Beyond Oil has appointed Shai Altman, a food and consumer goods executive with roughly 30 years of industry experience, to its advisory board as the company moves to accelerate commercial traction in North America.
Altman's career spans leadership positions at McCain Foods and The Wrigley Company, the latter operating as a division of Mars Inc. That combination of large-scale food manufacturing and confectionery gives him direct exposure to the supply-chain, commercialization, and retail-channel dynamics that ingredient suppliers must navigate when scaling in competitive North American markets.
Why the Appointment Matters
For ingredient suppliers targeting foodservice operators, co-manufacturers, and branded food companies, advisory board composition carries real commercial weight. Executives with procurement, R&D, or category leadership backgrounds at Tier 1 food companies bring category fluency, buyer relationships, and formulation credibility that accelerate supplier qualification processes. Altman's tenure at McCain Foods — one of the world's largest potato and frozen food processors — is particularly relevant given the overlap between high-heat frying applications and oil-reduction ingredient technology.
The North American market for functional frying and oil-management ingredients continues to attract supplier investment as foodservice operators and snack manufacturers face pressure to reduce fat content, improve fry-oil longevity, and deliver cleaner nutritional profiles. Solutions in this space must clear rigorous food-safety and labeling hurdles, including GRAS status and allergen statement requirements, before gaining traction with major accounts.
North American Growth Context
Beyond Oil's advisory expansion signals a deliberate push to build commercial infrastructure suited to the scale and complexity of the U.S. and Canadian markets. North American food manufacturers and foodservice buyers typically require detailed technical documentation — including specification sheets, TDS, and COA — alongside demonstrated manufacturing consistency before committing to a supply agreement. Advisory board members with direct operational experience at companies like McCain Foods can help a growth-stage ingredient supplier anticipate and address those qualification requirements earlier in the sales cycle.
The broader ingredient supplier landscape in North America is increasingly competitive, with established players and emerging technology companies alike vying for shelf space in industrial frying and food-processing applications. For coverage of related supplier positioning strategies, see our reporting on plant-based and functional ingredient supplier growth and food-tech ingredient commercialization trends.
Beyond Oil has not disclosed financial terms or specific revenue targets associated with the advisory appointment.
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.
