Raj Krishnamachari has rejoined Nellson Nutraceutical LLC as Vice President, Quality & Regulatory, effective September 14, 2026 — a signal that the Anaheim-based co-manufacturer is doubling down on quality infrastructure as demand for contract-manufactured bars and functional powders accelerates across the supplement and better-for-you food sectors.
Krishnamachari previously served Nellson as Senior Director of Quality, where he built out quality systems, advanced food safety programs, and supported successful regulatory inspections. His return follows the retirement of Marty Hudak-Roos, who held the quality and regulatory leadership role and is credited with establishing the compliance culture and operational standards that remain embedded in Nellson's manufacturing network today.
Scope of the Role
In his new capacity, Krishnamachari will have oversight of quality assurance, food safety, sanitation, supplier approval, regulatory affairs, and compliance functions spanning Nellson's North American manufacturing facilities. For brand customers sourcing finished formulations through Nellson — ranging from protein bar co-manufacturing to functional powder blending — the appointment directly affects audit readiness, label compliance, and supply chain integrity.
"Raj brings an exceptional combination of industry expertise, proven leadership, and firsthand knowledge of our business," said Jean Filion, Chief Executive Officer of Nellson. "He understands our customers, our manufacturing network, and our commitment to quality. Raj is uniquely positioned to build on the strong foundation Marty and the team have established while continuing to strengthen the systems, processes, and culture that support our customers' success."
Why Operators Should Care
For brands selecting a contract manufacturer, quality and regulatory leadership is a material consideration — not a back-office function. As FDA enforcement of Current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs) for dietary supplements and food facilities has intensified, co-manufacturers with robust internal regulatory infrastructure provide a layer of risk mitigation that smaller or less-structured operations cannot. Nellson's scale as North America's leading full-service contract manufacturer of nutritional bars and functional powders means that its quality posture influences a significant share of the finished-formulation supplement and functional food supply chain.
Krishnamachari's dual mandate — spanning both regulatory affairs and food safety — reflects an industry-wide convergence of those functions as products increasingly straddle the line between conventional food and dietary supplement classification. Fortified bars and functional powders, for instance, may carry structure-function claims that trigger labeling requirements, while also requiring FSMA compliance as food products. Managing that overlap demands exactly the kind of integrated quality and regulatory leadership Krishnamachari is positioned to provide.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
