Resources
Guides, Articles & Insights
Everything you need to navigate food & beverage manufacturing partnerships.
Acidified Food Co-Packers: A Practical Guide for Sauce, Salsa & Pickle Brands
Making a shelf-stable sauce, salsa or pickle? Learn FDA acidified food rules, process authority letters and how to vet a co-packer before your first run.
Nov 5, 2026 · USA Factory Network
Reshoring Food & Beverage Production to the USA: A Practical Guide for Brands
Thinking about moving your food or beverage production from an overseas co-manufacturer to the U.S.? Here's why brands are reshoring, the challenges to plan for, and a step-by-step plan for finding the right FDA-registered American manufacturer.
Oct 30, 2026 · USA Factory Network
30 Questions to Ask a Co-Packer Before You Sign (Food & Beverage Checklist)
The 30 questions to ask a co-packer or contract manufacturer before signing: MOQs, pricing, food safety, formula ownership, lead times, and red flags to avoid.
Oct 23, 2026 · USA Factory Network
Commercial Kitchen vs. Co-Packer: When Should Your Food or Beverage Brand Make the Switch?
Still producing in a commercial or shared kitchen? Learn the signs it's time to switch to a co-packer, what changes, and a step-by-step plan to make the move.
Oct 13, 2026 · USA Factory Network
68+ Production Runs Made in the USA Since Our Launch
Since launching on June 25, 2026, USA Factory Network has helped bring more than 68 production runs to American manufacturers. Here's what that milestone means for buyers and factories.
Oct 12, 2026 · USA Factory Network
The First Thing Anyone Touches
The label is usually the final piece to get decided and ordered, which puts it at the end of every timeline — and at the front of every customer's experience. It's the last thing you think about and the first thing they encounter. That inversion causes most of the trouble we see. Decisions get made in a hurry, at the point in a launch when there's least room left to be wrong. The fix is simple and almost nobody does it: treat the label as part of the product, decided when the product is decided, not as a finishing task you'll get to.
Oct 6, 2026 · Wright Labels and USA Factory Network
Before You Ever Hear About It
Why USA Factory Network chose Convoy of Hope as its first Cause Partner — and what three decades of disaster relief, daily hunger work, and local partnerships actually look like.
Oct 6, 2026 · USA Factory Network and Convoy of Hope
Food & Beverage Labeling 101: What Your Label Must Include Before Your First Production Run
A practical checklist of FDA label requirements for food and beverage brands, plus what your co-packer needs from you before labels and film go to print.
Sep 24, 2026 · USA Factory Network
Shelf-Life Testing for Food & Beverage Brands: What to Know Before Your First Production Run
How long will your product really last? A practical guide to shelf-life testing, date labeling, and how to work with your co-packer to set a best-by date retailers and customers can trust.
Sep 21, 2026 · USA Factory Network
Protecting Your Recipe: NDAs, Formula Ownership & IP When Working with a Co-Packer
Before you share your formula with a co-packer, know what to protect and how. A practical guide to NDAs, manufacturing agreements, formula ownership, and the clauses food and beverage brands should never skip.
Sep 21, 2026 · USA Factory Network
From Match to Signed Pilot Run: How Manufacturers Should Respond to a New Brand Inquiry
A practical playbook for co-packers and contract manufacturers: how to respond fast, qualify a new brand, quote without underpricing, and turn a first match into a signed pilot run.
Sep 21, 2026 · USA Factory Network
Pilot Run vs. First Commercial Run: What Actually Changes
A pilot run proves the product can be made. A first commercial run proves it can be sold.
Sep 18, 2026 · USA Factory Network