Author: Bernard Verkaaik

When starting your food business, you may think that sourcing your ingredients is going to be the easiest part of your business venture. In reality, it’s not easy to find a reputable ingredient supplier. Several factors need to be taken into consideration when choosing the right ingredient supplier for your business, including the location of the supplier, the availability of the ingredients you need, and the amount of experience the food supplier brings with them. In this article, we explore how to choose a reputable ingredient supplier, so you can be sure that you’ve thoroughly done your research.

Choose a Supplier That is Nearby

Choosing a nearby supplier is more important than you think. Knowing that a food product includes local ingredients is more important to consumers than ever before. Plus, local ingredients often result in a fresher, tastier product.

The Fork tells us more about the benefits of choosing a local supplier:

“The quality of raw ingredients will always be better if you choose to purchase from nearby, “zero kilometer” food suppliers of fresh products. If your customers notice the difference in the quality of the dishes compared to other restaurants, they will gladly pay whatever price you set. Furthermore, cooking with local products is also a much-appreciated trend nowadays If that is the case, make sure that your food supplier certifies the origin of the products and that you tell your customers about it.”

Experience is Important

It’s true, you may get lucky with a supplier that is just starting out in the food industry. But odds are, you’re going to want to choose a supplier who has years of experience under their belt, with plenty of receipts to back up the quality of their work and their products.

FoodSafety Magazine expands on why experience is important when choosing an ingredient supplier:

“A reputable supplier should have a history of supplying acceptable product and value-added service, as evidenced by the number of years in business, customers’ opinions, financial stability, and past audit results. A reputable supplier will also be one who is meeting current regulatory requirements and industry standards.”

Ask Questions Related to Their Services

Do not hesitate to ask your ingredient supplier questions that are not covered on their website. Choosing an ingredient supplier is an important part of your business, and it’s important that you know that you are going to be able to rely on them.

London Catering Supplies explains why asking questions is an absolute must when choosing an ingredient supplier:

“Better to check if the distributor is able to accommodate your needs and schedule or not. Are they able to quickly turnaround an order? Check if they offer seasonal options. Do enquire about their terms of credits. Will they deliver goods on weekends and holidays? Asking all these questions will help you understand whether the distributor can offer in the manner your establishment operates before finalizing on them.” 

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.

Purchasing frozen foods provides the consumer with a way to stock up on mealtime staples such as vegetables, meat, fish, and even bread items. Freezing food is nothing new — even before refrigeration technology came on the scene, those in cold climates learned they could make their food last far longer by preserving it in ice. As technology advanced, a variety of food packaging types have evolved, each with its own form of convenience. Individually quick-frozen technology (IQF) brings even more convenience to the table. Whether you’re a food packaging consultant, a supermarket manager, or a consumer, here’s what you need to know about IQP:

What It Is

Traditional frozen food technology involved freezing all contents of the package at the same time. For instance, a package of corn, broccoli, peas, chicken pieces, and other commonly frozen items was all frozen together in one lump. IQF, on the other hand, freezes everything separately. Each piece of corn, blueberry, pea, etc., for instance, is frozen individually with this method. Not only does this benefit the consumer because they can easily remove the portion of the food from the package they need at any given time, but it also increases speed on the packaging line, saving food processing businesses significant sums of money.

How It Works

Traditional freezing methods result in a residue of ice crystals being left on the product, and these crystals have the potential to seriously diminish the quality of the food. Ice crystals affect food on a cellular level, causing compromises in texture, taste, and moisture content. IQF technology, on the other hand, uses a freezing process known as blast freezing, which means that the product is frozen so quickly that damaging ice crystals don’t have time to form. Blast freezing also results in a safer product because harmful bacteria have very little time to form and multiply using this method.

Common Foods Frozen Using IQF

Theoretically, any type of food product can be successfully frozen using IQF. The most common food products frozen with this technology are vegetables such as peas and corn, small fruits such as blueberries, plums, raspberries, and strawberries, shellfish, and both red and white meats such as poultry, pork, and beef.

Getting Started With IQF Technology

IQF is a very specialized technology that isn’t widely available through a variety of equipment providers. The services of a skilled packaging professional can help craft a customized solution for your packaging needs. At The Greater Goods, we specialize in providing young businesses with what they need to thrive.

Please feel free to reach out to our food packaging consultant to further explore your options with IQF technology.

We’ve all repeatedly heard the term “quality ingredients” in both restaurants and ready-to-go meals at the supermarket – but what does this even mean for the food we are consuming? Is there a standard for quality ingredients, or is this just a term that is thrown around with no real meaning behind it? It turns out that quality is a subjective term, and that it means something different to everyone. However, when it comes to food, quality is overwhelming considered to equal fresh, and free of chemicals and preservatives. In this article, we dive deeper into what it means to use or consume quality ingredients. 

Focusing in on Fresh Ingredients

Quality doesn’t necessarily mean the most expensive, but it does focus in on the freshness of your food. The definition of “fresh” ingredients generally refers to ingredients that have never been frozen, and can therefore provide maximum flavor.

Marker 32 tells us more about what having fresh, quality ingredients means to them:

“How fresh ingredients are can play a factor in the taste of food. If a chef is working with old chicken or fish, those proteins are going to lose out on their flavor. The same can be said if the proteins were frozen and then defrosted. When food is frozen, it is going to naturally lose a lot of the juicy and natural taste that it had before it was put in that state. The best ingredients are those that are brought to the restaurant fresh, refrigerated, and used before they get to the point where they have to be frozen to be preserved.”

Does “Local” Equal High Quality?

When we see the term “local” on our restaurant menus or the produce we pick up at the supermarket, we tend to think this is a stamp for quality ingredients. But is it? Although being local often contributes to food freshness, this fact alone doesn’t always equal high quality.

Foodabletv.com explains why local does not automatically translate to high quality:

“Does local mean that greatness is automatic? Foolishly, many operators and plenty of consumers insist so, but that is irrational. Local here is the “distant somewhere else.” Yes, yes, unripe melons have to be crated and shipped long before they have reached their true worth. That’s what you get for buying cantaloupe in February. Still, local does not dictate superiority. — but “knowing” does. Knowing, for instance, the type of feed for your cattle may make a measurable impact. Knowing the variety of basil and age it was harvested is a better indicator than merely slapping local on your menu and expecting supremacy. In order to educate customers, you must first educate yourself on your own ingredients.”

The Level of Processing Involved

The terms “quality ingredients” and “processed food” do not go together – and for good reason. It’s fair to say that quality ingredients should not take away from their nutritional value. And when food is processed, this is exactly what happens. 

Fresh Fitness tells us more on why highly processed ingredients cannot be considered to be high-quality:

“Some level of processing is a natural part of food (cooking is a form of processing). However, most commercial foods today are so highly processed that they are devoid of basic nutritional value. In fact, that’s why so many foods have (low quality) vitamins added back into them. The original nutrients were stripped during processing. Commercial processing often enhances/masks flavors and boosts shelf life, but provides poor quality nutrients for your body.”

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

You don’t have to be a food industry consultant to understand the supreme importance of product development in the field of food production. Here’s a quick look at product development in the food and beverage industry with a focus on generating maximum value.

Product Development Understood

Broadly defined, product optimization involves streamlining operations in all aspects and stages the manufacturing process from the sourcing of raw materials to the creation of final goods. In the food and beverage industry, product development management places a supreme emphasis on the ways in which companies acquire, process, store, transport, and ultimately use ingredients.

Key Components of Effective Product Development Management

Here are just a few general ways that optimal product development can help food and beverage companies improve their output and boost their bottom line.

• Streamlining Development Processes – Key ways to accomplish this include improving access to information and communication channel to further effective collaboration between teams.

• Refining Inventory Records – By keeping more detailed notes on the specific ingredients and formulas that they use, companies can optimize food production in terms of both quality and cost-effectiveness.

• Setting Standardized Procedures – Leave nothing to chance by putting procedures in place that adhere to all applicable regulatory requirements while eliminating steps that are unnecessarily costly.

• Avoiding Expensive Errors – Effective product development management can not only help you eliminate the initial cost of operational errors but prevent the long-term and often devastating costs that go hand in hand with a loss of industry and marketplace credibility.

• Calculating Approximate ROI – Determining probable return on investment (ROI) is key to any fruitful product development management plan. In order to truly save your company money, you must carefully weigh present investments against future returns.

The Advantages of Securing a Skilled Food Industry Consultant

In the rapidly expanding food and beverage industry, marketplace competition has never been fiercer. To survive, highly efficient product development management isn’t only helpful but absolutely essential.

But getting the product development process exactly right is certainly no simple task. For optimum results, companies turn to food industry consultancy leaders such as The Greater Goods.

As detailed in The Greater Goods article “The Benefits of Working With a Food Industry Consultant,” assistance with product development is only one of many advantages of dealing with a skilled food industry consultant. From performing product pre-audits and obtaining food certification to reducing packaging costs and matching with the right retailers, The Greater Goods can help food/beverage companies both help boost product quality and drive sales generation.

For more information on product development management and other ways to optimize operations in the food and beverage industry, contact a knowledgeable representative of The Greater Goods today.

Consumers are driving a desire for sustainable, environmentally friendly business practices. One of the ways this plays out is through the desire for more sustainable packaging rather than wasteful packaging and unsustainable packaging materials like plastic. Major brands are leading the charge in sustainable packaging, which is to be expected. Your brand can learn from the example these big brands are setting, and a food packaging consultant can guide your way forward.

How Are Big Brands Making Sustainable Packaging Commitments?

These are just a few examples of the many corporations making a commitment to changing their packaging to reduce their impact on the environment:

Walmart

Walmart created its Project Gigaton, which has the goal of eliminating a gigaton, which equates to one billion metric tons, of greenhouse gases from the worldwide supply chain by the year 2030. The brand recognizes that the majority of these emissions are coming from the product supply chains, so it is aiming to do its part in influencing those supply chains.

Packaging is one component of the chain Walmart is focusing its efforts on. It is encouraging its suppliers to follow reuse and regeneration ideas. For example, suppliers could create 100 percent recyclable packaging, use bio-based materials in packaging, reduce packaging, and switch to reusable packaging containers.

Kraft Heinz

Kraft Heinz has created a pledge to improve its product packaging by the year 2025. Its sustainable packaging goal includes transforming all of its packagings to ensure it is compostable, recyclable, or reusable. Kraft Heinz Europe has the aim of creating circular packaging for the Heinz Tomato Ketchup bottle that takes recycled material and transforms it back to food-grade packaging by the year 2022. Also, the brand committed to cutting its global packaging weight by 50,000 metric tonnes and already exceeded that pledge.

Nestle

Nestle is focused on having completely recyclable or reusable packaging by the year 2025, as well as minimizing plastic waste. Its specific initiatives have included using more sustainable materials for straws instead of plastic, using plastic-free and paper-based packaging, and using biodegradable and compostable materials. The brand develops business components to go toward its sustainable packaging efforts, including the Nestle Institute of Packaging Sciences and packaging sustainability managers.

How Sustainable Is Your Business’s Packaging?

Now that numerous major brands are pushing for sustainable packaging, this is something consumers will expect. Consumers may include product packaging in their decision-making when choosing one brand over another, so it’s important to keep up with this trend to stay competitive. Research finds that consumers want this, as 72 percent of global consumers said they would spend more on products that are sustainably packaged.

How Can a Food Packaging Consultant Help?

Your brand may have the desire to improve your product packaging for numerous reasons: to keep up with competitors, to give consumers what they are looking for, and to make environmentally responsible business decisions. Yet how do you switch from having the desire to actually making the shift to more sustainable packaging? That’s where we come in. At The Greater Goods, we can offer your business a food packaging consultant with the expertise to guide your brand to sustainable packaging. We solve problems like this for businesses every day and can help your business find the right suppliers to meet your sustainability commitments.

A food business consultant goes by several monikers, including a food service consultant and a restaurant consultant. No matter the name of the professional, the consultant provides similar services—making recommendations to increase the customer base while reducing overhead. Food business consultants have superior knowledge of industry trends and assist with launches, expansions, and reorganizations. If you’re interested in hiring a food consultant for your company, you should know the basics of what services to expect from the professional.

The expertise of the food business consultant

Before hiring a food consultant for your company, review their qualifications. The professional will have proficiency in a range of food service areas and have an innate knowledge of how the business works. Consultants have undergone specialized training to address the most pressing issues that clients face. Professionals understand how to advocate on behalf of food service companies and develop business plans for their success.

Specialized food product assistance

A food business consultant will provide specialized services based on the client’s needs and requests. Many turn to consultants to increase revenue, but they can recommend different strategies based on a few key factors. Before recommending any services, the food consultant will likely audit your business. Things reviewed by the consultant include:

• Age of business
• Target demographic
• Budget
• Location

Types of services offered by a food business consultant

After an initial evaluation, the food business consultant will recommend one or more services based on your goals. The following are types of services that a food business consultant may offer:

• Assessments. If you have a new product, you don’t want to leap into the market without any idea of how well it could sell. Consultants often provide an assessment of a product along with a detailed marketing strategy for launch.
• Food brokerage and distribution. The consultant hired by you can assist with making profitable brokerage agreements to help sell your product to stores. With a consultant advocating for you, profit margins improve. To attract brokers, a food business consultant will work with you to brand a product to ensure widespread appeal.
• Food branding and packaging. Consultants develop a marketing strategy with each client. As part of the marketing strategy, you will receive guidance on branding that sells your products. Packaging changes may be made as a way to stay in line with newly developed marketing plans.
• Food product development and launch. Food business consultants are available for hire at any stage, including the period before manufacturing commences. Even if you have the beginning of a food product plan, a consultant can step in and make your idea a reality. Most importantly, you reduce costs on the production line. Furthermore, launch services are essential for new businesses or established types with new products.
• Lower sourcing and manufacturing costs. When you sell food products, overhead costs can make or break your business. You’ll have to factor in costs such as manufacturing, brokerage, packaging, distribution, and marketing. Consultants help you lower these costs as a way to improve profit margins.

Trust the greater goods to help your organization succeed in a competitive field. Book a free consultation to see how we can help you surpass your current and future business goals.

Co-packaging may seem like an attractive option for your business right off the bat. Co-packaging allows you to take on more business by ramping up your production and overall volume, in order to increase your revenue. But co-packing is not a small commitment, and many businesses who are interested in this prospect actually are not ready to take such a step. So, how do you know if you’re ready to go the co-packaging route? In this article, we discuss 3 steps in making sure that this is the right move for your business.

What Stage is Your Business In?

Before deciding to sign your business up with a co-packer, you need to ask yourself: what stage is my business in? It’s important to note that co-packaging is not always an ideal choice for a start-up. Having said this, there are plenty of times where start-ups do require co-packers, especially if you’re lucky enough to find yourself with a demand for high volume right away.

Deb Mazzaferro from Growing Your Specialty Food Business tells PartnerSlate about the different stages that food businesses go through:

“If you are in the Exploring stage, you are probably just thinking about starting a food or beverage business and you may or may not even have a product idea. If you are at this stage you are most likely not ready for a co-packer. If you are in this stage, that’s awesome, continue doing just that. Explore what type of product you want to make, do your research, develop a formula and if you need help, start by reaching out to a food scientist or consultant because you are still a bit premature to begin co-packing conversations.”

You Have the Required Capital

Fleetchem.com explains why making sure you have the required capital is a must when it comes to co-packers:

“Once you’ve made sure that your recipe is set and demand is high enough, it’s time to think about capital. Partnering with a contract packer isn’t a small financial investment. The co-packer will be providing bulk manufacturing services, and you need to make sure you have the capital to sustain that.”

You Understand the Implications of Co-Packing

Working with a co-packer is often a multi-layered process, with lots of potential hidden fees. It’s important to make sure that you know exactly what your co-packer can offer you, and what it truly means to work with a co-packer. Discuss every detail with your potential new business partner, and don’t be afraid to ask questions.

Pod Foods explains why you need to thoroughly do your research before signing on with a co-packer:

“Even if you are not ready to make a commitment to a co-packer, familiarizing yourself with how they work over time will mean you are ready when the time comes. Different co-packers may offer different services, each with their own costs. Knowing exactly what you are looking for will give you an indication of how close you might be to working with a co-packer. Talking to fellow food business owners about their experiences with co-packers can prove extremely beneficial in judging your readiness for a co-packer.”

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.

Many business owners in the food industry dream of developing the next great food product that will line the shelves of grocery stores and supermarkets across the country. However, developing a high-quality food product that sets itself apart from the competition is often much easier said than done. In this article, we’ll take a look at the various steps that make up the process of food product development in order to help you get started creating a food product that will take the world by storm.

The Food Product Development Process

Stage One: Business Strategy

Before you can get started creating your food product, you’ll first need to develop a thorough strategy for how you plan to sell and market it. Competition in the food industry is fierce, and creating a product that tastes great unfortunately isn’t enough to ensure sustainable profits. In order to carve out your share of the market, creating an effective business plan that covers every aspect of your sales and marketing strategy is a necessity.

Stage Two: Product Development

Once you have created a plan for how you intend to sell your food product, it’s time to get started creating it. In addition to perfecting the product itself, though, you will also need to perfect your process for producing it on a large scale since bulk production of your product will hopefully be required once your sales start to take off.

Stage Three: Product Testing

Safety standards in the food industry are incredibly high, and your food product will likely be required to undergo a wide range of safety testing before you are able to bring it to market. You may also wish to hire a focus group once all safety testing is complete in order to test the quality and taste of your food product as well.

Stage Four: Market Testing

After you have fine-tuned your food product, it’s time to start testing how it will be received. Once again, hiring focus groups is the best way to go about this phase of the food development process. In addition to testing the reception of the product itself, you may also want to test how people feel about your food product’s appearance and packaging.

Stage Five: Preparing for Product Launch

It’s never a good idea to rush the launch of your new product. Once you are finished testing it out, be sure to spend plenty of time preparing for a successful product launch before you start producing your product in bulk. Your initial product launch can often make or break your product’s success, so it’s certainly important to be well-prepared.

Stage Six: Product Launch

Having completed all of the prerequisite stages of food product development, it’s now time to reap your rewards. Ramp up production of your product, put your business plan into action, and (hopefully) enjoy the profits that your new product brings.

Stage Seven: Post-Launch Evaluation

After your product launch is complete, you’ll want to take a step back and evaluate its performance. Are there areas where your approach to marketing could improve? Is there something about your product or its packaging that needs to be changed? Is your production process as efficient as possible? Asking and answering questions such as this during your post-launch evaluation will help you improve your strategy moving forward.

How the Greater Good Can Help Bring Your Food Product to Market

At The Greater Goods, we are dedicated to helping businesses and entrepreneurs bring exciting new food products to market. From ingredient brokerage to food business consulting, we are able to help with every phase of the food product development process. To learn more about our industry-leading services, feel free to contact us today.

Highlights

• Mentoring a young entrepreneur
• Making a wealth of introductions
• Steering through brand launch 
• National retailer intros & contracts

Situation

Elle Gurrell was an event-management executive with a thriving side business. She was passionate about baking, both for the delicious results and because she found mindful baking a great way to relax and de-stress after long days at the office. 

When Elle reached out to The Greater Goods, she had transitioned from baking cupcakes for birthday parties, weddings and farmers’ markets to her own a gourmet-cupcake shop in a mall. But when COVID-19 came along, her plans changed. With her business shuttered by the pandemic, she determined to sell her gluten-free, naturally sweetened cupcakes through retailers. Just how to go about doing that was a big question mark for her…and that’s when she found The Greater Goods online.

Solution: market validation & branding

Right off the bat we felt Elle’s passion for baking and for healthful foods. Thumbs up! Since she was not already an established manufacturer and didn’t know the market intimately, we started by validating her offering. With the help of a strategic partner, we connected with a major retailer to find out their appetite for baked cupcakes. Based on the results of that meeting and additional research, we changed the offering from healthy, baked cupcakes to healthy cake mixes. 

We then enlisted a strategic partner to provided Elle with a branding concept for Cakry Cake Mixes, a unique branding that leveraged scrumptious photos, a pastel colour theme and flavours that aligned with her target market: predominately women age 25 to 45. 

Solution: product development & manufacturing

Next, we helped Elle to refine her mixes. Our food-science expert worked with Elle to develop a ‘goof-proof’ baking mix, taking it to the next level with wonderful taste and great mouthfeel. We then sourced all ingredients with half a dozen suppliers, with whom we have relationships, in Ontario and Quebec. The idea was to ensure top quality and drive down cost.

In parallel with this work, we sorted out all the regulatory stuff: nutritional labelling, health claims call-outs and submission to the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. Then we looked into co-manufacturing, which can be a challenge with gluten-free. We needed a manufacturer that could avoid gluten contamination and also fill the stand-up pouches that we had helped Elle choose for her mixes. Through our network, we found the perfect one in Newmarket. As they already know and love The Greater Goods, it was a perfect match. 

Then we reviewed the total costing model and made some adjustments. This is a step that many new food manufacturers miss, but it’s an important one! If it costs you $10 to manufacture, distribute and wholesale a $10 product, what do you end up with? Nothing! To avoid this, we keep careful track of all costs—ingredients, packaging, distribution, wholesale price—as the product is developed and as packaging, manufacturing and distribution are sourced.

Results 

Elle’s timing was excellent. With the help of The Greater Goods, she was able to ramp up very quickly and fill a void in the market, just as COVID-19 created a big spike in home baking. The big cake-mix brands that we all know are not good at pivoting quickly and still have not come out with premium, health-first products like Cakry Cake Mix. 

The result of all this is that Elle has a big winner on her hands. The Sobeys chain of grocery stores is committed to Cakry. In fact, they also want her to formulate a keto baking mix: instant line extension! Cakry has an agreement with a large, tier 1 national distributor that we introduced her to and is already selling at health food stores, select Ontario retailers and smaller retail chains. We would not be surprised to see Cakry top a million dollars in sales within 2 years. 

A helping hand

Everyone needs a boost when they are starting out, as well as a ton of connections. A consulting relationship doesn’t need to drain your resources when you don’t have many! 

If you’re a young growing company and could benefit from our expertise, let us know. Chances are good that we can steer you in the right direction. 

Testimonial

“Like so many people, I had felt defeated watching my dreams fall through. I was about to give up on myself and my business when I found The Greater Goods by using a few key search words on Google. After speaking to Bernard, I decided to give it one more shot! Not only has Bernard introduced me to amazing people, but he has guided me through each difficult part of running a business through a pandemic. If it was not for Bernard I would not be able to do any of this. Seeing my product flourish and the demand/ pre-orders for not one but multiple NATIONAL RETAIL BANNERS with hundreds of stores is something I can’t be more grateful for. Thank you Bernard and The Greater Goods Team!” 

Whether you’ve been producing and supplying packaged food for a number of years or are relatively new to the industry, you’re undoubtedly keeping an ear to the ground for potential ways to improve your appeal to consumers and to keep costs low without sacrificing quality. Stand up pouches are an excellent packaging solution for a variety of food and beverage items. Following are just eight of the many reasons why you should ask your food packaging consultant if they’re right for your business.

They Offer Superior Protection

Food stays fresher longer in stand up pouches than it does in alternative storage. They also offer superior protection against pests, atmospheric moisture, dust, and other environmental conditions with the potential to damage their contents. Because they’re puncture-resistant, there’s less chance of contents being damaged during routine handling. They also don’t tear easily, making them good choices for storing items such as chocolates, nuts, dried fruits, loose tea, and finely ground products such as coffee and cocoa.

They Offer Versatility

Custom manufacturing is available to ensure that stand up pouches are the right size and shape for their intended contents and can be die-cut for optimal visibility on the shelf. They can also be equipped with features such as zippers, transparent windows, handles, spouts, and top holes depending on which options are most suitable for individual products.

They’re Easily Transported

Stand up pouches are easy to transport thanks to their relative lightness when compared to their packaging counterparts as well as the fact that the individual units don’t take up much space. Both of these factors combine to reduce transit costs and make them easier to move and store. They’re also far less likely to get damaged while in a warehouse or on a freight truck.

They’re Less Expensive to Manufacture

Stand up pouches are also less expensive to manufacture than other packaging options such as boxes, bottles, and printed folding cartons. Other forms of packaging cost an average of three to six times as much per unit. This allows suppliers to pass savings on quality products on to their consumers.

They Offer Superior Shelf Impact

Another major advantage of stand up pouches is the way they look on a shelf. Because stand up pouches offer larger printable surfaces on the part that faces the customers, they have a distinct competitive edge over their counterparts. Enhanced HD graphics capability can also be utilized to create eye-catching designs and labels with maximum appeal to consumers.

They’re Extremely Convenient

Consumers also prefer this type of packaging because it’s so convenient. Techier resealable closures help extend the life of the products once they reach the homes of consumers, and features such as spouts and handles make them easy to use in the kitchen. Steamable stand up pouches are also available, creating ultimate consumer convenience for products that need to be microwaved before they can be eaten.

They’re Eco-Friendly

Due to their small size, stand up pouches take up less room in the landfill than other types of packaging such as boxes and bottles. Their light weight and compatible size results in less fuel emissions activity during transport. Their manufacturing process also involves fewer volatile compounds as well as less water and energy.

They’re Flexographic Printing Friendly

Flexographic printing technology can be utilized to provide stand up pouches with stunning graphics with extremely precise lettering and images, making it possible for package design to reflect brands with the highest possible degree of accuracy.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information on the advantages of using stand up pouches for your products instead of traditional packaging.

Co-packers are an incredibly valuable partner to have in an industry that’s focused on competitive advantage, remaining profitable and attracting and keeping new customers. However, the use of co-packers is also a significant expense that should not be taken lightly. In this article, we take a look at 3 rules in order to stay competitive and profitable in the food industry with the employment of a co-packer.

There is Truth in Advertising

In order to find a reliable co-packer that you can depend on, take a look at your potential partners’ websites. A co-packer’s website should be detailed and transparent and is usually the first line of trust and engagement that you will have. Your co-packer should also have plenty of unbiased reviews available from both current and previous clients.

Natural Products Insider tells us more about your first step in finding a great co-packer: 

“One of the first steps most manufacturers and/or own-brand distributors take in sourcing a co-packer is via the least costly: Internet searches. Co-packer webpages are examined and information gleaned by a company’s procurement and/or compliance group. “A picture paints a thousand words,” the saying goes, and quite often, “paint” is exactly what some co-packer websites merely do.”

Negotiate An Agreement That Leaves Room For Your Business To Grow  

When negotiating an agreement with a co-packer, it’s important that you make a deal that you’re able to afford and that will allow your business to grow. If your co-packer is only able to fulfill orders that would satisfy your business right now, it might be time to look for someone else. A good co-packer should allow your business to expand and not keep it exactly where it is.

FoodDive.com explains why your agreement should allow your business to stay competitive and profitable, rather than potentially holding it back in the future:

“Once you’ve selected a co-packing partner, take the time to read and negotiate terms that preserve room for your business to grow. At a minimum, you must understand the terms of your contract. There is not a standard form of co-packing agreement. Even for early stage companies with relatively less negotiating leverage, there are a few key topics that should be addressed and a few terms that should be avoided.”

Investigate All Potential Hidden Fees

It’s well known in the culinary world that there can be a vast amount of hidden fees when you hire a co-packer. While the majority of good co-packers will be upfront about their fees in their entirety, you may be signing a contract that allows them to charge you for hidden extras, including ingredient prep. While many of these fees are understandable, finding a partner that details them up front is certainly ideal.

Food Truck Empire tells us more about potential hidden fees in the form of ingredient preparation:

“This one makes sense (to me), but make sure you incorporate it. Ingredient prep is typically charged by the hour. Let’s say you use fresh peppers. Well, your co­packer isn’t going to give you time for free to prep them, are they? This either leads you to use ingredients that require less prep (or not prep at all) or consider raising your prices to incorporate this added cost. Prep fees typically run $25­$50/hour because the facility not only has to cover labor cost, but they have to make some money, too.”

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’re looking for the best chocolatey ingredient to include in your recipes, you’ll most definitely have come across both cocoa and cacao powder. While both sources of chocolate are kind of the same thing, they are also very different. It’s important to know these differences when including either in your recipes, as there are significant differences between the two. Not only in processing and flavor, but nutritional value as well! In this article, we take you through the difference between cacao and cocoa powder, allowing you to discover the truth about their differences.

What is Cocoa Powder?

Cocoa powder is the more common and inexpensive of the two powders, being used in the majority of recipes that require that rich, chocolatey flavor. Cocoa powder is processed quite differently than cacao powder and is actually the dry solid remains of fermented, dried and roasted cacao beans.

Epicurious.com tells us more on how and when cocoa powder is used for baking:

“Cocoa powder is made from dried and ground cocoa solids—what’s left over after most of the fat (a.k.a. cocoa butter) is processed out for other uses. Because it has the highest percentage of solids of any chocolate product, a little goes a long way in terms of imbuing a baked good or dessert with rich fudgy flavor. Most often you’ll find cocoa powder in a recipe whisked into the other dry ingredients; once hydrated, it will turn the whole batch of batter dark brown and deeply fragrant.”

What is Cacao Powder?

The more expensive and extra rich cacao powder is made more purposefully than cocoa powder and is also processed completely differently. The processing of the cocoa bean is what makes cocoa powder the healthier option between these two powders.

Jessica Gavin explains how cacao powder is processed and why it is considered more natural:

“The beans are processed at low temperatures and are considered raw. Once milled into powder, it contains a much higher amount of enzymes, minerals, and nutrients. That’s cacao powder. It tastes more bitter than cocoa powder but offers more nutritional content and is considered more natural.”

Which is the Better Option For Baking?

When choosing between cacao and cocoa powder, your ingredient of choice will come down to your preferences in both taste and nutritional value. Although more bitter in taste, cacao powder is a much healthier option, containing several types of nutrients, including polyphenols, fiber, and tryptophan. It’s important to note that cocoa powder also has a significant amount of health benefits, but that these are lessened by their roasting process.

Pure & Plant-Based tells us more about why cacao powder is the healthier option between the two:

“…cacao powder does not come from beans roasted at high temperatures. As a result, the copious amount of nutrients are still intact when the beans are ground into powder. Cacao powder is also far less processed and the closest you can get to the raw cacao bean. Cacao powder is full of nutritious health benefits making it the healthier option of the two.”

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.