Sarah McLaughlin, Co-Founder of Melt-to-Make – Interview Series

With the cannabis edibles market growing each year, there is an increasing number of established dieticians entering the fold; in some cases, creating their own bases for popular edible types such as gummies. One such dietitian, with a background in dietetics for college athletics teams and in designing a successful health bar company, is Sarah McLaughlin, Co-Founder of Melt-to-Make.

While obtaining your Bachelor of Science in nutrition from the University of Vermont, what subjects and topics did you primarily study? What would you say encouraged you to then obtain your Master’s degree in nutrition? 

During my Bachelor of Science in Nutrition at the University of Vermont, my studies centered on human health, metabolism, and how nutrition influences physiological performance. As a Division I cross-country skier on the U.S. Development Team, I was especially interested in the relationship between nutrition and athletic performance. That curiosity, paired with a growing desire to understand the science behind what fuels the body, motivated me to pursue a Master’s degree in Nutrition at the University of New Hampshire. My graduate program strengthened my ability to interpret research, think critically, and dive deeper into biochemistry and food science, including serving as a teaching assistant for a food science lab.

How more advanced did your studies become as you obtained your Master’s in nutrition from the University of New Hampshire, and how did your Master’s program expand upon your Bachelor’s studies?

My Master’s program was a major step up in both rigor and depth. Without the demands of collegiate sports, I was fully focused and financed my own education, which pushed me to approach the work with even more discipline. The curriculum emphasized biochemistry, advanced metabolism, and scientific interpretation, skills essential for understanding how ingredients interact within food systems. My first introduction to formal food science also came during this time, and I eventually became the teaching assistant responsible for running the lab. Those experiences laid the foundation for the formulation work I do today.

What all scientifically went into the creation of the Sun Valley Bar? What inspired you to create the brand, and how would you describe the acquisition process by Nature’s Bounty? 

The Sun Valley Bar began as a passion project. At the time, I was working as a baker and an assistant to a nutritionist, and I found it ironic that I spent my days making pastries full of sugar, butter, and flour while studying whole-food nutrition. For one of my classes, I created a snack bar that was nutritionally balanced and genuinely enjoyable to eat, the first version was called the Walker Bar, after my last name. Its success grew organically from there. The acquisition process by Nature’s Bounty was long and challenging. It taught me important lessons about due diligence and the importance of organized and transparent documentation. 

What were some of your highlights as a Sports Dietitian for the University of New Hampshire’s Athletics Department, and what were the regular duties of that role? 

The highlight of my time as a Sports Dietitian was connecting with athletes and helping them solve real nutrition challenges. My responsibilities ranged from one-on-one consultations to team education, but I quickly noticed that access to nutritious food was a major barrier for many athletes during practices and games/events. I proposed and built the university’s first “fueling station”,  funded with a $20,000 budget and ran out of the campus concession stand, offering simple, nutritious staples like peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. The program still exists today, and seeing it continue to support athletes is one of my proudest accomplishments from that role.

After a very noteworthy career as a dietician, what inspired you to co-found the Melt-to-Make company? 

Co-founding Melt-to-Make was the result of timing, opportunity, and my interest in product development. I was introduced to Tim Van Epps and Jake Goodyear through my brother, just as I was ready to return to full-time work. Tim wanted to develop CBD products, and although I knew nothing about cannabinoids at the time, I was excited by the challenge. I spent a year researching, experimenting, and learning how to formulate a gummy that was safe, stable, and enjoyable. The biggest hurdles involved shelf stability, texture, and working with pectin, which is vegan-friendly and heat-tolerant, but far more difficult to work with than gelatin. Overcoming those challenges is what ultimately shaped Melt-to-Make’s patented system.

How does Melt-to-Make ensure the cleanliness of its products and the exclusion of unhealthy additives that are sometimes common in other gummy bases?

We keep our formulations simple, clean, and rooted in real food science. Melt-to-Make uses natural colors, natural flavors, and avoids alcohol-based sweeteners like sorbitol. Because our formulations maintain low water activity, additional preservatives aren’t necessary and ingredients like sugar and acid naturally provide stability. My nutrition background helps ensure every ingredient is ethically sourced and scientifically justified, right down to selecting non-GMO corn syrup and avoiding additives that don’t support product integrity.

How is your extensive background as a nutritionist useful when it comes to producing Melt-to-Make bases and successfully marketing the brand? 

Nutritionists are trained to understand how ingredients interact, how the body responds to different compounds, and how to translate scientific concepts into something practical and accessible. That perspective is invaluable when designing a gummy base meant to perform consistently and safely. It also plays a major role in how we talk about the brand,  transparency, ingredient integrity, and consumer trust aren’t marketing angles for us; they’re core to how our products are developed.

How are the Melt-to-Make gummy bases far more preferable for cannabis-infused gummy brands and products than other gummy bases from a manufacturing standpoint?

Melt-to-Make bases save manufacturers time, labor, and money by eliminating the most error-prone parts of gummy formulation. Instead of juggling complex ingredient interactions, producers can start with a 90% complete base and focus on flavor, color, and infusion. Because we specialize exclusively in gummies, our team has solved issues that many producers don’t even realize are causing inconsistencies. For cannabis brands in particular, our bases make it easier to achieve accurate dosing, reliable texture, and consistency, all of which support strong consumer trust and brand loyalty. 

What advantages does the cannabis edible market have over other product sectors of the cannabis industry? 

Edibles, especially gummies, have significant advantages: precise and consistent dosing, the ability to incorporate targeted functional ingredients, and scalable mass production with less labor than inhalable products. Consumers value reliability, knowing that a product will deliver the expected effects every time, and gummies fulfill that expectation better than almost any other form factor. That consistency builds long-term brand loyalty and gives manufacturers a clearer path to large-scale output.

What are some exciting future plans for Melt-to-Make? And how can dieticians such as yourself utilize their experience and find unique ways to help cannabis edible brands?   

We’re currently reformulating our sugar-free gummy using a new plant-fiber ingredient that allows us to maintain the nutritional benefits and clean-label goals of our original formula. Behind the scenes, we’re also focused on creating more efficient production methods and tools, such as calculators and formulation support, to help our customers save time and reduce costs. Dietitians and nutritionists are uniquely positioned to elevate this industry because they bring scientific rigor and a commitment to safety. Personally, I’m happiest when helping brands solve complex formulation problems, develop new flavors, and transform an idea into a product they’re proud of.

Thank you for joining us, Sarah! For more information on Melt-to-Make, please visit its website.