Specialty food products are foods, beverages, or confections meant for human use that are of the highest grade, style and/or quality in their category. Their specialty nature derives from a combination of some or all of the following qualities:

• uniqueness
• exotic origin
• particular processing design
• limited supply
• unusual application or extraordinary packaging or channel of distribution
• high quality

For more information on this topic, see the links listed below of articles posted on related Web sites.

• Specialty Food Business Basics – Northeast Center for Food Entrepreneurship, Cornell University -- Intended to give you an overview of the business.
  
• Specialty Food Producers Handbook – University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension – Introduces you to ideas and issues you may want to consider before entering the specialty food business.
  
• Glossary of Specialty Food Manufacturing Terms – Northeast Center for Food Entrepreneurship, Cornell University.
  
• Product Development – Northeast Center for Food Entrepreneurship, Cornell University -- Includes information on scheduled process, products analysis and common food processing equipment.
  
• Business and Marketing – Northeast Center for Food Entrepreneurship, Cornell University – Includes information on business plans and market development.
  
• Regulations, Agencies and Trade Organizations – Northeast Center for Food Entrepreneurship, Cornell University -- The Specialty Food Business is regulated by two groups of agencies, Federal and State.
  
• Small Co-Packers and Commercial Kitchens – Northeast Center for Food Entrepreneurship, Cornell University.