First Production Run Checklist for Food Co-Packers
What to lock before your first co-packer run: specs, labels, insurance, allergens, QC, and a day-of plant checklist so the line starts on time.
Plants treat first runs as a pre-flight. Missing one cert, one label roll, or one fill-weight tolerance and the slot still gets billed.
T-30 to T-14 — one spec package, versioned and dated
Formula with % and order of addition; pH/Brix/viscosity/Aw bands, not single numbers
Allergen matrix; process narrative; sensory fail definition; shelf-life + storage
Pack, closure, torque, label stock, unwind, case/pallet, date-code location
In-process checks, retain quantity, who pays for micro, what happens if the lot fails
T-14 to T-7 — paperwork plants will not waive
COI ($1M/$2M is a common starting point) naming the plant additional insured; vendor packet; COAs that match the formula version; print-ready regulatory copy; process-authority letter if acidified/LACF; signed PO that says who owns leftover film.
T-7 to T-2 — materials on the dock, not "on the way"
Count labels. Confirm receiving hours. Wrong unwind or an unlabeled pallet is the #1 day-of delay.
Day-of
First-article signoff before speed. Watch the first hour. Do not reformulate on the floor unless you will scrap the lot. Hold-and-release until agreed tests clear. Punch-list before you leave.
Who pays
Usually the brand
Ingredients, custom film, labels
Line time
3rd-party micro/stability testing
A failed run caused by a spec error
Usually the plant
In-process QC
A failed run caused by a plant error
Next steps
Before you book the slot, tighten your quote request with our RFQ/RFP guide, or Get Matched with vetted U.S. co-packers.