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Definitions

 

Co-Packer - Often used interchangeably with Co-Manufacturer (Co-man). Co-packers will receive your finished product either directly from you, or from your co-manufacturer. Or, (MOST USED → ) if they're your co-manufacturer as well, they might receive raw ingredients, produce your food or beverage, and then package it so it's ready for sale.

 

Co-Manufacturer - (co-man and sometimes also called a co-packer) A contract manufacturer is a food production facility that produces food and/or beverage products on contract for other brands (their clients). They make the products to the exact specification of the brand owned formula.

 

Vendor - a company that is primarily in the business of providing ingredients, flavors or food additives to food or beverage customers.

 

PA/Process Authority - An individual, or group, expert in the development, implementation and evaluation of thermal and/or aseptic processes and other food and drink manufacturing methods.

 

White Label - when one company buys its product from another company and rebrands it as their own. The company which sells the final product to the consumer is usually not involved in the manufacturing process

 

SQF - The Safe Quality Food (SQF) Program is a Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) benchmarked food safety standard based on Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP). NSF Food Safety Certification, LLC is accredited to certify to the SQF. There are levels of SQF: I, II, and III with differing levels of organization and commitment for specific products. 

 

GFSI - The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) is a non-profit association of industry experts committed to improving food safety along the value chain. The GFSI approves a number of food safety standards covering farming, packaging, storage and distribution.

 

NSF - NSF certification is your key to making sure that the products you use meet strict standards for public health protection. Choosing a product certified by NSF lets you know the company complies with strict standards and procedures imposed by NSF. Although NSF stands for the National Sanitation Foundation, it also is known as the Public Health and Safety Organization. NSF was founded in 1944 as a nonprofit testing agency to establish and enforce standards for food sanitation and safety. The organization has evolved over the decades.

 

GMP - Good manufacturing practice (GMP) is a system for ensuring that products are consistently produced and controlled according to quality standards.

 

TTB - The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) is the newest bureau under the Department of the Treasury, with its headquarters in Washington, DC, and the National Revenue Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, along with field offices throughout the U.S. including Puerto Rico.

 

HACCP - The acronym HACCP stands for Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point.

A hazard refers to any agent with the potential of causing harm to consumers. There are three main types of food safety hazards: Microbiological (e.g. bacteria and viruses), Chemical (e.g. cleaning products), Physical (e.g. objects like glass or hair). 

 

Shelf Life Study - Shelf life testing is essentially a measure of quality versus storage time. For degradation reactions like lipid oxidation and microbial spoilage, there will be a point at which the product quality will degrade markedly.

 

Accelerated Study - Accelerated shelf-life testing – In Accelerated shelf-life trials, the storage conditions are altered from normal conditions to speed up some of the deterioration processes and other changes that normally occur over the course of the product's storage period / shelf-life.

 

BRC - BRC stands for “Brand Reputation through Compliance” BRCGS stands for “Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standard”.

 

ISO 9001 - An international standard that sets out the requirements for a quality management system. International standards can help businesses of all sizes build confidence with consumers, meet regulatory requirements and gain access to world markets.

 

ISO 22000 - a Food Safety Management System that can be applied to any organization in the food chain, farm to fork. Becoming certified to ISO 22000 allows a company to show their customers that they have a food safety management system in place. This provides customer confidence in the product.

 

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Is everything on the list accurate? 

Everything that we have listed on the site is done so by our researchers or (mostly) by the companies themselves. While we strive for everything to be accurate, things do change and mistakes happen. Please flag any information that is not accurate and we will fix it within 24hrs! Many Co-Packer and Vendors are capable of more than what is listed so please reach out if they seem like a possible fit. If it shows up, they have it. If it is not listed in their capabilities, they still may be able to do it so reach out! 

 

How specific should I be in my search for a Co-man? 

There are many ways you can use the site to search for what you need. We suggest looking at one section at a time such as capabilities, save your favorites, and then by food type, and save those favorites. Co-Packers don’t always list EVERYTHING they are capable of or food products that they can handle. If you have reason to believe they may b e a fit because of one attribute, reach out to them! 

 

When I look at a Companies Site it doesn't say anything about Co-Packing. Should I still contact them? 

Yes! Some Co-Manufacturers have their own products and dedicate their sites to them and the clients they are selling those products to. We have relationships with these companies and know that they are Co-manufacturers. Just reach out to them and get the info you need! 

 

If a food type or Capability is not listed on a Co-PAckers info page should I still reach out to them to see if they are interested in my business? 

YES! While we do everything we can to make the site as accurate and as well informed as possible, some vendors/co-packers have fallen behind on updating. While we chase them down for updated info (which we do quarterly), we encourage you to reach out to any co-man that seems like a possible match! 

 

What if a Co-Man or Vendor does not respond to my email?

This was a good reason of why people used to go to Consultants, for their connections. If you are having trouble reaching a co-man or vendor, please reach out to us at Consulting@copackervendorlist.com and we will use our robust connections network to get you a response! No problem! 

 

Are my emails private between me and the vendor or Co-Man I contact? 

Absolutely Please review our privacy policy here. You are always welcome to continue your relationship with a Co-Packer/Vendor from your private email as well! 

 

I am just starting out with a new product and am not sure where to start. Can you help with that? 

Of course! Through our Consulting service we can give you as much or a little help as you would like and you can control that along the way by purchasing hours as needed. We  can let you know what kind of co-packer your product is in need of or which Process Authority you need to bring your product to. We can help with Nutrition and Supplement Pannels, though we do not over legal review of those items at this time, only data creation/review. We can help with Ingredients, getting in contact with hard to reach vendors/co-packers (we know its not always easy). If you are unsure, just send an email to Consulting@copacklervendorlist.com and we will let you know if we can help or we will send you to someone who can! 

 

Have you vetted all of the Copackers on your site? 

No we have not. Our list provides all Co-packers that are out there. We would be more than happy to help you vet the Co-Packer through our consulting services, This can range from a few tips for vetting or a full on vetting report. There is no large commitment. It's up to you! 

 

Why does the website link I use seem to take me to another website of a different company? Is it wrong? 

No, not always. Many times companies have acquired others and the site is redirected to their page. Just reach out to the information, email and phone number, that we have provided and get the information you need that way. 

 

 

I keep doing searches but no results are showing every time I do. What am I doing wrong? You are most likely putting in too many filters. Because of the rather fluid nature of Copackers and how they choice which clients to service, we kept the search result wide. You will do much better if you search for 1 or 2 items that describe you project such as “beverage” and “Juice” or “Food” and “conveyor oven”. If you are still having trouble, please message us through the help link and we will help you out! 

Help Icons

 

Filter for searches: Having a hard time getting results? Try limiting your searches to 1-3 filters at a time. Even Co-Packers who match only 1 of your filters in a search are definitely worth reaching out to! 

 

Need and Expert?: We are more than happy to have our team of experts help you with anything you might need assistance with. We can offer as little or as much help as you need. If you know you need a lot of help, reach out to us and we can put together a plan with discount pricing. If you want to go as the need arises, check out our hourly purchase options! No need to commit to a big expensive bill!