Author: Bernard Verkaaik

If you or a loved one have food allergies or sensitivities, then chances are you are somewhat familiar with “free-from” food, which is food that is lacking in a certain ingredient. Free-from food has been around for years to help accommodate those with intolerances, making it that much easier for them to find foods that won’t put their health at risk.

Now, however, free-from foods are more popular than ever, as people without medical needs are also searching out and consuming these kinds of products. What is driving this free-from food movement? Let’s take a closer look.

What is “Free-From” Food?

Before we get further into the movement itself, let’s clarify what is typically meant by “free-from” food. This is an umbrella term that refers to the absence of a particular ingredient in food, like “peanut-free”, and the preparation of food, such as GMO-free. Some other common examples include:

• Sugar-free
• Gluten-free
• Fat-free
• No additives
• No preservatives
• Egg-free

What is Driving the Free-From Food Movement?

There are several things that may be contributing to the free-from food movement, such as the demand for more natural foods, food as a status symbol, and the improvements in taste.

Increased Interest in Natural Foods

Free-from food encompasses foods that are lacking in colour, texture, and flavour enhancers, which are often the result of artificial ingredients. Now, there are natural additives out there, like citric acid for example, but some people consider any kind of additive to be unhealthy or at the very least undesirable in their food. Therefore, any kind of food that is labelled as additive-free may be seen as more natural than others, appealing to those who are trying their best to make more natural food choices.

Celebrity Influence

There are certain celebrities and wellness influencers who insist that free-from foods are some of the healthiest options out there, even if you don’t have any food intolerances or allergies. Those who admire and want to be like these famous people may decide to join in on this free-from food movement to demonstrate that they too are trendy and modern when it comes to making food choices. 

A lot of celebrities also follow certain diets to look the way that they do, so their followers may try to eat the same types of foods to emulate their looks. Some of these influencers’ claims aren’t always entirely accurate, of course, but the power of celebrity can sometimes outweigh a lack of scientific data.

Improvements in Taste and Texture

The effects of an increased interest in natural foods and celebrity influence may not be nearly as prominent if not for the fact that free-from foods have generally come a long way in terms of taste and texture. Some people still associate free-from food with an undesirable or complete lack of flavour or texture, but the truth is there have been marked improvements in both categories throughout the years. The fact that a free-from food label doesn’t automatically turn a lot of consumers off these days has been essential to the free-from food movement, as there is no good reason to not at least give it a try anymore.

Purchasing practices for food companies can have everything to do with the quality of the final product. We’ll look at what to keep in mind and why a food industry consultant can help you instil better metrics without overspending.

1. Check Your Suppliers

Do you really trust the suppliers you’re using? Food companies rely on suppliers for healthy, quality products, so this relationship is critical to your organization. Everything from communication to oversight on the production line needs to be spot on. If you’re constantly worried that shipments will be delayed or delivered with the wrong ingredients, it’s a sign you need to change vendors.

2. Compare Cost and Quality

There’s usually a middle ground here. You don’t want to go too low or you’ll likely compromise the quality. Of course, going too high can quickly price people out of the market. A food industry consultant can show you how to find the best deals by thinking outside the box.

3. Find Out for Yourself

Before you sign anything, you should be visiting operations, verifying equipment, investigating reputation, etc. The more you know, the easier it will be to feel confident about moving forward. This information can also be vital in a negotiation procedure. Always set any terms you agree to in writing so there’s no confusion in the future.

4. Have a Replenishment Strategy

When you’re ready to replace your stock, you need to have a clear procedure in place. Everyone should know how new orders will come in, when they’re going to ship, and how they’ll arrive. There is a lot of room for confusion here, so it all needs to be spelled out here.

5. Streamline Your Relationships

Decision makers at food companies might be inclined to branch out in terms of suppliers. This is a great way to save money, but the reality is that it can cost you more in terms of time and paperwork than you realize. Relying more on one or two suppliers can make it easier for everyone and still wind up being a cost-effective solution.

6. Be Respectful of Your Suppliers

Supplier relationships go both ways. The more communicative you are and the more you look for the win-wins in every scenario, the more positive interactions you’re likely to have. When you have consistent suppliers, you have consistent products (which is ultimately what any customer is looking for).

7. Consider Technology

Technology is changing quickly in food product tracking. If you’re working with suppliers who aren’t willing to update their processes, it could easily hold you back. A food industry consultant can tell you more about how enterprise software is improving a variety of processes and how you can incorporate this into your daily operations.

Implementing Better Practices with a Food Industry Consultant

The Greater Goods was founded to give you a clearer picture of how to grow your bottom line. Our clients look to us to ensure that they’re operating as efficiently as possible, so they’re prepared for whichever direction the industry pivots. The right food industry consultant can do wonders to double-check your current practices and adjust them when necessary. Contact us today if you’re interested in learning more about how we can help.

With margins slim and competition fierce, you understand the importance of staying ahead of the competition as a food company. And food startup consulting firms tend to agree that keeping informed about food technology trends is one of the best ways to achieve this.

If you have to work harder (or pay more) than the competition to achieve a similar product, you’ll struggle to compete. Food industry technology can level the playing field and help even small-time food startups more quickly gain market share, maintain market agility, grow a successful food business.

This article will discuss two key areas you can leverage technology to outmaneuver and outperform the competition.

Labour Technology

This is a hot topic in 2021 when so many companies struggle to maintain adequate staffing and those who come into work every day feel overwhelmed because they have to carry more than their fair share. This phenomenon isn’t completely new, as a 2018 Deloitte Report estimated that 4.6 million industrial positions will go unfilled in the next ten years.

Labour technology can provide some solutions here. Many established companies are still relying on outdated legacy systems, and many think they’re saving money by running their systems until their last leg. But the truth is, modern technology can significantly improve workforce efficiency, allowing fewer employees to do more with less. The right technology pays for itself.

Technology such as the Food industry-specific enterprise resource management tool (ERP) can address labour shortages by:

• Tearing down silos, so people feel connected
• Showing people how what they do directly impacts the company’s mission and goals (That’s critically important for attracting and retaining Millennial workers.)
• Reducing frustrating miscommunication or communication delays that lead to bottlenecks and missed quotas.
• Automating monotonous tasks while reducing error
• Providing useful reports and analytics to leadership to continually improve conditions, safety, productivity, and perceptions

Trade Technology

As the world markets open up, even food startups have their sites set on expanding to international markets and may start planning for that eventuality now. Even if you see a two year or more horizon for this move, food startup consulting would often recommend that you start planning for this now and determining the trading technology you’ll need to tackle the unique challenges of global market expansion like:

• Keeping up with regulations and tariff changes in different countries
• Market and exchange rate volatility
• Country trends and cultural differences driving food-buying decisions

Here, technology can help as well:

• Track vendor performance
• Manage accounts payable across borders
• Automatically update the tools and resources employees use as regulations and trends change
• Quickly identify changes in buying, ingredient costs, warehousing, logistics through real-time reporting, analytics, and useful business intelligence, so you can make data-driven decisions.

How Food Startup Consulting Benefits Your Food Business

A food consulting company can help you identify the technologies that deliver the most value to you and your customers. We can help you evaluate new markets and enhance product development to stay ahead of consumer food trends. Our unsurpassed sourcing knowledge can ensure you’re getting the best price on the highest quality food ingredients. To learn more about food technology and consulting, we encourage you to book a free consultation.

The Keto food market is experiencing increased growth. And that’s not surprising considering that so more people are now discovering the lifestyle and health benefits of the high-fat, low-carb diet.

But Keto food startups need to carefully choose the right product manufacturer when launching an innovative Keto product. That’s because the manufacturer can mean the difference between turning a great product idea into a successful business and a complete flop. 

Before you take the leap and sign your first contract, here are some tips and considerations that can help you find the right product manufacturer for your Keto food brand. 

Knowledge and Experience

The right product manufacturer would be one with sufficient knowledge and plenty of experience tucked under their belt when it comes to the low-carb market.

It is usually helpful to check out some of the best manufacturers used by competing Keto food brands, as these will have lots of experience in producing high-fat, low-carb products.

Certifications and Ratings

Make sure to choose a manufacturing firm with all the relevant certifications. But earning certifications is one thing; being able to satisfy clients is another. 

For this reason, it is a good practice to always look up manufacturers on popular B2B platforms to read reviews and see their ratings before signing a contract. If possible, reach out to past clients and ask for both positive and negative feedback.

Track Record

It is not out of place to find new manufacturing firms that outperform some old hands. However, before signing a contract with any manufacturer, it is important to research how long they have been in business. 

Remember to find out the number of successful contracts the manufacturer has executed. This will give you a good idea of their track record and help you decide whether they are reliable enough to handle your food business.

Necessary Connections

The hassles of searching for different consultants for the various stages of your Keto product can be exhausting. Thankfully, you can cut this down by choosing a manufacturer that has a robust professional network. 

For one, the right manufacturer should be able to recommend or link you up with a qualified food chemist with up-to-date permits and all the necessary licenses. 

Reputation

Lastly, you want to choose a manufacturer with an above-average reputation, industry experience, and fair labor practices. 

A manufacturer that checks all of the above boxes will not only help you produce high-quality Keto products but also guarantee customer satisfaction. 

Ignoring these considerations, perhaps to cut costs, can lead to glitches in the manufacturing process. And that’s a quick way to lose customer loyalty. 

The Next Step

The Greater Goods is a top-notch food business consultant focused on helping startups thrive. We take pride in guiding young companies to finding the perfect manufacturers for their businesses, sourcing the right ingredients at the best price points, developing brand concepts, and more.

Book a free consultation today, and together, we will explore the various options that will enable you to find the perfect fit for your business.

As food business startup consulting experts with years of experience helping companies large and small in connecting with ingredients suppliers, the team at The Greater Good wants to underscore the critical nature of your food supply chain.

You need a robust supply chain so your business will run safely and efficiently as you continue to grow. Expanding your brand in the marketplace will depend on the quality of your supply chain.

Food Safety in the Context of Supply Chain Logistics

Food safety should be your highest priority. The health of your customers and your brand demand adherence to the strictest food supply chain safety protocols.

Consider that approximately 10% of people worldwide (about 600 million individuals) become ill from consuming food that’s been contaminated by parasites, viruses, bacteria and other unsafe material, with 420,000 dying each year, according to the World Health Organization. You don’t want any of your customers to be amongst this list of victims.

Why You Need Food Business Startup Consulting Professionals to Help You Develop a Stronger Supply Chain

With the safety of your customers at stake, it’s wise to keep in mind how the strength of your food supply chain makes a difference.

As Just Food explained, a common scenario in the food industry involves a new supplier providing a spice mix, and now it includes an ingredient that you’ve never used before in manufacturing sauces.

The result is an undeclared ingredient in your food, requiring a recall effort to protect consumers who may be harmed by an allergen.

With excellent lines of communication between you and your supply chain partners, you’ll be able to address hiccups such as undeclared ingredients. Discovering an error like this as soon as possible helps to prevent injury to customers. It’s also crucial to maintain your good reputation, showing that your priority is customer safety and well-being.

Your expertise is in coming up with delicious food products and doing consumer research to fine-tune your marketing campaigns. You would be best served by relying on industry professionals to consult with you to develop the safest and most responsive supply chain so your production will keep humming along without delays.

Another factor is efficiency. Your consultants will ensure that your supply chain allows for accurate inventory management to meet your monthly production and distribution goals.

And to meet your business plan goals for growth over the coming years, it’s best to work with food industry consultants who already have experience managing at scale as a food business starts to grow more popular and sees a big demand from customers.

Connect With Us to Improve the Safety and Security of Your Food Supply Chain

It’s clear that a robust supply chain will be essential to your food business’s future growth and development.

But there’s no need for you to become a technology expert when you can work with seasoned professionals. While you focus on providing the best products and services to your customers, it would be prudent to partner with industry experts with years of food supply chain experience to help smooth the path forward for you.

To book a free consultation or to learn more about our approach to food business startup consulting, please get in touch with the team at The Greater Good at 647-407-8847 today.

Figuring out what’s on a food label is crucial for gluten-free consumers. Unlike other people, gluten-free consumers can develop serious allergies by consuming foods that are not certified gluten-free.

Here are three vital tips to help you know what foods are safe to consume when you or someone in your household is living gluten-free.

Keep an Eye Out for Third-Party Certification

A product is considered safe for gluten-free consumers if it has a third-party certification. The Gluten-Free Certification Organization (GFCO) mark is an excellent certification example. 

Products with the GFCO marks typically go through a painstaking certification process that is twice as strict as that of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The GFCO certification process includes:

• Ingredient analysis
• Off-the-shelf product testing
• Ensuring that tested foods contain no more than 10 ppm gluten (the FDA threshold for gluten content is 20 ppm)
• Plant audits
• Continuous food testing

Look for the Words “Gluten-Free”

Some products may not carry a third-party gluten-free certification mark but they are considered safe for gluten-free consumers if the products are regulated by the FDA and the labels have the words, “gluten-free.”

The words, “free of gluten,” “no gluten,” and “without gluten,” on FDA-regulated product labels also means the food should be gluten-free.

The FDA requires manufacturers to strictly meet the terms of the gluten-free definitions outlined in the relevant regulations. 

However, an FDA-regulated product with a gluten-free label may also have wheat listed on the ingredient list. In such cases, look for a statement on the label that indicates that the wheat has been processed to meet the FDA requirements for gluten-free foods.

Also, some GFCO-certified products may contain wheat starch as an ingredient. In this case, the wheat has been processed to meet the 10 ppm (or less) gluten content standard of the GFCO. 

Read the Ingredient List

The best way to ensure that you are buying and consuming a gluten-free product if the label doesn’t have a “gluten-free” or third-party certification is to read the ingredient list.

Packaged foods that are not gluten-free will contain one or more of the following ingredients:

• Wheat (faro, spelt, durum, emmer, and all other wheat types)
• Barley 
• Brewer’s yeast 
• Malt 
• Rye 
• Oats

Note that some oats products are safe for gluten-free consumers. However, the FDA does not allow descriptions in the ingredient list. That means you won’t find products with “gluten-free oats” as an ingredient on any packaged food label, at least not in the United States.

If you don’t see a gluten-free certification mark and can’t find the words “gluten-free” on the product label, it is best to avoid oat products since they may contain gluten.

The exception is buying oat products from other countries where descriptions are allowed on the ingredient list. In that case, you should look for “gluten-free oats” (or something to that effect) in the list of ingredients.

Want to learn more about healthy food choices? The Greater Goods has you covered. With over 15 years of experience in the health and functional foods industry, there’s so much more we can help you with. Book a free consultation today, let’s see how we can help.

Although a passion for food undoubtedly started your journey into the business world, it can only carry you so far. Eventually, you have to look past the dishes on your menu and use business intelligence to promote the success of your food company. Otherwise, your efforts could start to fall short, leaving money on the table and impeding your company’s growth. Thankfully, you can look to a knowledgeable food industry consultant for help using the data to achieve all your goals.

What is Business Intelligence for Food Companies?

When it comes to the food industry, business intelligence is all the data generated by your company, including:

• Sales figures
• Overhead stats
• Inventory trends
• Marketing results
• Foot traffic numbers

On top of that, you can also get excellent business intelligence by looking at your competitors for data.

Benefits of Using Business Intelligence for Your Food Company

When you make it a priority to leverage business intelligence, it can help you improve your efforts in the following ways.

Guides Your Marketing Efforts

As you advertise your company, your marketing efforts generate data that can help lead the way to even better strategies. With each campaign you run, it’ll be easier and easier to see what resonates with your target audience and ditch what doesn’t. The data can also help you see who’s in your target audience and tap into the trends that inspire them to spend money.

Helps You Set Competitive Prices

Finding the perfect price for food products can prove rather difficult, especially if you don’t know what your competitors are doing. By digging into the facts and figures, you can set prices that will promote the growth of your company while still aligning with your customers’ expectations. After establishing all your current price points, it’s easy to return to the data through the years to make smart changes as your business grows.

Boosts Your Management of Inventory

Business intelligence lets you see the big picture in managing your inventory, especially when it comes to perishable items. As you look at the data, you can make strategic decisions on what items to buy, when to buy them, and from which suppliers. More money will stay in your pocket as a result, allowing you to direct the funds into the growth of your food business.

In the end, proper use of business intelligence lets you oversee the success of your operations. You can make key changes to all your processes and procedures as needed to keep working toward your goals. As the data piles up, you’ll have a long record of your efforts, allowing you to look back upon your journey in awe of how far you’ve come.

Ready to Leverage Business Intelligence with Your Food Industry Consultant?

Like your food company as a whole, the way you should use business intelligence to promote your success in the industry is totally unique. For that reason, it’s important to create a personalized roadmap to success with help from Bernard, your food industry consultant at The Greater Good. Upon getting food industry consultant services, you can easily leverage all the right metrics to improve upon your efforts and reach your goals every step of the way. If that sounds like just what you need, then call 647-407-8847 to book your free consultation today.

When choosing to take on a co-packer, you will quickly find that this is one of the most important business relationships you have, and is key to your brand’s growth. And while a great food co-packer can make your food business a success, a bad food co-packer can ultimately break you. This is why it’s incredibly important to do your due diligence when researching potential co-packers, as well as making sure that your business is ready for a co-packing relationship in the first place. In this article, we take a look at the biggest mistakes to avoid when taking on a food co-packer, so you can avoid these common pitfalls.

Mistake #1: Engaging a Food Co-Packer Too Soon

Unfortunately, this first crucial mistake may be entirely on you, and that’s engaging a food co-packer too soon. If you are just beginning your food business and are unsure of volumes, it may be incredibly difficult to maintain a good relationship with a co-packer and will make keeping up your end of the contract impossible.

Brandon Mackie, co-founder of innovative snack-maker Keto Farms tells us more about hiring a food co-packer too soon on Amped Kitchens:

“We tried co-packing too early,” Mackie admits – crucially, he explains, before Keto Farms had dialed in its product and process and hit a stabilized order flow. “The first co-manufacturer we found was too small and didn’t give us the focus we were hoping for. The second one was too big, and their sales team made promises that ultimately weren’t kept because volumes were too low.”

Mistake #2: Choosing A Co-Packer Exclusively On Price

When you’re first starting out, price is often a crucial factor in deciding whether you can afford this extra help. However, choosing a co-packer exclusively on price will more than likely be your downfall. 

IndustrialPackaging.com explains why the cheapest option is not always the best option when it comes to your co-packing needs:

“When basing your decision exclusively on price alone, you open yourself up to a set of potential problems. You may find a co-packer with the lowest cost of doing business, but, they may not be specialized for your products and may not be able to deliver your packaging needs to the level you expect or require. While the cost of a contract packaging program is crucial, it is not the most important dynamic. At the end of the day, you will want to choose the co-packer who has a defined specialty in packaging all of your products. The cheapest option may not meet this criteria.”

Mistake #3: Not Checking the Manufacturer’s Certifications

When hiring a co-packer, you need to be aware of the necessary certifications that they must carry in order to legally do their job. The certifications they require may change depending on where you wish to sell your products, which you also must take into consideration if you see yourself expanding in the future.

PartnerSlate tells us more on why checking the manufacturer’s certifications is an absolute must:

“It’s super important from day one to make sure that your co-packer is following strict quality standards. That doesn’t mean they necessarily have to be SQF Level II from the start, but make sure at the very least they are third party audited by The Department of Agriculture. Then if you know that you’ll eventually want to move into Walmart or Costco, look into what they require and start the discussion with your co-packer to see if you can work together on getting them there. If not, then you know it’s time to start looking for another option.”

Here at The Greater Goods, we offer consultation services for your business, from food production to distribution. If you’re looking for advice on how to get up and running, we offer a free consultation with our expert food industry consultants and food brokers.

Have you recently started working with a co-packer, and want to know what you can do to make your relationship stronger? While a co-packer is technically working for you, they harbor a great amount of control over your company. After all, depending on your individual agreement, they may be in charge of making, packaging, and ordering the ingredients for your product. Therefore, if you’ve found a great co-packer, this is a relationship you do not want to jeopardize! In this article, we take a look at 3 tips for a great co-packer relationship, so you can do everything in your power to strengthen it.

Plan, Communicate, and Be Flexible

Whether or not you’re just beginning in the industry, it’s important to do your homework and keep organized. Working with a co-packer may mean working with several different people, who all need to be on the same page. Making sure you are able to communicate and be flexible in your plan will make everyone’s jobs a lot easier.

Chris Kirby, Founder and CEO of Ithaca Cold-Crafted tells us more on the importance of a realistic, well-communicated plan on Medium.com:

“Once you’re up and running and all of the kinks are worked out, it comes down to forecasting and communication. During the startup phase you’re working with engineers, machine operators, QA technicians etc. But now the day to day work will be with the logistics coordinators, material planners, and warehouse managers. All of these people REALLY appreciate a well thought out plan that’s accurate, realistic, and well communicated. It’s a good idea to share an updated rolling forecast on a weekly basis with the people who need it.”

Refer New Business

While you may be afraid that new business may take away from your co-packers attention to your product, it will only benefit yourself and your co-packer. Referring new business to your co-packer will not only bring in more money for their business, but it could result in lower costs for you.

Gredio.com explains why you should refer new business to your co-packer whenever possible:

“I know you’ve got at least one goal for your company. I bet it’s making money. Am I right? Probably. And the same goes with your co-packer. They’re a business, too. So, whenever you’re at a farmer’s market or chatting up a demo guy at your neighborhood grocery store, keep your co-packer in mind. They’ll love you when you refer business their way. Plus, you may even get a discount out of it. Cha-ching!”

Remember That You Are Not Their Only Customer

While this may seem like an odd tip, it’s important to remember that you are not your co-packer’s only customer. It’s important to be understanding if your co-packer is not always able to respond to change as quickly as you may prefer, as at the end of the day, your co-packer having a good amount of business will only benefit you.

New Food Strategies tells us why it can be reasonable to cut your co-packer some slack:

“Many early-stage companies expect co-packers to react quickly to any change in demand or product. This is often difficult because co-packers can have up to 20 different customers all making simultaneous demands. These inherent conflicts can be worked through, but it helps if the customer remembers that the more business a co-packer has the more they can spread their fixed costs, lowering prices for everybody.”

Here at The Greater Goods, we offer consultation services for your business, from food production to distribution. If you’re looking for advice on how to get up and running, we offer a free consultation with our expert food industry consultants and food brokers.

As the Millennial generation has matured during the past few years and entered the consumer arena, they’ve significantly reinvented food consumerism to meet their penchants for convenience, sustainability, and quality. As happens with every generation, several of the food trends they’ve embraced are likely to evolve from fad to classic status going forward into the 21st century. Following are five Millennial food trends that will probably be sticking around for quite some time.

Meals in a Bowl

Whether they’re from a food truck, a convenience store aisle, a favorite cafe or coffee shop, or prepared in the home kitchen, meals in a bowl are hits with younger consumers. They’re easier to eat when out and about, they’re nutrient-dense as well as tasty and work well for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In the home kitchen, they also mean less post-meal cleanup. Bowl meals also provide an excellent way to use up leftover ingredients.

Alternative Shopping

The supermarket used to be the grocery shopping venue of choice for the vast majority of consumers — in fact, it could have been argued at one point whether the average home cook could actually put quality meals on the table without visiting the supermarket on a regular basis. Then the old tradition of community-based farmers markets resurfaced, opening the door to other alternative food vendors, and after throwing online food purchase options into the mix, the average millennial shops at supermarkets far less than those of previous generations. Instead, they’re hitting up food carts, specialty markets, and even convenience stores.

Smart Eating

Millennials are also more mindful of the wellness benefits of eating a nutritious diet than their historical counterparts. They want less sugar, fat, and sodium, and they aren’t willing to sacrifice flavor for healthier fare. This preference for solid sustenance rather than empty calories extends to snack foods as well as meals.

Grazing

Millennials are also more likely to naturally gravitate toward a grazing style of eating rather than sitting down to three meals per day, which has earned them a reputation for being the most snack-loving generation in history. However, they aren’t going for the same type of snack foods their parents and grandparents loved — instead of being viewed as occasional treats with no nutritional value, Millennials see snacks as nourishment, factoring in nutritional value when making purchasing decisions.

Brand Transparency

Millennials want to know where their food came from, how it was grown or produced, and what’s in it. Transparency begins with labeling as the first point of contact between the consumer and the product. Labels of the past were often viewed as afterthoughts by food and beverage producers, but this generation of consumers is far more likely than others to read labels and look for specific nutrition facts as well as sustainability and sourcing information. Bright labels with optimal visual accessibility and clear language help develop brand trust and consumer awareness.
Please feel free to contact our food packaging consultant for more information on making your product appealing to Millennial consumers.

What do we know for sure about nuts? We know that nuts are great for you (in moderation), that they can lower cholesterol and inflammation, and that they are an excellent source of antioxidants and fiber. However, what many of us don’t know about nuts is how to buy and store them properly. By avoiding three simple mistakes, your nuts will be able to stay fresher, longer, and you’ll be able to save money in the long run. Let’s take a look at what you can do to get the most out of your nuts.

Mistake #1: “Saving money” by shopping the bulk bins

While buying your nuts from bulk bins may seem like an ideal way to save money, it’s actually going to shorten the life of your nuts. Let’s face it, you have no idea how often the shop is replacing the nuts in the bits, how long they’ve been sitting in open air, or how much bacteria may be on these nuts from people’s bare hands.

RealSimple.com explains why shopping the bulk bins is crucial mistake number one when buying and storing nuts:

“According to Steve Lindsay, the Director of Quality Assurance for Diamond Nuts, oxygen is the number one enemy to any nut’s shelf-life. Nuts sitting in bulk bins are constantly being exposed to oxygen, compromising their freshness and speeding up the rancidity process. Your best bet for finding fresh nuts is to buy those that have been sealed in a bag—this will ensure freshness and prevent oxygen from slipping through.”

Mistake #2: Storing them in the pantry

The pantry seems like an ideal place to store nuts, right? After all, it’s away from direct light. However, if you wish to prolong the life of your nuts, it’s best to store them in the fridge or the freezer.

UnlockFood.ca tells us more on why you should avoid storing your nuts in the pantry:

“The best way to store nuts is in an airtight container in a cool dry place, like the refrigerator. If storing at room temperature, store away from direct heat or light. You can also freeze nuts. When freezing, use an airtight container or heavy duty freezer bag. If nuts develop an off flavour, bad smell or grow mold, throw them out.”

Mistake #3: Taking expiration dates too literally

While it’s not unwise to take the best by date of your nuts into consideration, you do not need to go dumping them into the garbage bin when this day comes. There are several factors that contribute to whether or not nuts are still usable, including how they’ve been stored and whether or not they’re still in their shells.

EatByDate.com explains why you shouldn’t take expiration dates too literally when it comes to nuts:

“Opened packages will last for a shorter time, again depending on the variety. But remember that nuts, unlike a lot of other proteins, usually have a best by date and not an expiration date. Because of this distinction, you may safely use nuts to compliment your favorite meals even after the best by date has lapsed. As a rule, nuts that are purchased in their shell will last for a shorter period of time than those which have been shelled. This has a lot to do with the packaging and is true as long as the package is unopened.”

Here at The Greater Goods, we offer consultation services for your business, from food production to distribution. If you’re looking for advice on how to get up and running, we offer a free consultation with our expert food industry consultants and food brokers.

If you run a food-based business, you know that one of the most challenging things can be sourcing ingredients. When your food products are meant to be taken off site, you also have to deal with packaging. The difficulties involved in both of these often show themselves in challenging times, forcing you to “jump and dance” to keep everything running. On top of that, you have to find ways to sell your products. Working with a food industry consultant removes a large amount of the stress that can come with these challenges.

The Benefit of Working with a Food Industry Consultant

Fortunately, you don’t have to figure these challenges out all by yourself. A food industry consultant will advise the best courses of action for your company. This professional will take care of a wide array of problems for you.

A good food industry consultant service starts with taking a deep look at your business and how it is run. Then, it will develop creative ways to increase your sales, and use them in situations where they will bring powerful results. The consultant may also take care of other issues for you, such as finding the best suppliers for your ingredients.

The consultant will introduce you to prospective clients, represent or support you at marketing events like trade shows and expos, and even help you diversify your broker base to increase your exposure both nationally and internationally. All of these services help you open more sales channels to diversify and increase your sales success.

Food industry consultants can also take care of many of your ingredient-related problems. Sourcing ingredients can require extensive knowledge of exactly who and where the sellers are, and if you don’t have it, the loss of a single supplier can force you to halt production until a new source is found. Another common problem is getting ingredients at the needed quality level. A good consultant will know of a huge array of sources, and can even pin down the ones that can deliver the quality you’re looking for.

Sourcing ingredients is even more complicated if you need to meet specific requirements to have your own products certified. Common certifications include non-GMO, Vegan, and Organic. The right consultant can not only get you ingredients that have these certifications, but help you get your own products certified, as well. It is especially important to get help if you’re selling internationally, because each country has its own standards. For example, what counts as organic in Canada may not completely qualify in the U.S.

We offer both food industry consulting services and ingredient brokerage services. No matter what you need, contact us. We’re ready to help.