental wellness ranking as a top priority.
The team extended this thinking to other naturally-colored functional ingredients: anything blue could leverage phycocyanin, anything green could incorporate spirulina. If there's inherent color, there's a way to build functionality into foods matching that color profile. Michael agrees completely, noting this approach opens numerous creative formulation possibilities.
Joey transitions to discussing what he loves about these products from a practical standpoint: while regulatory constraints prevent making explicit health claims on finished foods, consumers will feel the benefits. You don't need to tell people their fatigue will drop or reaction time will improve. Give them the product with proper doses of quality actives, and they'll notice effects themselves.
This point matters especially for MecobalActive's four performance vectors: power output, fatigue resistance, cognitive speed, and energy. Consumers will experience at least one of these benefits, creating organic word-of-mouth that no marketing budget can buy. Edwin notes that anytime someone is deficient in B12, they feel it through tiredness, fatigue, muscle weakness, brain fog, and memory loss. Most people don't even realize B12 deficiency is causing their symptoms.
Ben draws parallels to how functional foods and beverages are evolving. Energy drinks became habitual because consumers get headaches without them or need performance for demanding work like podcasting. He wants people to view foods like skinny bites similarly: items you consume regularly to feel sustained benefits, not just occasional treats.
-
37:00 - The Chocolate Coating: Formulation Within Constraints
Joey asks whether incorporating actives into the chocolate enrobing layer posed challenges. Michael clarifies they created a custom-formulated chocolate incorporating natural colors from ergomax (likely aronia) and curcumin to achieve the desired yellow hue, plus flavoring agents including lemon bioflavonoids for acidity and B12 itself.
The critical point: all these additions remained in very small quantities. When formulating chocolate, excessive dry ingredients fundamentally alter fat ratios and sweetener balance. Protein additions require reducing fat content and adjusting sweetness levels. Every ingredient must be ground to proper micron size through ball milling to prevent grainy texture.
As a European pioneer in vitamin B12 active forms, HTBA serves pharmaceuticals, functional health, taste modulation, and animal nutrition markets.
Push too much dry material into chocolate and it thickens excessively, becoming pasty rather than fluid. Proper enrobing requires chocolate that flows smoothly at controlled temperatures, creating even coatings. Too thin and you get inadequate coverage with blotches; too thick and it won't flow at all.
Because MecobalActive and other actives required just milligrams rather than grams, they didn't disrupt chocolate's fundamental structure. Michael confirms working with these tiny quantities made formulation straightforward compared to trying to incorporate multiple grams of protein or other bulking ingredients.
Joey expresses excitement about finally seeing industry reactions to the products. Michael agrees the creative process is rewarding, but today marked his first time actually tasting the finished skinny bites. Much of the project involved trust: trust that the right people are in the right positions, trust that Michael's team would execute manufacturing despite aggressive timelines, trust that ingredient partners like Edwin would provide technical support throughout.
-
39:00 - Manufacturing Mastery: Solving the Protein Cake Challenge
Ben asks what made this project most challenging from a manufacturing perspective. Michael immediately identifies time as the primary constraint. Creating innovative bench-level formulas that scale to production-worthy processes typically requires extensive optimization. When you need proper taste, texture, and processing characteristics through machinery within just weeks rather than months, every decision becomes critical.
The cake itself presented unique structural challenges. They needed sufficient aeration to allow piston filling without the batter being so soft it crumbled when removed from baking pans. Michael explains that achieving proper cake structure with high protein content while maintaining the desired soft, moist experience requires precise balance.
Traditional cake formulations don't translate directly when adding significant protein. Too soft and the structure collapses when demolded. Too firm and the eating experience feels dense rather than light and airy. The filling process also requires the cake to "give" when the piston needle injects jam into the center. Dense, rigid cakes just crack or squirt filling out rather than accepting it into their interior.
Studies in healthy athletes confirm that just three days of supplementation improves both physical power and mental processing speed.
The solution? Using liners inside the baking molds to support cake structure during production, then peeling away the liners post-bake to maintain shape integrity. Michael acknowledges this adds manufacturing complexity and reduces efficiency compared to direct-pan baking, but the tight timeline left no room for extensive recipe reformulation and panel retesting.
He emphasizes this represents a short-term manufacturing approach. At true production scale with 70,000+ units daily, no one wants liner-based processes. But for innovation projects with aggressive deadlines, you make strategic compromises: keep the formula meeting nutritional targets and sensory requirements, then adapt manufacturing processes to accommodate limitations.
Ben asks about the filling injection process: is there a designated cavity, or does the piston needle create its own space? Michael explains the needle penetrates into the cake's center and injects filling, which the aerated cake structure accommodates by expanding slightly. This only works when the cake batter has proper density and moisture, maintaining structure while remaining pliable enough to accept filling without breaking apart.
-
41:00 - The Partnership Model: When Ingredient Suppliers Become Collaborators
Ben emphasizes the unique team assembled for this project. He wouldn't trust this collaboration to any other bakery because most would complain it doesn't make sense or come up with excuses why certain approaches won't work. Michael confirms this assessment: many manufacturers would reject projects requiring this level of innovation under tight deadlines.
Joey agrees completely, noting that ingredient suppliers often send material and wish you luck without providing formulation guidance, dosing recommendations, flavor system compatibility, or manufacturing connections. Edwin and HTBA took the opposite approach.
Edwin reveals that Ketone Labs provides comprehensive "white glove" formulation services as part of their ingredient sales. They don't just sell MecobalActive and disappear. The team sits on extended calls developing optimal formulas, helps with sampling, connects brands with quality manufacturers, and supports projects from "soup to nuts" or "farm to table."
Master Foods Lab showcases FIVE functional food concepts including banana nut chocolate chip and maple cinnamon muffins that taste like they're from a bakery, plus an enrobed coffee bar with incredible aroma. Michael Alfaro continues pushing boundaries in better-for-you foods.
The goal is making products that are "hater-proof": formulated so well that critics can't find legitimate flaws. This full-service support model addresses frustrations brands experience when ingredient suppliers provide zero application guidance. Joey describes Michael's operations manager David as exemplary in this regard, remaining calm and solution-focused even when facing Friday afternoon crises that need resolution before Monday.
Ben recounts calling David about a production issue, expecting stress and complications. Instead, David was completely composed: "We found out 15 minutes before end of day Friday. It's been the weekend so I haven't been able to do anything, but we're going to figure it out." That confidence matters when trade shows loom just over a week away.
-
42:00 - The Pressure Cooker: Building Brands in Real Time
Michael shares perspective with his team about industry realities: every brand wants products yesterday. Every brand operates under pressure, stress, and resource constraints against aggressive timelines. They're simultaneously trying to keep retailers happy while building sustainable businesses. The manufacturer's job is supporting them through this chaos.
He tells his team directly: "You will be under pressure. You will be under stress. If you cannot walk on the fucking hot lava every single day and be okay, this is not the place for you." That intensity defines supplement and functional food development. Projects never go perfectly smooth. There's always some crisis, some unexpected challenge, some last-minute pivot required.
Joey reflects that despite backend chaos and problem-solving, brands viewing the final products will see maybe 25% of what went into them. They'll notice the B12, the protein and enrobing, the pop rocks, whatever element solves their specific need. They won't see the dozens of problems overcome or late nights spent ensuring everything came together.
Ben agrees brands probably won't see operational challenges at all, which is exactly how it should work. The point is presenting innovations that spark ideas, demonstrate what's possible, and connect ingredient suppliers with food manufacturers capable of executing challenging concepts.
Edwin shares his excitement on behalf of HTBA: these skinny bites represent the perfect vehicle to introduce the world to MecobalActive. He's personally thrilled to hand out samples at Supply Side West next week, getting direct consumer feedback and brand reactions.
-
44:00 - Closing and Where to Find Edwin, HTBA, and Michael
Ben asks for Edwin's contact information. Edwin directs people to connect on LinkedIn under his name (Edwin Gonzalez) and points them to HTBA's website at htba.com. The company maintains active presence on LinkedIn under HealthTech Bio Actives as well.
Michael shares that he's active on Instagram as @HeadRhino personally, with his company account at @MasterFoodsLab. He notes they produce substantial video content taking followers "behind the curtains" to show how manufacturing actually works.
Michael emphasizes there aren't many manufacturers openly sharing educational content about food development and production processes. Even large brands need guidance and support from manufacturers willing to be accessible and communicative. His approach centers on transparency: being front and center, answering questions, helping brands figure out their needs rather than just operating as a silent production facility.
Ben thanks both Edwin and Michael for joining the podcast and participating in this ambitious collaboration. The skinny bite project exemplifies what happens when the right partners come together around shared vision: ingredient suppliers providing clinical validation and technical support, food manufacturers willing to push boundaries and solve complex problems, and brands focused on delivering genuine consumer benefits rather than just label claims.
Edwin reiterates HTBA's commitment to redefining vitamin B12 from deficiency correction to performance optimization. With MecobalActive's unique manufacturing advantages, clinical validation in healthy athletes, and versatility across product formats, the ingredient opens new positioning opportunities for brands seeking differentiation in competitive markets.
Michael emphasizes that functional food innovation lives at this crossover between supplement-grade actives and ready-to-eat formats. When you utilize ingredients with true proven benefits and find creative applications that respect their properties while delivering exceptional taste and texture, you create products consumers genuinely want rather than just tolerate for perceived health benefits.
Where to Find HTBA, MecobalActive, and Master Foods Lab
HTBA and MecobalActive:
- MecobalActive: Health Tech BioActives' Next-Generation Methylcobalamin Opens New Dimension in Performance
- HTBA Website: https://htba.com/
- HTBA on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/healthtechbioactives/
- Edwin Gonzalez on LinkedIn: Search Edwin Gonzalez + HTBA
- Follow HTBA news on PricePlow: https://www.priceplow.com/healthtech-bio-actives
Master Foods Lab:
- Master Foods Lab Website: https://masterfoodslab.com
- Master Foods Lab on Instagram: @MasterFoodsLab
- Previous Episode with Michael: Episode #125
Future Nutra Foundation:
Thanks to Edwin for introducing HTBA's breakthrough research and to Michael for demonstrating that functional food innovation happens when ingredient science meets manufacturing excellence. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and leave us a review on iTunes and Spotify!
Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on Your Favorite Service (RSS)
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
YouTube
Comments and Discussion (Powered by the PricePlow Forum)