I need easy steps to sell a food product

maryglennmaryglenn subscriber Posts: 1
edited May 2009 in Startups Created by StartupNation Community Members
I am new to startup nation and there is so much great information on this site.  I love that everyone has a common passion of innovation and goal of autonomy. I have a unique product for the salsa industry.  Does anyone have any experience with marketing a food product and could give me a cliff not version of where to start?   If I tried to sell it to a small grocery store to generate interest, does it have to be approved by the FDA?  Do you have to have the nutritional information on the jar?
Thank you for listening! I am frustrated because I have no clue where to start and I am doing this alone.  I work much better feeding off individuals!  No pun intended with my product!
 
 maryglenn2007-5-1 22:59:31
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Comments

  • stevesteve subscriber Posts: 14
    Your product must be manufactured in a licensed and inspected facility.
    Some states allow food manufacturing in private homes subject to
    regulation and inspection. Another option is to have a copacker
    manufacture it to your specs bottle it and ship to you or your
    distributor. If you want to make it yourself an alternative to having
    your own facility is to find a restaurant that will allow you to use
    their kitchen after hours. Other options are VFW halls, churches, KofC,
    anyone with an inspected kitchen who will rent space / time to you when
    they aren`t using it.

    You do not have to have nutritional information on the package until
    you reach a certain annual sales threshold (I believe it is $100,000).
    The exception to that is if you are making a specific nutritional
    claim. 
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  • maryglennmaryglenn subscriber Posts: 1
    Thank you so much Steve!
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  • stevesteve subscriber Posts: 14
    You`re welcome.

    Are you inclined to have someone else make it for you or do it yourself?
    Steve2007-5-2 21:6:24
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  • maryglennmaryglenn subscriber Posts: 1
    The more I research, the more I think it might be better to partner with an established food co.  The profits will obviously not be as much.  It seems there might be a lot of start up money required to get a food product out on the market.
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  • BerfieBerfie subscriber Posts: 1
    Hello MaryGlenn -

    I agree with Work4Wine, Steve you have given us good info there. 
    I too am looking to see if my unique food product can be
    marketable.  I am like Maryglenn and Work4Wine, just thinking
    where to start. 

    However, I am curious, does one go and produce the product first as a
    sample or do you establish a business name, permit, and any other legal
    stuff first before having the food product first..  Like I said I
    want to make samples to do research whether it can be marketable. 
    So is it food product first and legal stuff later or visa versa? 

    Maryglenn and Work4Wine - I thought maybe we can support eachother as
    we grow in our food business.  That would be awesome. 

    Thank you for any advice.

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  • stevesteve subscriber Posts: 14
    You can give samples of your product made in your home to people to
    gauge consumer reaction. You can take homemade product to a potential
    vendor to get their feedback. Just don`t sell it. When we were starting
    out we took product samples to a celiac support group meeting. Lots of
    people bring desserts to eat afterwardsanyway. Got lots of good feedback.

    Do as much as you legally can before you spend money on starting the company, etc. 
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  • DelightfulDelightful subscriber Posts: 0
    Hi!
    I am new to SUN.  Checkout www.jazzfoods.com</A>.  They publish a step-by-step guide on "How To Start Your Own Food Business".  I ordered a copy some time ago and read it.  It is quite extensive.  It tells you how to get FDA approval, how to find co-producers, etc. 
    -- Marquetta
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  • TTTTTTTTTTTTTT subscriber Posts: 3
    Great advice all. 
    I have a pastery product that I would like to sell in local restaurants, coffee and tea spots and stores.  What`s the best way to approuched them.  I have a unique dessert that no one else is selling. 
    I would like to send emails first before calling.  Are there any sample drafts of letters out there showing me how to introducing my product via email/letter?
    Thanks!
    Any and all advice is greatly appreciated.
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  • kathleenhkathleenh subscriber Posts: 0
    This is exactly the avenue I`ve decided to pursue.  Because my product contains beef, I`m limited to making and serving on the same premises.  Thankfully, there is a commercial kitchen on the very same site on which a local Farmer`s Market is held.
    I`m working on the thinnest of "shoestrings," so I`m wondering about some "hidden" benefits to working with a commercially licensed kitchen. 
    From: http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/FSD/licensing ... _business_
    "It is possible, however, for one party to obtain a license for a
    facility and then lease, rent, or allow its use by another or multiple
    parties, as long as the following conditions are met: {{insert "met" conditions}}"
    With any luck, this will take care of ODA and County Health Dept. licensing regs?  Renting a kitchen will be an absolute BARGAIN if this is the case.  I have a query in to the owner of the kitchen CC my ODA contact and I`m trying to keep in mind that my crisis is not their emergency.  While I await their reply, are there any Oregonian Foodies here who can advise me?  Thanks in advance.
    P.S. Great forum!  I`m a long-time lurker.
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  • kanitbeukanitbeu subscriber Posts: 0
    Did you find out anything on the FDA approval that you can share?  I looked at their web-site and can`t find a thing.
    I have a sauce I`m trying to market and just found a potential co-packer and they asked if it was FDA approved.Thank you,Tina
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  • lewismiko012lewismiko012 subscriber Posts: 0
    Try to send food samples on FDA. And let's hope they approve it. And also, try the consumers.
    _______________________
    pizza franchises
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  • andrewthomusandrewthomus subscriber Posts: 1
    this discussion is beneficial for me as i want to start a food selling business. Before reading it only thought to sell my product at the lowest rate so that a normal person can afford it. And gradually increase it when it will become a habit for the people. Like the maximum businesses do. But after reading it i come to know that there are many other way to by which i can start my business.
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