Co Packer Evaluation Tool

Optimizing Co-Packer Production and Yield

Outsourcing your manufacturing to a co-packer does not mean outsourcing your operational responsibility. To protect your margins and ensure product quality, you must actively manage your co-packer relationships, track production efficiency, and rigorously monitor yield loss.

The Reality of Yield Loss

Yield loss is an unavoidable reality in food manufacturing. Ingredients are lost to moisture evaporation during baking, residue left in mixing tanks, and packaging scrap during the filling process. However, if your contract allows for a 4% yield loss and the co-packer consistently operates at 7%, that 3% difference comes directly out of your gross profit.

Tracking Production Batches

Every production run must be tracked as a distinct batch. This requires linking the specific lot codes of the raw ingredients used to the new Traceability Lot Code (TLC) assigned to the finished goods. This granular tracking is not just for calculating yield—it is a strict regulatory requirement under the FDA's FSMA 204 traceability rule.

Building a Co-Packer Scorecard

Best-in-class CPG brands do not just accept their co-packer's production reports at face value; they score them. A robust co-packer scorecard evaluates On-Time In-Full (OTIF) delivery rates, actual vs. expected yield loss, quality control failures, and communication responsiveness. Transitioning from manual tracking to an automated operations platform provides the data necessary to hold your manufacturing partners accountable.