Meet the Ph.D. Dietitian Helping Wellness Brands Solve Their Toughest Formulation Challenges

Innovative Labs launches fully integrated Innovation Center to bridge the gap between clinical nutrition science and commercial scale-up

SPRINGVILLE, Utah, June 11, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Behind some of the most complex formulation challenges in the supplement industry is a question that stops brands in their tracks: how do you take a compelling concept and turn it into a product that is stable, great-tasting, manufacturable, and ready for market? For Innovative Labs, a premier contract development and manufacturing organization (CDMO) for the health and wellness industry, the answer starts with who is leading the work.

Founded in 2008, the company has spent nearly two decades helping health and wellness brands bring complex nutrition products to market. The Innovation Center is headed by Dr. Steve Wood, Ph.D., RDN, a clinical researcher and dietary supplement expert whose background spans nutritional science, chemistry, and decades of real-world product development. Alongside him is Jolene Young, M.S., whose expertise in nutritional science, chemistry, and product commercialization rounds out a leadership team with deep technical range across every stage of product development.

That depth of leadership changes how early-stage decisions get made. Dr. Wood and Young evaluate every idea for scientific plausibility, safety, and genuine consumer fit before a formula ever reaches the bench. It is a discipline that saves brands from expensive missteps and keeps development moving in the right direction from day one.

"At Innovative Labs, we transform nutrition science into market-ready products. Our Innovation Center unites ingredient science, formulation, sensory excellence, stability, and scalable manufacturing to accelerate product development from concept to commercialization. Backed by deep expertise across several disciplines, we specialize in solving complex formulation challenges, particularly in liquid delivery systems, creating products that are innovative, pleasant tasting, stable, manufacturable, and consumer-ready," said Dr. Wood, Senior Director of Innovation.

That expertise is particularly consequential in liquid formats, where actives, botanicals, proteins, and minerals interact in ways that can produce sedimentation, off-notes, and shelf-life instability. Most development environments struggle to catch and resolve these variables before they become costly manufacturing problems. The Innovation Center was built specifically to handle that complexity, moving clients seamlessly from benchtop through pilot to full-scale production within a single integrated team, with direct access to Innovative Labs' analytical and manufacturing facilities at every step.

A recent example of this methodology in action is the development of a multi-active liquid nutrition product where ingredients with differing solubility, pH sensitivity, and oxidation profiles threatened stability and shelf life. Through iterative testing and careful system design, the team resolved each variable and delivered a formula that performs consistently in high-volume production, not just on paper.

Every client engagement is also managed under strict confidentiality protocols, safeguarding proprietary ingredients, strategic positioning, and intellectual property at every stage of development.

Looking ahead, the Innovation Center is expanding its capabilities into powder formats and personal care products and is actively welcoming inquiries from wellness brands ready to bring their next breakthrough to market with speed and certainty.

About Innovative Labs
Founded in 2008, Innovative Labs is a premier CDMO for the health and wellness industry. The company specializes in transforming complex concepts into shelf-ready products through PhD-led R&D, flavor science, and high-volume manufacturing. From sustainable sourcing to innovative formulations, multiple product forms (liquids, gels, powders, etc.), and packaging solutions (pouches, sachets, jars, bottles, and tubes), the company ensures speed, safety, and compliance at every step. Headquartered in Springville, Utah, Innovative Labs empowers brands to scale with speed and precision. Learn more at www.innovativelabs.com.

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SOURCE Innovative Labs