What the course will cover
pH and water activity
The two numbers that decide which rules apply to your product.
Acid, acidified or low-acid
Which class your product falls in, and what each one asks of the plant.
Choosing a process
Hot fill, cold-fill-hold, refrigerated cold fill, HPP, retort and aseptic, side by side.
Working with a process authority
What you send, what comes back, what it costs and how long it takes.
Shelf-life studies
How a 12, 18 or 24 month date is tested, and why the real package matters.
Changing the recipe later
Why a reformulation goes back to the process authority, and a new container size means a new filing.
Who it is for
- Founders of sauces, salsas, dressings, pickles and drinks
- Brands deciding between shelf-stable and refrigerated
- Anyone a plant has asked for a scheduled process
Start now with the free guides
These guides cover parts of this course today, with their sources cited.
- Low-acid canned foods and acidified foods: the pH 4.6 lineWhat makes a food low-acid or acidified, and what each one requires of your co-packer.3 min read
- Hot fill vs cold fillThe pH, temperatures and holds behind the two most common sauce and drink fills.3 min read
- Process authorities compared: fees and turnaroundPublished process authority fees and turnaround, side by side.2 min read
- High pressure processing (HPP): what it is and when it paysHow high pressure processing works, what it costs, and when tolling beats owning a machine.2 min read
Further reading from Molly Mills Creative
Molly Mills Creative, a sister company of Co-Packer Match, builds production-ready formulas for sauces, condiments, dressings, soups, dips and salsas. These articles from its blog cover parts of this course.
This course is in development. The outline shows what it is planned to cover and may change before it opens.