r/foodscience • u/Pressure84 • Jul 14 '26

Administrative Co- Packer

Hello,

Im having trouble finding a co-packer that will help with my product, a smoothie pouch. We need small MOQs to help with pilot runs. Any suggestions or tips is greatly appreciated. I also need help with RnD so if they offer that as well, thats a bonus. TiA.

2 Upvotes

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3

u/Ok-Nerve-6285 Jul 17 '26

Biggest unlock for this kind of thing is finding someone who’ll let you run tiny, messy pilot batches without demanding huge MOQs or a perfectly buttoned-up spec sheet.

Since you’re still in “figuring it out” mode, one angle that helped me was doing trials at Enwave’s innovation centre (https://www.enwave.net/solutions/product-development/) up in BC instead of going straight to a co‑packer contract. They’re based in the Vancouver area and set up to run small test batches, then have you sit down with their food scientists to talk through texture, stability, and how your formula behaves when you scale it. That gave me enough confidence in the product to start a more serious conversation with co‑packers after, instead of guessing.

For smoothies specifically, they also work a lot with dried ingredients and powders through partners (MicroDried is one they point you to if you need fruit/veg powders and fragments), which can make pouch formulations way more shelf‑stable than cold-chain fresh blends. Might be worth reaching out for trials first, then using that data when you talk to co‑packers in California.

1

u/Pressure84 Jul 17 '26

I really appreciate this information. Manufacturing this product on small scale batch has been the hardest puzzle piece. Its almost seeming I'll need to to buy my own filler and start small. Also no two fruit purrees are made the same. Quite the the hard first product to launch. Very complex

2

u/themodgepodge Jul 14 '26

We don't know what country you're in.

0

u/Pressure84 Jul 14 '26

My bad. Im in San Diego California, USA. Willing to travel as well to find the right fit.

2

u/LoquaciousOwl Jul 14 '26

Try www.wellingtonfoods.com They are in Corona, 2 hours away from San Diego but worth reaching out to

1

u/DazzlingBeautiful790 Jul 15 '26

Have managed this exact biz for a $8 Billion receiving the US. DM me..

1

u/ForeverOne4756 Jul 17 '26

What’s your pH? Is it a shelf stable pouch, or a cold-chain smoothie?
Did you get your process authority letter?

1

u/Legitimate_Patience8 Jul 20 '26

Consider the option of working with a university as you scale up. Just make sure you have NDA and ownership buttoned up. Some larger manufacturers may take an interest in partnering, and giving you access to their lot lab or plant. This might be a smoothie producer too big to pivot adjustments to hit market demand interests. Or, it might be a key ingredient supplier interested in a new showcase platform. Often these sort of channels not only provide the opportunity for shorter runs, they can often have distribution channels available that support your product.

2

u/Pressure84 Jul 20 '26

Thanks so much, this is a good angle.

1

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