When a company develops a novel solution to make natural ingredients work at scale, that solution may be patentable. Because natural ingredient reformulation evolves through multiple cycles, CPG companies should consider filing provisional patent applications early to lock in priority dates. Before committing to a specific pathway, CPG companies should conduct freedom-to-operate analysis to identify potential blocking patents. CPG companies managing the natural ingredient transition should keep several principles in mind:IP counsel. For CPG companies, the question is no longer whether to make this transition but how to do it in a way that creates lasting value.