ORLANDO, FL — Finding the right co-manufacturer is a multi-faceted endeavor. With contract manufacturers in high demand — perhaps now more than ever — it’s crucial to consider various factors when choosing one.
William Zimmerman, bakery technologist, quality and manufacturing at Five Guys Bakery, discussed these factors during American Society of Baking (ASB)’s BakingTECH 2025, held February 17-19 in Orlando, FL.
Zimmerman boiled down the process of choosing to three key pieces:
- The product itself
- The co-manufacturer’s process
- Food and regulatory compliance
It’s important to clearly define key specifications and quality attributes identified for a product.
“A lot of bakeries have allergen concerns,” he explained. “You have to specify that. Can they run soy? Can they run eggs, milk or fruit? Define what it is about your product that you need to know and be very specific about the ingredients and the product itself.”
Once the formulation has been clearly defined and lined out in as much detail as possible, the next step is to develop a questionnaire to better equip the partnership for any missed components.
“Once you pass that along to the co-man, it’ll give them a good idea of what you’re trying to accomplish for the product, which will then lead you to their process,” Zimmerman said.
Identifying products a co-manufacturer already produces will also help determine the best fit. The ability to link product with process should be a main driver of the collaboration.
Ensuring food safety and regulatory compliance requires digging into more details of the co-manufacturer’s system. It’s important to know what clean-out programs are currently in place and how many days a week they run in addition to how the co-man documents the compliance system, whether it’s on a shared network or written on paper.
“Do they have a GFSI program in place? Are they AIB certified?” Zimmerman said. “Make sure that you do a bakery walk-through as part of your typical process. You can tell pretty quickly what their sanitation practices are.”
Commercial bakers working with co-manufacturers must be vigilant in monitoring their programs. It’s up to the brand owner to verify and validate the food safety and regulatory programs in relation to testing the product and how it fits with their system. With inspections, proper documentation and overall quality assurance for products, bakers are well-suited to find their ideal co-manufacturing partnership.
