Seasoning and dry blend co-packers: how to get comparable quotes

What a dry blend co-packer does

• Sourcing: buys spices and ingredients (turnkey), or blends what you supply (tolling)
• Weighing and blending: in mixers sized for the batch. Small plants may blend in small batches; larger plants use ribbon, paddle or tumble blenders.
• Filling: auger or volumetric fillers, or hand filling for very small runs
• Packing: shaker jars, bottles, pouches, stick packs, sachets, tins, or bulk bags and bag-in-box for foodservice
• Labeling, lot coding and case packing
• Extras some offer: formula development, nutrition facts, private-label blends from their own recipes

Food safety points to raise

• Spice safety. FDA has identified Salmonella as the main pathogen of concern in spices. Many suppliers treat spices to reduce pathogens, for example with steam, irradiation, or ethylene oxide. Ask the co-packer whether the spices they use (or you supply) are treated, by what method, and what documentation comes with each lot.
• Allergens. Dry blends often contain or share equipment with wheat, milk, soy, sesame, mustard (not a U.S. major allergen, but a concern for export) or tree nuts. Ask how the plant controls allergens, including dust, and how it schedules allergen and non-allergen runs.
• Moisture and caking. Ask how the plant controls humidity, and whether your formula needs an anti-caking agent or a moisture barrier in the package.
• Dietary supplements. If your powder is sold as a dietary supplement (for example some protein or functional powders), the plant must follow dietary supplement manufacturing rules (21 CFR Part 111), which not every food plant does.

What to send each co-packer

• Product type and a short description (rub, seasoning, mix, powder)
• Formula status: final by weight percentage, or still in development; who owns it
• Particle size or texture needs (coarse, fine, flaked) and any inclusions
• Ingredients you'll supply vs. ingredients the plant should source; any specialty or imported items
• Allergens in the formula
• Package: format, fill weight, closure (shaker or sifter fitment, spoon side, zipper), label
• Batch size per blend in pounds, number of blends, and expected reorder size and frequency
• Certifications needed (organic, kosher, gluten-free, non-GMO) and any retailer audit requirement
• Target first-run date and ship-to location

Minimums: think in pounds per blend

Dry blend co-packers usually state minimums in pounds per blend. Published minimums at small-batch blenders start in the tens of pounds; others standardize at a few hundred pounds, and large blenders run far more. Convert to finished units for your fill weight (a 4 oz shaker and a 1 lb pouch give very different counts) and ask whether the minimum is per blend or per run.

Sources: Ingredients Corporation of America · Grover Processing · Small Batch Co-Pack · a co-packer matching service: co-packer minimums

Questions to ask before you commit

• What's your minimum per blend, and can several blends share a run day?
• Do you source spices, or can I supply them? Are the spices you use treated for pathogens, and how?
• What COA or lot documentation do I get for each run?
• How do you control allergen cross-contact, including dust?
• What fillers and packages can you run? Can you handle my particle size without separation?
• How do you check blend consistency from start to end of a run?
• Can you create my nutrition facts panel, or do I need to provide it?
• Who owns the formula, and will you sign a confidentiality agreement?
• How far ahead do I book?

What goes into a dry blend co-packing quote

Ask for separate lines:

• Per-unit or per-pound blending and filling fee
• Ingredients and packaging, if the plant sources them
• New-product setup or start-up fee (some include sample batches, testing and a nutrition panel)
• Labeling and case packing
• Storage and outbound handling
• Deposit and payment terms

What drives lead time

• The plant's booking schedule
• Spice and ingredient sourcing, especially imported or certified items
• Packaging: printed pouches and custom jars or closures have their own lead times
• Sample approval rounds for a new or matched formula
• Certification paperwork for organic or kosher runs

How PostRequest helps

Describe your blend, package and volumes once. Our agents shortlist dry blend co-packers that fit your run size and package, email each one your brief from a PostRequest address, follow up once, and line up the replies: price, minimums, lead time and terms. Plants see your product and specs, not your name or company, until you choose to connect. During early access, a person on our team reviews every comparison before it reaches you.