Category: News

It’s been nearly 17 years since subscription boxes started taking off, and odds are, you’ve signed up for one yourself. In particular, food subscription boxes have made a huge splash in this market and makeup nearly a quarter of all subscription boxes. While this does make the food subscription market more competitive, it also makes for an incredibly lucrative opportunity for those already involved in or looking to become a part of the food industry. In this article, we take a look at how to start a food subscription service, so you can make your product stand out above the rest.

Consider What You Can Afford

Now that you’ve decided to start a food subscription service, it’s important to take into consideration what you can afford. You may wonder how other businesses are able to offer their products at such affordable prices, while still turning a profit themselves. It’s important to stay realistic with what you can offer now, while still making money yourself. 

Pod Foods tells us more about why it’s important to stick within a budget when considering starting a food subscription service:

“Subscription boxes aren’t for every business. Some boxes contain sample-size packs of products, but others include full-sized products, which means an upfront investment either way. But if it is within your budget, subscription boxes can be a great way to convert users into buyers.”

Pick a Theme

While it may seem like narrowing down your food subscription service to a particular theme is excluding potential new clients, it is actually helping your business to stand out above the rest. With the amount of food subscription boxes already in circulation, it’s important to be as unique as possible, while still serving an established need.

That Clean Life explains why picking a theme and sticking to it could be what makes your food subscription business successful:

“It’s important to set some criteria for your plans so that subscribers will know what they are signing up for and what they can expect the plans to deliver. People can get general meal plans anywhere. So you need to create and offer something unique. Instead of creating generic plans, try to be as specific as possible. Who is this subscription service going to help? Creating specialized meal plans will allow you to charge more and not compete with low-priced, generic meal planning services. The theme should be related to your niche and the most common issue your clients see you for.”

Use Brand Ambassadors

The use of brand ambassadors is a great way to promote your food subscription service and has been one of the most tried and true marketing techniques in recent years. By sharing your box with trusted and well-known personalities within your community, you can potentially reach thousands of new customers who are willing to take their word for it. 

Ad Espresso tells us more about why hiring brand ambassadors is a fantastic marketing move:

“Online shoppers can’t taste the food in your subscription box before they buy it—they can only see it on their screen. To get them to take the leap and purchase some food they’ve never tried before, build their trust with brand ambassadors. Having celebrities or influencers promote your product builds shoppers’ trust in your brand. Potential customers see people they admire enjoying your product, and it makes them want to try your food subscription box for themselves. This is the phenomenon of social proof. If you don’t have connections to any celebrities or influencers yet, you can use Facebook’s Brand Collabs Manager as a starting point.”

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.

Knowing how to brand your food business is your chance to stand out above the rest. With grocery stores constantly being submerged in new product releases and emerging food brands, it can be difficult to tempt a customer enough to give yours a try. Now more than ever before, successful food company brands need to be on top of their game in order to gain traction in the food industry – and we’re here to help. In this article, we discuss how to successfully brand your food business, from how to build brand loyalty to how to reach out to bloggers and influencers, so you can make sure your food biz has the best possible chance at succeeding.

Sometimes Less is More

Let’s talk about creating successful packaging. While you may think that you need to have the most elaborate packaging out there to differentiate yourself from the competition, this isn’t necessarily true. Oftentimes, less is more regarding both the design and the wording you choose to include.

Accion Opportunity Fund tells us more about why sticking to the “less is more” method when it comes to your packaging is often much more effective:

“Successful packaging is not only on-brand, it is also clean, attractive, and succinct. There’s a danger in being overly verbose on your packaging label. There is a fine line between conveying vital product information and visually overwhelming the buyers with busy designs. When it comes to deciding what wording to include on your food product packaging, Whole Foods recommends the adage “less is more.” If the words are not of value to your product or brand, then they shouldn’t be included on the food product label. Keep it simple!”

Build Brand Loyalty By Highlighting Benefits

Clearly establishing your brand’s benefits on your packaging and in your marketing material is incredibly important in setting your food brand apart. What are the social, emotional, and functional benefits that come from purchasing your product?

Forbes.com explains more on what it means to highlight the social benefits of your food brand:

“This is the stature of the customer in the eyes of his or her social circle. Essentially, what does it say about their lifestyle by consuming the brand? Is your product sustainable and eco-friendly? Is it a certified B corporation? Are you empowering women entrepreneurs? Consumers are increasingly looking for brands that align with their own values and social interests.”

Reach Out to Bloggers and Influencers

Reaching out to bloggers and influencers is an invaluable way to increase your food business’s awareness. Don’t have a large marketing budget to spend on this type of promotion? Over one-third of companies provide free product in exchange for influencer services.

Entrepreneurial Chef tells us why influencer marketing is highly valuable in promoting any new product:

“Social media is your friend because food makes for great content. Brands should be active with social media to stay relevant and engaged with the public, which will help shape their target market. Also, be sure to include your brand’s hashtag, so your customers can share their experiences with each other. By doing this, you will capture new customers. Another strategy is to build relationships with businesses in your area because their employees will spread their word amongst their peers.”

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.

Plant-based diet, vegan diet, vegetarian diet – what’s the difference? While plant-based and vegan diets, in particular, have become extremely well known for their health benefits in recent years, we may have chalked them up to being the same diet, with the exact same meaning. However, plant-based and vegan diets have some key differences. In this article, we dive into what classifies a product as plant-based vs. vegan, so we can make sure we’re all on the same page.

What is a Vegan Diet?

There are several reasons why one might decide to follow a vegan diet, with many choosing to adopt this type of lifestyle for ethical reasons. It’s important to note that a vegan diet doesn’t necessarily mean a healthy diet, but does focus on eliminating all products that come from animals, as well, of course, as the animals themselves.

Piedmont Healthcare tells us more about what constitutes a purely vegan diet:

“With a vegan diet, you eliminate all animal products, including dairy, meat, poultry, fish, eggs, and honey,” says Christine Kirlew, M.D., an internal medicine physician at Piedmont. Some people choose to follow a vegan diet for ethical, environmental or health reasons.”

What is a Plant-Based Diet?

So, if a vegan diet constitutes eliminating all animal products from your diet, what on earth is a plant-based diet? Although there is not a large difference between the two diets, a plant-based diet does not necessarily limit animal products altogether.

Forks Over Knives explains the nuances of a plant-based diet:

“With a plant-based diet, the vast majority of food comes from plants. The term originated in the health science community, where it was more appropriate than “vegetarian” or “vegan.” First, the term is divorced from any ethical connotation; and second, it doesn’t mean “never eating meat” or “never eating animal products.” Consumption of very small amounts of animal foods can be inconsequential when speaking of the health benefits of a diet, an important nuance for science that is not captured by the term “vegan” or “vegetarian.”

Can You Be Both Plant-Based and Vegan?

So, is it possible to be both plant-based and vegan? While these are technically two different types of diets, it is certainly possible to transition from one to the other or to consider yourself both at the same time. How? While you may enjoy a plant-based diet, you may also consider yourself vegan because you use only vegan health and skincare products.

Healthline breaks down how it’s possible to consider yourself both plant-based and vegan:

“It’s possible to be both plant-based and vegan, as these terms are not meant to divide people based on the lifestyle they choose. Many people may start out as vegan, avoiding animal products in their diet primarily for ethical or environmental reasons, but then adopt a whole foods, plant-based diet to achieve their health goals. On the other hand, some people may start out eating a whole foods, plant-based diet and then decide to expand into veganism by aligning the rest of their lifestyle, avoiding animal products in other non-food areas as well.”

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.

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

Starting a food business from home has the potential to be the perfect solution for some. No extra costs to rent a space outside of your home plus the ability to work from home can seem like a dream come true to someone just entering the food business. And while starting a food business from home can be a smart decision for some, there are many factors that go into selling food that you’ve prepared inside your own residence. In this article, we take at what you need to consider when starting a food business from home. 

Learn the Regulations and Requirements For Your State and County

You will still be required to learn the regulations and requirements for your state and county when preparing and selling food for others to consume. There are specific regulations set in place for manufacturing food in a private residence, just as there are specific regulations for those operating in a commercial facility.

FDA.gov explains more on the laws surrounding manufacturing, processing, and packing food inside your home:

“A private residence must meet customary expectations for a private home and does not otherwise include commercial facilities in which a person also happens to reside. Thus, a private residence (domestic or foreign) that meets customary expectations for a private residence that is also used to manufacture, process, pack, or hold food need not be registered. Be sure to carefully review the regulations to understand how they apply to your unique set of circumstances.”

Conduct Market Research

Now that you know you are able to meet the regulations held by the FDA, it’s important to conduct as much market research as you can on the product you would like to sell. Whether working from home or renting out a manufacturing facility, you need to have confidence that there is a demand for your product. You can make the best pasta sauce in the world, but if there’s no demand for your product and no cleverly researched angle on how to sell it, your product will quickly fail.

The Small Business Chron tells us about the importance of extensive market research when it comes to the food industry:

“It is very important that you do your research before starting your at home food business as the food industry is very competitive. Go to business networking events such as those run by the Small Business Development Centers, SCORE, and your local Chambers of Commerce. This gives you a great opportunity to pick the brains of local business people in the food industry and see what works and what doesn’t. Clippy McKenna, founder of Clippy’s, a maker of food condiments, says that if you can’t perform more comprehensive market research, use your friends and the people you know to test your food recipes on. Every bit of feedback you can get is helpful.”

Hire Professionals When Needed

When it comes to the point where you’re selling more product than you can make without pulling your hair out, it’s time to consider bringing in professionals. This may be when you start to consider co-packers, or renting out a facility and hiring some of your very own employees.

American Express explains why hiring professionals may be the right move for your business:

“While you may have designed a website for your homeowners association or taken a class in college on accounting, carefully consider hiring professionals for tasks that are outside of your realm of expertise. Although you could do these tasks, your time can often be better spent growing the business, and the result is usually of higher quality by bringing in professionals.”

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.

While most common baking ingredients generally have a shelf life of 3-8 months, many of us find ourselves disposing of a bag of flour much earlier than expected. This is often due to the presence of unwanted pests and unusable clumps, which are caused by improper storage. And just as each of our favorite baking ingredients have different purposes, they also have slightly different storage and shelf-life requirements. In this article, we take a look at how to store 3 common baking ingredients, so you can get the most out of these pantry staples.

How to Store Flour

Flour is a staple in most pantries and is arguably the most essential baking ingredient out there. There is nothing worse than opening up a partially used bag of flour when you really need it, only to immediately throw it out due to some creepy, crawly critters that have burrowed themselves in there. 

Taste of Home explains how to properly store your flour so you can avoid this startling find:

“To keep flour as fresh as possible, follow these simple steps. First, when you get home from the grocery store, pop your new bag of flour into the freezer. Leave it there for two days. That’ll kill off any weevils or eggs that may already be in the flour. (Here’s how to get rid of pests in the pantry.) After 48 hours, transfer the flour out of the bag and into an airtight container. A plastic storage container with a tight lid is ideal, but a large Ziploc bag is totally fine, too. The impermeable container will keep out pests as well as moisture.”

How to Store Cocoa Powder

Cocoa powder is used in several delicious, chocolatey recipes, and is most often included in brownies, chocolate cakes, and cookies. This pantry staple is the dry, solid remains of cacao beans, and must be carefully stored in order to remain unspoiled.

Canitgobad.net gives us their recommendations on storing cocoa powder:

“Cocoa powder should be stored in a cool, dry place in a tightly sealed container. Restricting exposure to moisture, heat, and oxygen is important to keep the cocoa powder from spoiling. While for most people, storing cocoa powder in the refrigerator is unnecessary, if you live in a very hot climate, this may be the best option. Be sure that the container powder is tightly sealed while in the refrigerator to prevent any excess moisture from coming in contact with the cocoa powder. Moisture will promote mold growth, even in the cold environment.”

How to Store Baking Powder 

Baking powder is an absolute necessity for increasing the volume as well as lightening the texture of baked goods, and an item you do not want to be caught without while baking! This is a low maintenance staple to keep and can be safely kept in its original container (unless buying in bulk!).

Dixie Crystals give their advice on the proper and improper places to store baking powder:

“Baking powder can be stored in its original packaging in the pantry or a dark and cool cupboard. Just make sure the lid is shut tightly.  Storage in a refrigerator or freezer is not recommended. The condensation in the fridge can make the powder react in the can. To test your baking powder for freshness, mix ½ tsp. with ¼ c. water. It will bubble if still fresh.”

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.

So, you opened a jar of delicious almond butter months ago, only to get distracted by another nutty spread in your cupboard. You’ve decided to return to it after a few months, but are now wondering – does almond butter go bad? You may have been unsure of how to properly store almond butter after opening, and are wondering if it was okay to leave it in your cupboard next to the rest of your non-perishable spreads. In this article, we take a look at exactly how you should be storing your almond butter after opening, as well as how to tell if your almond butter has hit its expiration date.

Natural and Non-Natural Nut Butters Have Different Rules

It’s important to remember that that creamy jar of Skippy you have in your cupboard is going to have different storage requirements than your favorite natural nut butter. This is due to the layer of oil that is present only in natural nut butters.

Huff Post explains how the layer of oil in natural nut butters makes a big difference in terms of their storage requirements:

“Whether it’s suggested that you refrigerate nut butter doesn’t depend on the type of nut used, but the method in which it’s prepared. Natural nut butters — the easiest way to make this distinction, other than the label, is to check if there’s a layer of oil on top — are generally suggested to be stored in the refrigerator. You don’t want that layer of oil to go rancid and ruin the flavor of your nut butter. If you opt for a non-natural, “no stir” type of nut butter (think popular peanut butter brands like Skippy or Jif), storing them in the pantry is completely fine.”

Storing Almond Butter

Now that we know that there are different rules for different types of nut butters, is there a difference in how long each can be stored in their respective storage areas? Most items that must be stored in the fridge are not meant to stay there indefinitely, while a pantry item tends to have a much longer shelf life. 

Leaf.tv takes us through how long each nut butter can survive in both the refrigerator and the pantry:

“If the almond butter has oil separation, stir it with a butter knife before you refrigerate it. It’s easier to stir almond butter at room temperature. Homemade raw almond butter will keep in the refrigerator for about two weeks, and store-bought may keep for months. A cooler with block ice or reusable freezer packs can also substitute for refrigeration. To store almond butter without a fridge or cooler, choose a cool, dry, dark place. Because heat rises, a lower shelf in a closet or cabinet away from heat sources is a good place.”

How To Tell If Almond Butter Has Gone Bad

So, you’ve accidentally stored your nut butter in the pantry, or you’ve stored it in the fridge for longer than the recommended two weeks. How can you tell if your almond butter has gone bad?

Doesitgobad.com explains the key indicators behind when its time to throw your almond butter in the trash:

“First, give it a good whiff. If it smells sour, or somewhat chemical like oil paint, instead of the usual nutty aroma, that’s a sure sign it’s done for. Second, give it a taste, and if it’s off by any means, discard it. Other than oil going rancid, look for the usual signs of spoilage such as black or brown spots on the surface or the insides of the jar, any signs of mold, funny smell, or bad taste. If either is present, discard the vegan butter.”

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.

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.