Anyone work in the food industry?

[NotSo]

Hi All,
We are considering launching a new product line of dressing salads. Our experience in the food industry is somewhat limited, and I am wondering whether anyone in the industry can provide some guidance.

1. Our primary issue is preservation, are there any good online resources we can consult whilst formulating our prototypes ? We will be using critic acid to ensure longevity by lowering pH, but I can't seem to find any good resources about desirable pH.
2. How do we establish the use-by dates for product lines ? is their a methodology to this or is it more ad-hoc ?
3. Are there any legal requirements we must comply by ?

 

[WaveJumper]

Might be an idea to have a good look here

Business guidance

Keeping your food safe right through the food chain. From farming and manufacturing to retail and catering, here you will find advice on how to manage food hygiene and safety at every stage of the business.

www.food.gov.uk

 

[IanSuth]

I don't know your USP but i have a friend with a range of chili sauces. She was known through chilli eating but rather than do it all her self, she spoke to another small supplier and basically worked with them to to turn her 3 recipes into 3 products which appear to be all hers but in fact are cooked and bottled by the other firm (who already had the production expertise)

 

[FXOpentrader]

My sister-in-law and his husband work in the foods industry but on a small scale, they create tofu and sell it to the traditional market.

 

[The Byre]

Firstly, I do worry when someone who knows nothing about commercial food production decides to 'have a go'. You will be producing condiments that people may keep in the fridge or larder for up to a year and could thereby kill the weak or infirm by any one of some 20 bacterial infections and a whole host of other nasty things. In the UK some 500 people p.a. die of food poisoning, so it is a fairly common type of accidental death.

But as long as you are prepared to learn about the dangers and how to prevent them, all will be well!

1. Acetic acid or concentrated vinegar (25% acetic acid) such as Surig, made by Speyer & Grund (www.surig.de). Also bog-standard sea salt. Jars filled and sealed at 100C.

2. Best-before and use-by dates should be established by an accredited food scientist or technician working in a food laboratory. Often, just knowing how the food is prepared is all that an experienced tech needs to know to give a set of guide dates. You will probably need some sort of accreditation or safety study for product liability insurance.

3. Oh yes - plenty! If this is a kitchen operation, your local council will advise and inspect.

Links -

General food law

Whether you work in a food business or you are a consumer interested in food law, there are general requirements which you need to be aware of.

www.food.gov.uk

https://www.food.gov.uk/sites/default/files/media/document/fsa_food-traceability-guide7.pdf

The 'Business Guidence' pages are what you need to study in-depth.

 

[NotSo]

Thanks everyone.
@The Byre, don't worry, we'll be signing contracts with bottling companies. The questions are for the prototyping phase.
I have one other question, does anyone know how companies like Tescos, Asda source freshly made foods day to day ? and what process we'd need to go through if we want to be considered as possible suppliers.

 

[WaveJumper]

Well trying to get your foot in the door and speaking to a buyer would be the first hurdle, and as they would tell you on Dragons Den its cut throat.

 

[The Byre]

Prototypes - as long as you are not selling them, there are no special legal implications as you are only poisoning friends and family.

The only small companies I can think of that the big supermarkets deal with will be microbreweries for local initiatives and things like that - i.e. one-off operations. The financial implications of having to supply 3,400 Tesco stores with a pallet each of bottles of whatever you are making and to do that on sale-or-return as a new and untried brand are beyond any small producer.

Even the McIlhenny company (250 employees) that makes Tabasco uses importers and wholesalers who are large enough to provide guarantees and letters of credit. Even Lidl sells Tabasco (on and off) - now imagine the finances involved to make enough to supply about 12,000 Lidl stores worldwide!

The sauce-in-a-bottle market is fought over by giants as it is unbelievably profitable. You are selling some bottle of gunk that is nearly all just flour and water, together with a few pennies worth of powered stuff, sugar and acetic acid. The only thing that costs real money is the bottle and marketing. Whether it's mayonnaise, ketchup, brown sauce, or whatever, it is water, acetic acid, cornflour and dried stuff that is usually supplied as a powder. Some of the more expensive sauces use real ingredients (e.g. Tabasco) but they really are the exceptions.

BUT

There are side doors to the market - local shops. Create a local brand or a brand that is specific to a community. The very bland Reggae Reggae Sauce was specific to a community before it went on DD and gained traction and scale. When you are selling a few thousand bottles a week, then you can think about better production lines and having a stand at food fairs.

As a small supplier, your costs go pretty much through the roof. A 250ml glass bottle will cost about 30p each and are supplied by the pallet of c.a. 2,500 bottles. Add labeling and ingredients and labour, transport and energy and you are looking at £1 a bottle plus VAT. Now double that for marketing! The big boys get away with about one-third of those costs.

 

[Charliechops]

1. Our primary issue is preservation, are there any good online resources we can consult whilst formulating our prototypes ? We will be using critic acid to ensure longevity by lowering pH, but I can't seem to find any good resources about desirable pH. -

Fermented Hot Sauce pH: Everything You Need to Know – Home Kitchen Talk

homekitchentalk.com

2. How do we establish the use-by dates for product lines ? is their a methodology to this or is it more ad-hoc ? Two ways but it does depend on where you want to sell your food. Selling into supermarkets will require big money, big budgets and big credability. They require all sorts or certification these days like SALSA (not the sauce) and these dont come cheap either. If you plan to sell more locally then it does require time. You keep a few dozen bottles in your cupboard/fridge and each month you open 3 and take ph readings and record them, keep doing the same until they change to a point that would too high/low for consumption - then you will know. Personally i would give it a decent three months or readings before selling any.
3. Are there any legal requirements we must comply by ? Register as a food business, level two health and hygiene qualification, comply with labelling regs.

Oh and contrary to the above comment you'll never get it done for £1 a bottle - more like £2+ if using 'real' ingredients but people will pay decent money for artisan products - as long as it tastes good.

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

My sister-in-law and his husband

?

 

[alan1302]

?

It's the modern world and anything is possible!

 

[Lucan Unlordly]

It's the modern world and anything is possible!

I assumed it was a typo