Allergen controls
Procedures that prevent undeclared allergens from entering a product, including scheduling, cleaning, and labeling checks on shared equipment.
Resources
Co-packing glossary
Shared vocabulary for first calls, quote comparisons, and retailer packets. If a term is missing, ask it on the quote form and we will add it.
New to the category? Start with what a co-packer is or the contract packaging Florida guide.
Batch record
The documented history of a production lot: ingredients, equipment, in-process checks, deviations, and release. Retailers and regulators ask for this when something goes wrong.
Changeover
The cleaning, setup, and requalification required when a line switches SKUs. Changeover cost is why MOQs exist and why six flavors on day one get expensive.
Contract packaging
Hiring a plant to fill, seal, label, or assemble your product. In beverages this often overlaps with co-packing. Always confirm whether formulation and fulfillment are included.
Co-packer
A company that manufactures and packages products under your brand. In coffee, tea, and pouches the term is often used interchangeably with contract manufacturer.
Dieline
The flat template for a carton, lid, or pouch that shows cut, fold, and print areas. Artwork built off the wrong dieline delays the first PO.
FEFO / FIFO
Inventory rotation rules. First expired, first out or first in, first out. Fulfillment contracts should say which one the warehouse uses.
Fill weight
How much product is in each pouch, pod, stick, or can. In-run sampling catches hopper drift before off-weight units ship.
FDA registered facility
A food facility on record with the US FDA and subject to inspection. Registration is the baseline, not a substitute for a working food-safety system.
FSMA
The Food Safety Modernization Act. The US framework that pushes food plants toward preventive controls, not only reacting after a problem.
Fulfillment
Storage, picking, packing, and shipping of finished goods to consumers or retailers. Different from the fill step that created those goods.
GMP
Good manufacturing practices. Documented ways of working that keep production consistent and traceable. Nicotine and food plants both use the idea, under different rules.
Kosher certification
Ongoing rabbinical supervision of ingredients, equipment, and scheduling. It is a continuous relationship, not a one-time tour.
Landed cost
The true cost of a unit after fill, packaging, freight, storage, and fees. Compare landed cost, not fill price alone.
MOQ
Minimum order quantity. The smallest run a plant will schedule, usually per SKU. Print-house minimums can be higher than the fill MOQ.
Nitrogen flush
Replacing oxygen in a pack with nitrogen to protect aroma and shelf life. Common on coffee pods, pouches, and some stick packs.
PMTA
Premarket Tobacco Product Application. A US FDA pathway discussed for certain nicotine products. Informational term only here. Counsel owns filings. A co-packer does not.
Private label
A product formulated and branded uniquely for you. Contrast with white label, where you brand an existing shared formula.
SKU
Stock-keeping unit. One sellable combination of formula, strength, and pack. Three flavors in two carton sizes can be six SKUs and six MOQs.
Stand-up pouch
A flexible bag that stands on a retail shelf, often with a zipper. Used for coffee, tea, and powders. Film print minimums are a common surprise.
Stick pack
A single-serve tube pack for instant or functional powders. Requires good powder flow and tight fill-weight control.
Structure/function claim
A statement about how an ingredient affects the body's structure or function. Different rules than disease claims. Counsel should review functional coffee and tea copy.
Toll processing
You supply the ingredient or bulk product and the plant runs it on their equipment. Contrast with turnkey, where the plant also sources and develops.
USDA Organic
A certified organic process with chain-of-custody and segregation. Required for most USDA Organic claims on pack. Ask for the current certificate.
White label
Your brand on a manufacturer's existing formula. Faster and cheaper to start. Less exclusive if other brands can buy the same base.
Want these terms applied to your SKU?
Send a one-page brief. We will map MOQ, format, and whether fulfillment belongs in the same quote.