Based in Porter, TX, Back Pew Brewing provides comprehensive contract brewing, kegging, and canning services. They offer various processing options prior to packaging, specializing in beverage canning for other businesses. Their facility supports clients seeking professional, high-quality production and packaging solutions.
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Canning Companies
Last updated: January 2026
This directory lists 89 canning companies across the United States, from dedicated high-volume retort processing facilities to specialized craft beverage canners offering flexible cold-fill lines.
Buyers leverage canning companies to achieve critical shelf stability for their products, extend market reach, and ensure food safety compliance. They are solving challenges like finding partners capable of handling specific pH profiles requiring either acidified food regulations or complex low-acid canned food (LACF) thermal processing. The right supplier mitigates the risk of microbial spoilage and helps navigate the intricate path to a valid Process Authority Letter for FDA approval, a non-negotiable step for product integrity and legality.
Suppliers in this space vary significantly, ranging from large-scale contract manufacturers specializing in high-speed lines for consumer packaged goods giants, to smaller, more agile co-packers focusing on emerging brands, seasonal products, or niche markets like craft beer and specialty sauces. Some offer extensive in-house R&D for formulation and shelf-life testing, while others operate primarily as toll packers, executing a client's pre-approved specifications. Distinctions also arise in their equipment – from rotary piston fillers for chunky products to gravity fillers for liquids, and the type of seamer (e.g., rotary vs. semi-automatic) they operate.
Company Directory
89 companies nationwide
Based in Old Chatham, NY, Beth's Farm Kitchen offers co-packing and private label manufacturing for custom jam and condiment lines. They produce diverse jarred products like fruit jams, marmalades, mustards, chutneys, and hot sauces, for wholesale and B2B clients.
Bevcraft USA LLC, based in Kenilworth, NJ, offers professional mobile canning services, bringing equipment directly onsite for craft beverage producers. They also provide comprehensive can supply, including brite, labelled, sleeved, digitally printed, and traditional print cans, with decoration and distribution solutions.
Based in Los Angeles, CA, BevPack LA offers high-speed beverage co-packing, specializing in canning various popular sizes. They provide scalable solutions for blending and mixing diverse drinks like energy, functional, probiotic, and THC/CBD infused beverages. The facility is SQF, organic, and Kosher certified for quality.
Big Brands LLC offers comprehensive co-packing services, specializing in canned beverages. The company provides drink can co-packing solutions for a wide variety of clients, ensuring efficient and high-quality production of their canned products. Their services cater to businesses requiring professional canning operations.
Based in Napa, CA, Bin to Bottle offers comprehensive wine bottling and alternative beverage canning services. They provide full-service production, packaging, and canning solutions for ready-to-drink wines and various other beverages, serving commercial clients with specialized co-packing expertise.
Boomhut Mobile Canning provides mobile canning services for alcoholic beverages throughout Central and Southern California. They offer rinsing, filling, and seaming of client-supplied aluminum cans using a Wild Goose Five Head system. Services also include date coding, labeling, carbonation and dissolved oxygen testing, nitrogen dosing, and packaging materials.
California Aseptic Beverages (CAB) is a contract manufacturer specializing in aseptic beverage processing and packaging services. Located in Southern California, the company operates a facility designed for efficient production and convenient transportation. CAB offers solutions for commercial beverage brands, focusing on the production of shelf-stable products.
Cascadia Canning Company offers flexible canning solutions, including direct sourcing of cans and mobile canning services. They provide custom a-la-carte and all-in-one canning options, bringing their advanced canning lines directly to clients' facilities. This enables producers to package their products efficiently and professionally without owning their own equipment.
Based in Los Angeles, CA, Case By Case Canning offers mobile beverage canning services. They provide a full-service packaging option, assisting craft beer producers in moving their product from tanks to cans for efficient distribution. This eliminates logistical challenges for clients.
Based in Burlington, VT, Citizen Cider offers co-packing services for diverse beverages, including cider, beer, spirits-based RTDs, wine-based, and non-alcoholic products. They leverage their facility, which also produces unique ciders from locally sourced Vermont and New York apples.
Consolidated Mills, Inc. provides food contract packaging and product solutions, specializing in dry and wet blending for institutional and retail food industries. Based in Houston, TX, they offer private label manufacturing, custom spice blends, and packaging for salsas, sauces, and peppers from their Kosher-certified facility.
Based in Bergen, NY, Craft Cannery offers contract manufacturing and co-packing for sauces, dressings, and marinades. They provide flexible small to mid-size batch production with no minimums, utilizing a bottling line capable of 2,000 gallons daily. The company is certified by FDA, USDA, SQF, and OK Kosher.
CraftCo Brands, based in Grand Rapids, MI, provides contract canning, bottling, and storage services for various products. The company also manages a portfolio of award-winning premium craft spirit brands, including Coppercraft Distillery and Thatcher's Organic Artisan Spirits.
Based in San Antonio, TX, Creative Foodworks is an independent co-packer specializing in manufacturing shelf-stable food products for brands. They offer comprehensive co-packing services, including recipe formulation, quality control, and product commercialization for items such as salsa, BBQ sauce, marinades, and pasta sauces.
Based in Pemberville, OH, Dei Fratelli is a family-owned company with over 100 years of experience. They specialize in canning vine-ripened tomatoes, harvested from local family farms in Ohio and Michigan and packaged within hours. The company produces both consumer and industrial tomato products.
Dairy Farmers of America, Inc. is a farmer-owned cooperative based in Kansas City, KS, dedicated to dairy production and processing. They provide shelf-stable milk and other dairy-based beverages through aseptic processing and packaging technology, alongside various fresh dairy products for commercial distribution.
Dillman Farm is an Indiana-based, family-owned food manufacturer, established in 1970. They produce a wide array of canned food products, including preserves, jellies, fruit butters, barbecue sauces, mustards, salsas, and pickled items. The company also provides private label and wholesale canning services for various retail markets.
Based in Los Angeles, CA, Dolores Canning Co. specializes in quality Mexican food products. Established in 1954, the company produces a range of canned goods including chili brick, menudo, pozole, and marinated meats. They also offer private label manufacturing services.
Based in Coppell, TX, Epic Bottling provides beverage manufacturing and co-packing services. They specialize in hot and cold fill for glass, PET, and aluminum cans, brewing teas, juices, and lemonades. The company serves startups, small businesses, and larger enterprises, assisting with product development and distribution.
HealthVerve Food Manufacturing USA offers contract manufacturing and private labeling for ready-to-drink beverages. Operating facilities in California and Tennessee, they provide sterilization retorts, cooking, and pasteurization services. Capabilities include liquid nitrogen infused filling lines for aluminum cans, accommodating sizes from 5.5 to 16 ounces, along with multi-stage homogenizers.
Based in Manchester, NH, Iron Heart Canning provides mobile canning and co-packing services for various beverage producers. They specialize in helping small and middle-market craft producers offer high-quality products on a competitive platform, eliminating the need for in-house canning systems.
Based in Houston, TX, John Henry's Food Products offers contract manufacturing and bottling services for food items. Specializing in small batch co-packing, they assist brands with unique recipes lacking production facilities. Services include sauces, marinades, and specialty food products, helping businesses bring their culinary visions to market.
Leahy-IFP specializes in food preservation through advanced aseptic processing, offering a gentler sterilization method than traditional hot-fill. This technique helps maintain the natural look, taste, and aroma of raw ingredients like fresh fruit. The company provides processing solutions for the food industry.
Based in Lodi, WI, Lodi Canning Co. provides direct canning services, established in 1917. Emphasizing farm-to-table practices and proprietary seeds, they produce a range of canned food products. Their offerings include corn, hominy, and multiple varieties of beans, all processed to high food safety standards.
Based in Decatur, IN, Manley Meats operates as Indiana's only state-inspected canning facility, specializing in a variety of canned meat products. The company provides custom processing for beef, pork, and deer, alongside butchering and retail services.
Based in Effingham, SC, McCall Farms operates as a significant food processor and canning operation. The company manages extensive farms and manufactures a diverse portfolio of its own national food brands. McCall Farms also provides comprehensive contract canning and co-packing services, leveraging its substantial facilities to support other businesses within the food industry.
Based in San Luis Obispo, CA, Mercenary Canning Solutions offers mobile canning and co-packing services for craft beverage producers in California's Central Coast and Bay Area. They specialize in packaging beer, wine, seltzers, and RTDs, utilizing advanced counter-pressure systems and stringent quality control for B2B clients.
Based in Nipomo, CA, Monkey Spit Hot Sauce operates Smith House Manufacturing, a dedicated cannery and co-packing facility. They provide small batch hot fill bottling for sauces, canning for pickles, and jelly production. The company assists other small businesses in manufacturing specialty food products, explicitly excluding seafood and meat items.
Based in Los Banos, CA, The Morning Star Company processes, packs, and transports tomatoes, operating three large factories. They supply ingredient tomato paste and diced tomatoes to food manufacturers, and finished pouch and canned products to the food service and retail trade.
Based in New Caney, TX, New Caney Beverage is a contract co-packer specializing in beverage canning and bottling services. They can carbonated drinks in aluminum and bottle non-carbonated liquids in plastic. Additionally, they package powders in canisters, stick packs, or sachets, and handle gels and thicker liquids.
Based in Anaheim, CA, Newport Bottling & Canning offers comprehensive beverage development, co-packing, bottling, and canning services. They specialize in liquid and powdered beverage formulation, providing full-service lines from pilot production to launch. The company delivers turnkey solutions for various commercial beverage needs.
Pacific Coast Producers is a California-based agricultural cooperative specializing in canning fruits and tomatoes for private brands worldwide. Owned by over 150 family farms, they produce various shelf-stable private label items, including diced tomatoes, peach halves, and fruit bowls.
Based in Palmetto, FL, Palmetto Canning Company offers private label and co-packing for bottled, jarred, and canned foods. Since 1927, they provide contract manufacturing for sauces, condiments, and cooking wines, including full-service packing solutions and bulk ingredient sales.
Based in Hudsonville, MI, Proper Beverage Co. offers full-service beverage co-packing solutions. They provide end-to-end services, including processing, packaging into diverse can sizes, and distribution for a wide range of beverage types. They focus on empowering clients to bring their beverage dreams to life.
Based in Keller, TX, Smokin' Texas Gourmet offers private label packaging services for sauces, spices, and rubs. They partner with major hotel brands, boutique hotels, tourist destinations, and various restaurant chains for custom food product manufacturing and branding.
Based in Bozeman, MT, Roots Kitchen Cannery provides small-batch food manufacturing and canning services from its commercial kitchen facilities. The company specializes in processing locally-grown produce, and also manufactures and sells its own line of award-winning jams and pickles.
Based in Door County, WI, Seaquist Canning Company specializes in crafting a wide range of fruit-based products, including jams, jellies, fruit butters, pie fillings, fruit syrups, sauces, and salsa.
Shacksbury provides co-packing services, specializing in canning for standard, sleek, and slim cans. They also offer bottling and kegging for various beverage types, including non-alcoholic drinks and hard cider. A 930-gallon minimum is required for their services.
Based in Salt Lake City, UT, Silver King Beverage Company provides fully integrated beverage manufacturing. Services include on-site can fabrication, filling, and warehousing within a single facility. They also offer research & development, graphic design, and variety packing, streamlining the process from production to shipping for beverage partners.
Based in Santa Rosa, CA, Sonoma Beverage Company is a co-packer offering canning and bottling services for carbonated and non-carbonated beverages. They can fill sleek and standard aluminum cans, alongside various glass bottle sizes. The facility provides tunnel pasteurization and is FDA compliant, organic, kosher, gluten-free, and industrial hemp authorized.
Texas Custom Wine Works provides contract bottling and canning services for the Texas wine industry. As a dedicated custom wine making facility, the company specializes in custom crush, bulk wines, shiners, and comprehensive winemaking services. They focus on quality control and flexible options for wineries across Texas and beyond.
Based in Fort Worth, TX, TexBev is a beverage co-packer specializing in manufacturing and packaging drinks. They provide comprehensive production solutions for small and mid-size brands, including canning and other packaging formats. The company offers contract manufacturing services to the beverage industry.
Based in Sacramento, CA, The Can Van is a mobile canning service that provides quality canning for craft beverages. As the longest operating mobile canning service globally, they cater to breweries, wineries, cideries, and distilleries across Northern California, packaging millions of cans of alcoholic beverages annually.
Based in Cleveland, OH, Central Kitchen provides co-packing, production space, storage, and logistics services for craft food businesses. They offer shared commercial kitchens for product launch and custom production facilities for established brands ready to scale.
Based in Wilmington, DE, Very Good Manufacturing offers co-packing and co-manufacturing services for alcohol and beverage brands. They specialize in distilled spirits, ready-to-drink (RTD) beverages, wine, and canned cocktails. The company provides bottling and canning capabilities across various sizes, from small bottles to standard 12oz cans.
Visionary Canning Solutions supplies beverage cans and can packaging solutions to customers throughout the United States. Operating a licensed, GMP-certified water bottling plant, the company offers comprehensive in-house storage, supply, and shipping services. They emphasize quick turnaround times and dedicated client support.
Waco Bottling Co., based in Woodway, TX, is a co-packer specializing in hot-fill, cold-fill, and canning services. Operating SQF Level 2 facilities, they produce beverages, sauces, dressings, and private label products. The company also offers product development, formula refinement, and ingredient sourcing to support clients from concept to market.
Based in Roseville, CA, Well Above Bottling and Canning provides contract bottling and canning services. They operate three bottling lines and one canning line, handling diverse beverages including sparkling, still, flavored, and spirits. The company highlights expertise, quality assurance (SQF, HACCP certified), R&D customization, and sustainable practices for beverage brands.
WilCraft Can provides mobile canning and contract filling solutions for craft beverage producers. Specializing in RTD filling and innovative beverage services, they offer unmatched convenience and expertise to breweries and wineries. They also offer unique clear plastic cans for various colorful beverages.
Wildpack Beverage provides comprehensive beverage packaging and production services for middle-market brands from its US facilities. They offer end-to-end canning solutions, including material sourcing, label design, filling, and warehousing. Core services encompass co-packing, printed cans, sleeved cans, and various can packaging options for efficient and reliable production.
Yes We Can Mobile Solutions provides professional mobile canning services for craft beverage producers across Northern California. The company offers on-site canning operations, emphasizing quality and consistent execution for client products.
CA Roasting Collective provides "Bean to Can" co-packing services, specializing in canning cold brew for other businesses. Clients can supply their roasted beans and labels, then leave with branded canned cold brew for their shops. The company also offers essential cold storage solutions for convenience.
Based in Los Angeles, CA, Co-Packer LA provides contract manufacturing services for the food and beverage industry. The company offers fast turnaround times and possesses a deep understanding of industry-specific manufacturing challenges.
Based in Durham, NC, Ernest Packaging Solutions provides comprehensive packaging services for various industries. They offer food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical, cosmetics, and retail packaging solutions, focusing on solving business challenges and enhancing brand presence to effectively bring products to market.
Based in McNeal, AZ, Fiesta Canning is a family-owned company with over 70 years of experience canning chile peppers, salsas, and rich sauces. They emphasize fresh ingredients and sustainable practices, utilizing their own farmland. Fiesta Canning supplies these products to both consumer and industrial/foodservice markets.
Based in Pittston, PA, Lion Beverage is a contract manufacturer of canned and bottled beverages. With over 100 years of expertise, they serve industry-leading and emerging brands, offering comprehensive beverage manufacturing, packaging, and warehousing services. Their facilities provide capacity and flexibility for efficient market scaling.
Based in Cincinnati, OH, Niche Beverage Company provides beverage canning and co-packing services. They specialize in helping clients bring their products to life with their consumer packaged goods (CPG) experience.
SIP Manufacturing offers contract packaging for beverage co-packaging needs from its GMP-certified Southern California facility. Specializing in high-quality aluminum canning, PET, and aluminum bottling, they provide services including carbonation, HTST, and cold fill. They produce diverse beverages from flavored waters to hard seltzers.
Based in New Holland, PA, AFP advanced food products llc. is an aseptic food packaging company. It offers extensive low-acid aseptic packaging capabilities, utilizing diverse materials such as tin, aluminum, and plastics. The company focuses on advanced food preservation solutions.
Based in Saline, MI, American Soy Products, Inc. (ASP) specializes in low- and high-acid aseptic processing and co-packing for shelf-stable food. As one of North America's oldest FDA-approved aseptic plants, ASP packages diverse organic and conventional foods into Tetra Pak®, focusing on safety and consistency.
The Beckman & Gast Co. provides GFSI certified canning services for fresh vegetables and tomatoes. Specializing in green beans, tomato juice, and various tomato products, this family-owned company has operated its facilities since 1928. They prioritize 100% fresh produce for all canning operations.
California Hot Sauce Solutions, based in Oceanside, CA, specializes in co-packing and private label services for custom sauces. The company offers high-volume production, manufacturing and packaging various hot sauces and related food items for businesses seeking turnkey solutions. They also provide wholesale options for their own branded products.
Based in Riverside, CA, California Juice Packers is a family-owned firm specializing in quality co-packing and private label services. The company provides dependable packing and bottling solutions, primarily for the juice industry, assisting clients with their product manufacturing needs.
Based in Torrance, CA, Cal Pack Foods is a co-packing facility specializing in manufacturing and packaging fresh foods and beverages. They offer bottling, pouching, and cupping services, using High Pressure Processing (HPP) to extend shelf life. The company supports businesses with small minimum production runs and provides access to food science expertise.
Based in Nashua, NH, Can-One USA manufactures perfectly printed 12oz and 16oz aluminum cans. As the only such manufacturer in New England, they efficiently supply cans for diverse commercial beverage industries, including craft beer, kombucha, energy drinks, soft drinks, beverage alcohol, and RTDs.
Based in Mooresville, NC, Carolina Beverage Group, LLC is a world-class specialty beverage co-packer for national and international brands. The company provides a broad range of packaging capabilities, including cold fill, hot fill, and tunnel pasteurization processes for various can sizes. It operates facilities across North Carolina, Texas, and Minnesota.
Based in Faribault, MN, Faribault Foods, Inc. is a producer of shelf-stable foods and beverages. They offer co-manufacturing and private label services for a wide array of products, including beans, juices, and snacks. The company distributes its own brands and partners with retailers nationwide.
Gourmet Gardens offers private label and wholesale canning services for specialty foods. They provide comprehensive solutions for businesses aiming to supply a variety of canned products to their customers. Specializing in food processing and packaging, the company helps clients efficiently bring unique food items to market.
Based in Luckey, OH, Hirzel Farms is a food processing and canning company established in 1923. They specialize in canning sauerkraut and provide conventional production and processing for tomatoes and cabbage. The company emphasizes sustainable and organic agricultural practices, also offering grain conditioning and composting services.
HPP Los Angeles offers high pressure pasteurization services for all food types, especially juices. They provide contract packaging solutions for juices and related product lines to commercial clients. The company is conveniently located near major highways in the Los Angeles area for efficient logistics.
Based in Manitowoc, WI, Lakeside Foods Inc. is a producer of frozen and canned vegetables. The company focuses on fresh foods, prioritizing food safety and quality products for its commercial and industrial clientele.
Neil Jones Food Company is a family-run, privately-owned U.S. Corporation based in Vancouver, WA. They specialize in processing fresh-packed Pacific Northwest fruit and California tomatoes. Serving commercial clients, the company delivers high-quality processed food products, leveraging its expertise in regional agriculture for a consistent supply.
Based in Columbus, OH, Pilot Canning Company specializes in pilot and small batch contract manufacturing for canned and bottled beverages. They help beverage brands test products before full-scale production, offering services for soda, water, seltzer, tea, RTD cocktails, mocktails, and more.
Based in Riverside, CA, ProtoPackers specializes in ultra short-run co-packing and small batch contract manufacturing for beverages. They offer custom solutions with no minimums, handling orders from 1 bottle to 10,000 units. Services are ideal for prototyping, first runs, and new brands, encompassing manufacturing, labeling, and packaging.
Based in Grand Prairie, TX, Qual Pac provides large-volume, high-speed custom co-packing and re-packing services across the USA. They specialize in complex, flexible co-packing for food and beverages, along with contract packaging and order fulfillment. Qual Pac also offers new facility and production management services.
Seneca Foods is an agricultural and food processing company that oversees the entire production cycle from seeds to harvest. They manufacture their own containers and specialize in providing a wide range of nutritious fruit and vegetable products through extensive canning operations for commercial distribution.
Silgan Containers provides metal containers for food packaging, including steel food cans, aluminum food cans, and trays. The company manufactures sustainable food packaging for consumer-packaged goods, leveraging its national reach and technical expertise in metal container production.
Based in San Antonio, TX, Son Beverage Company provides private label and co-packing services for ambient fill beverages. They partner with clients for comprehensive manufacturing and packaging solutions, utilizing their facility to produce and package various liquid products for the beverage industry.
SOPAKCO Packaging offers comprehensive food processing, recipe formulation, and shelf-stable packaging solutions, including retort and hot-fill. They specialize in processed foods for private label customers and are a major supplier of MREs to the U.S. military, ensuring high-quality, ready-to-eat products.
Based in Elma, NY, Steuben Foods Inc. specializes in food and beverage manufacturing. They process dairy and plant-based products under low-acid aseptic conditions, utilizing innovative HydroReleased Ingredients technology. The company offers comprehensive aseptic packaging and contract manufacturing solutions.
Summerfield Foods specializes in customized organic processing and packaging services, strategically located in California. The company offers private label solutions for organic food products, providing direct manufacturing capabilities for businesses in the organic food sector.
Based in Baltimore, MD, Tulkoff Food Products, Inc. provides high-volume co-packing services for a variety of food items. The company handles hot and cold filled products, as well as emulsion-based goods. With SQF certified facilities in Baltimore, MD and Cincinnati, OH, Tulkoff specializes in private label manufacturing for customers nationwide.
UniquelyGourmet, based in Rusk, TX, specializes in private label co-packing and contract manufacturing for a wide range of gourmet food products. They provide bottling and jarring capabilities for sauces, marinades, jams, jellies, and dressings, catering to retail, wholesale, and food service clients.
Based in Hayward, CA, WN Foods is a private label manufacturer and co-packer specializing in sauces, dressings, and marinades. Founded in 1942, the company provides food production and packaging services for commercial clients across various industries.
Based in Austin, TX, ATX Specialty Foods, LLC is an SQF certified food manufacturing facility. The company specializes in producing high-quality dips and sauces, offering full-service operational solutions, co-packing, and private label services for retail, foodservice, and branded clients with extensive industry experience.
Black Medicine Canning Co. offers small batch canning and co-packing services in Northern California. They provide comprehensive solutions including laboratory services, small batch brewing, and nitrogen dosing. The company also handles high TDS concentrate and sleeving for various clients.
California Custom Beverage, based in Los Angeles, CA, provides contract packaging for beverage brands. This GFSI, Kosher, Non GMO, Gluten Free, and Organic Certified bottling facility specializes in high-quality, compliant beverage manufacturing and co-packing services. They offer comprehensive solutions for diverse client requirements.
DrinkPAK, LLC is a contract manufacturer specializing in high-speed canning services for both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The company operates advanced facilities in Santa Clarita, CA, and Texas, with plans for a Pennsylvania location. They utilize six high-speed lines to produce over 2 billion cans annually and offer automated variety repacking.
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How to Choose a Company
- Validate their specific thermal processing capabilities: Ensure they have the necessary equipment and expertise for your product's acidity level, whether it's retort sterilization for low-acid foods (pH > 4.6), hot-fill for high-acid products (pH < 4.6), or aseptic processing for sensitive beverages, along with a track record of successful thermal process validations.
- Confirm their FDA registration and Process Authority documentation: For any low-acid canned food (LACF) or acidified food, verify their current FDA registration number for these processes and demand to see a valid Process Authority Letter specifically for their facility and your product's formulation and process schedule, not just a generic one. This is non-negotiable for legal and safe production.
- Scrutinize their quality control protocols, especially for double seam integrity: Insist on detailed documentation of their double seam inspection procedures, including frequency, measurement tools (e.g., micrometers, optical comparators), and corrective actions. A compromised double seam is a critical defect leading to product spoilage and potential health hazards.
- Assess their Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs) and can supply chain stability: Understand their MOQs not just for production runs, but also for can body and lid procurement. Many smaller canners have higher MOQs due to purchasing full truckloads of specific can sizes, which can be a significant barrier for startups or test markets. Inquire about their strategies for mitigating can supply chain disruptions.
- Verify relevant food safety and market-specific certifications: For broader market access or specific retail requirements, ensure they hold recognized GFSI certifications (e.g., BRCGS, SQF, FSSC 22000). If your product requires it, confirm specific certifications like USDA Organic, Kosher, or Halal.
- Beware of hidden costs for changeovers or specialty can sizes: A red flag can be a canning company that downplays the cost or lead time associated with changing can sizes, lid types, or or even label application methods. Each changeover on a canning line is complex and can incur significant downtime and tooling costs that might not be transparently quoted upfront.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the difference between hot-fill and retort sterilization, and how do I know which process my product requires?
Hot-fill involves filling a product into cans at a high temperature (typically >180°F) and allowing the residual heat to sterilize the container, suitable primarily for high-acid foods (pH < 4.6). Retort sterilization, also known as thermal processing, is used for low-acid foods (pH > 4.6) where products are sealed in cans and then cooked under pressure at high temperatures (e.g., 240-275°F) in a retort vessel to destroy spoilage microorganisms and pathogens like Clostridium botulinum. Your product's pH and water activity dictate the necessary process; a food scientist or Process Authority can determine this.
What role does a Process Authority play in canning, and when do I absolutely need their sign-off?
A Process Authority is an expert (often a food scientist or engineer) who validates the precise thermal processing parameters (time, temperature, pressure) required to achieve commercial sterility for your specific product in a specific can size. You absolutely need their sign-off, typically in the form of a "Process Authority Letter" or "Scheduled Process," for all low-acid canned foods (LACF) and acidified foods to ensure product safety and compliance with FDA regulations (21 CFR Part 113 and 114). Without it, a canning company cannot legally or safely produce your product.
How do Minimum Order Quantities (MOQs) for canning lines typically scale, and what impact does this have on startups vs. established brands?
Canning MOQs are often driven by can and lid supplier minimums (often full truckloads) and the efficiency of setting up a high-speed canning line, which incurs significant changeover costs. For startups, this often means MOQs of 20,000-50,000+ cans per SKU, making initial runs expensive. Established brands, with predictable volume, can meet these MOQs easily. For startups, finding a canner with existing relationships for smaller can purchases or one that offers periodic "flex runs" where multiple small brands share a line can be crucial, though these often come with higher per-unit costs.
What kind of quality control should I expect a canning company to perform, especially regarding double seam integrity?
You should expect rigorous quality control including regular checks of can weight, fill volume, vacuum levels, and most critically, double seam inspection. This involves tearing down a sealed can at regular intervals (e.g., every 30-60 minutes per seaming head) to measure critical parameters like seam thickness, width, body hook, cover hook, and overlap. These measurements are compared against industry standards and specifications to ensure a hermetic seal. Visual inspections should also be ongoing, checking for common defects like droops, cut-overs, or false seams.
Can canning companies assist with label compliance and regulatory submissions beyond just manufacturing?
While their primary role is manufacturing, many experienced canning companies offer support or guidance on label compliance, especially concerning nutritional facts panels, ingredient declarations, and allergen warnings, as these are tied to the product formulation they are processing. Some may even have in-house regulatory specialists or preferred third-party consultants to help navigate FDA submissions (like facility registration and process filing for LACF/acidified foods) or specific certifications like USDA Organic. However, the ultimate legal responsibility for label accuracy and claims typically rests with the brand owner.