Frequently Asked Questions

It’s very easy to get started with our food contract manufacturing services! 

Please see the list of Approved OFI Vendors here. 

For your comfort, please sign our Mutual NDA prior to sharing the details of your project.

Yes we do! 

For more information please visit our product development page

You can start with our blog! If you want to learn even more, our courses contain even more important information and are a great first step towards knowing how to create a product!

OFI provides coaching services to start-up food businesses. Click Here to learn more. 

Because of the variable nature of food production, we do not have one single price. At a minimum, creating and getting the paperwork for a new product + first production runs cost $15,000- $20,000 all included. Contact us for pricing for your product.

The OFI can not produce any products with the FDA’s 8 major allergens (milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans) or any product containing meat. 

We’re proud to serve a wide variety of clients creating many different kinds of products. For some examples, check out our “success stories” page.

Provided that you have all of the ingredients and documentation necessary, production can be as fast as four weeks. If you need additional help with these aspects of production, it will take longer. 

We have a USDA organic certification. The facility is gluten-free.

Before we are able to create a product, we need several important steps to have already been completed. First, we need proof of product liability insurance. We have found Flipogram to be a great option for many businesses. 

We will also need regulatory documentation.Usually, this takes the form of a Scheduled Process, which we can help you obtain if you do not have one. An alternative option for insuring food safety would be a shelf study, which is a more involved process, but may be needed in some cases. Finally, before we can work with you, we will need you to complete all our paperwork. If you plan on distributing the product, you will also want to have the design for a label created. 

Yes, the smallest batch we do is a 25-gallon production, which should give an idea of how the product works at scale. If you’re interested, we can provide the associated fee. We do not make benchtop samples (samples of only a few bottles or jars) because they are not reflective of larger production runs, and won’t provide any information that cooking in a residential kitchen wouldn’t provide.

Measurement by volume is not accurate at scale. Measurement by weight allows for scaling beyond a test batch. Here is a website that can help you get an idea of what a volume-based recipe might look like converted to weight.

We do not have kosher certification, but if you want to bring in a kosher certifier, we can comply with their requirements, and have in the past worked with Kosher certified products.

In our experience, when our clients struggle to make money, it’s because they were not prepared for the cost of distribution and ingredients. Additionally, it is important to factor in the grocer’s cut when considering profits. Considering these factors when creating a budget can save you a lot of money in the long run and allow you to become profitable.

We can package products in plastic and glass bottles and jars, pallets and barrels, large portion bags.