At The Fresh Factory, we’ve built up expertise around helping better-for-you food brands turn their vision into reality. Whether it’s innovating new products, navigating the complexities of regulatory compliance, or successfully sticking on retail shelves, we use our experience to become not just a trusted vendor, but a valuable partner.
Here are some of the common questions food brands have about our services and capabilities.
Food contract manufacturing is when a brand partners with an experienced food manufacturer to produce products at scale using commercial equipment, food-safety systems, and trained teams. It allows brands to focus on growth while production, quality, and compliance are handled by experts.
A co-packer typically produces an existing recipe exactly as specified. A contract manufacturer goes further, supporting formulation, process optimization, packaging decisions, scale-up, and long-term operational growth. At The Fresh Factory, we can do both, depending on the support you need to get your ideas to market.
Most brands make the switch when demand exceeds kitchen or pilot capacity, regulatory requirements become more complex, or speed to market matters. Contract manufacturing removes capital constraints and operational risk. At The Fresh Factory, we have the expertise needed to take your food brand to the next level, whether it’s managing the requirements for major retailers like Costco or expanding product lines in efficient ways.
We work with both emerging and established brands, but we’re selective. The best partnerships are with brands that have strong potential, a clear vision, and are ready to scale responsibly.
We also work with food brands preparing for launch through our startup accelerator program Fresh Start.
At The Fresh Factory, clean-label manufacturing means using real, recognizable ingredients and avoiding unnecessary preservatives, artificial colors, or fillers — while still delivering safe, scalable, retail-ready products.
Yes! The Fresh Factory specializes in fresh and refrigerated foods using processes like cold fill and high-pressure processing (HPP) to maintain quality and safety without traditional chemical preservatives.
Yes! Our platform was built for plant-based, organic, functional, and better-for-you products that don’t fit legacy manufacturing models.
We manufacture sauces, condiments, dressings, dips, soups, functional beverages, cold-pressed juices, wellness shots, smoothies, snack bars, and other fresh and clean-label foods. Read more about our manufacturing capabilities here.
HPP is a cold-pressure food safety process that eliminates harmful pathogens while preserving fresh taste, texture, and nutrients — without heat or preservatives.
Hot fill uses heat for shelf stability, cold fill relies on refrigeration, and HPP extends refrigerated shelf life without changing the product through heat.
Yes! The Fresh Factory has achieved SQF Food Safety Certification with an average audit score of 98/100 over the last decade. Our facilities operate under FDA FSMA regulations and Good Manufacturing Practices because food safety and quality are foundational to everything we do. Learn more about our certifications here.
We use validated allergen controls, sanitation protocols, lot tracking, and recall-ready systems to protect brands and consumers.
Yes. We regularly manufacture Kosher, Organic, and Gluten-Free products and are experienced in meeting the operational, documentation, and process requirements that come with each designation.
Our facilities operate under strict food safety and quality systems, and we work closely with certification bodies, auditors, and brand partners to ensure products are produced, documented, and labeled correctly. From allergen controls and traceability to ingredient sourcing and annual audits, we understand what it takes to support certified products at scale.
The Fresh Factory offers flexible packaging across jars, bottles, tubs, pouches, sachets, and flow-wrapped formats, supporting sizes from single-serve to bulk foodservice and compatible with hot fill, cold fill, and HPP processing. Download our capabilities and packaging options flyer here.
Yes. We help brands choose packaging that works for their product, process, shelf life, and distribution, without overengineering or unnecessary cost.
Yes. We support private label and retail programs with scalable, food-safe, clean-label manufacturing. We work with retail and private label partners to develop or adapt clean-label products, validate processes, meet food safety and regulatory requirements, and deliver products that perform reliably at scale.
Yes. We have extensive experience manufacturing products for brands selling into major grocery and retail channels, including retailers with rigorous requirements like Costco.
We understand what large retailers expect, from food safety certifications and audit readiness to cost structures, packaging specifications, pallet configurations, and supply reliability. Our team is accustomed to supporting brands through retail onboarding, scaling production to meet demand, and maintaining the consistency and compliance required to succeed in national and multi-channel distribution.
MOQs depend on product type, packaging, and processing method. The Fresh Factory is known for flexibility compared to traditional manufacturers, especially for growing brands.
Timelines vary, but with a ready formulation and packaging, products can move from concept to production in months, not years. Contact us to talk through your product.
Pricing is based on ingredients, packaging, labor, processing method, run size, and operational complexity. We’re transparent and focused on long-term sustainability for both sides.
Yes. Our team supports formulation, bench-top work, pilot runs, and scale-up to ensure products perform consistently at commercial volumes. Learn more about our work with product innovation and custom foods here.
Yes. We help brands validate shelf life, run production trials, and prepare products for retail and national distribution.
Absolutely. Many of our partners start in one category and expand into multiple formats as they grow.
Yes! We offer refrigerated, frozen, and dry storage, along with pick-pack-ship services for select partners. Our convenient location in the heart of the Chicagoland food hub allows us to reach most of the U.S. by semi within two to three days, ensuring your food products stay fresh and delicious. Learn more about our fulfillment services here.
Yes! As a vertically integrated co-manufacturer and co-packer, we offer end-to-end food logistics solutions for better-for-you brands, with a focus on food chain sustainability. We leverage an established supplier network to support quality, availability, and cost control. Learn more about our food logistics here.
While The Fresh Factory is not a lender offering startup loans, we partner closely with emerging brands to help them access the capital needed for food manufacturing and distribution. Learn more about how we can help with financing here.
Look for experience in your category, strong food-safety credentials, operational flexibility, and a partner mindset — not just available capacity.
Ask about certifications, MOQs, lead times, allergen controls, scalability, and how they support growth beyond the first production run.
We partner with brands that are committed to clean-label, better-for-you food and are driven to innovate and lead their category. Ideal partners have early traction, a clear path to distribution, and the ambition and readiness to scale. If you’re not fully there yet, we’ll help you close the gap and grow with confidence. Let’s talk!
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