How Protein Bar Co-packers Can Help Emerging Brands

Have you ever had this amazing idea for a new protein bar or snack but didn’t know how to create it? Do you ever dream about your brand lining shelves all over the country but don’t know where to start? Dreams and goals about the food industry are more common than you might think; after all, we are all passionate about what we eat! That said, when most of us are in the design stage, we are often held back by the logistics of it all. A protein bar startup may be a great idea on paper, but more often than not, startups need a partner who can help them bring their ideas to life. 

So, What is a Protein Bar Co-packer?

Before we get started, let’s go over what a protein bar co-packer is. A co-packer, in the simplest terms, is a company that manufactures, packages, and labels your food products. Now, you may be thinking: But why should I use a protein bar co-packer? 

A protein bar co-packer won't only get your bars ready to ship, they can completely handle the production process from start to finish. Once you start a protein bar business of your own, your number one priority should be to find the right co-packer for your business. Yes, you have the ideas to shake up the industry, but co-packers have the ability to improve scalability and provide the proper equipment, manpower, and expertise to bring your innovations to market. It's a win-win situation and the first major step to growing your brand. To kickstart your dream project, we’ve put together a guide on how protein bar co-packers can help emerging brands.

1. Low Minimum Order Quantities

Many emerging brands struggle with the costs of production and labor. Because of this, they do not have the ability to mass-produce their products. To ease these problems, it is best to find a co-packer who can manufacture your treats with ease. One of the most important things to check when looking for a protein bar co-packer is its Minimum Order Quantity, also known as MOQ. An MOQ is the minimum quantity a company or brand like yourself needs to order with a co-packer. Although most co-packers have high MOQs, which is often a difficult number to hit for brands that are just starting out, there is a good selection of protein bar co-packers that offer low MOQs with the ability to scale up. This means that you can start off ordering a small batch of protein bars, and as your business grows (and when you have more capital), you can easily grow the number of orders you place with your co-packer. Partnering with a protein bar co-packer that offers low MOQs is the perfect way to kickstart your protein bar business while keeping costs low and avoiding all the hassle of planning and producing on your own.

2. Hottest Dietary and Ingredient Trends

Trends are everything when it comes to sales, and this is doubly true when it comes to CPG snacks and food. After all, we all want the healthiest and tastiest possible snacks, don't we? Although there's no shortage of innovative ingredients, diets, and trends that consumers are interested in, a protein bar co-packer can be the “ace in the sleeve” you need to keep up with all the trend changes – especially since creating your own protein-bar recipe can take a lot of trial and error to get the recipe right. It is best to find a co-packer that has many years of industry experience so that you can leverage their knowledge and information to create a cutting-edge formula using the latest trends and a professional market-ready product. Co-packers also have advanced facilities that enable them to perform a wide range of testing that guarantee safety and stability, allowing you to produce your protein bars more efficiently with faster turnaround times.

3. Cutting-Edge Manufacturing Capabilities

Are you looking to expand your offerings and capitalize on all the new food trends like rice crispies, toaster pastries, and vegan protein powders? You can easily try out all those incredible ideas floating on your mind with a protein bar co-packer who will go above and beyond to bring new innovations to the table. Co-packers offer capabilities that are trending in the CPG industry and work perfectly with ketogenic, paleo, gluten-free, and vegan diets. With the experience to formulate tasty recipes that use bold new ingredients, co-packers have the ability to bring your innovative product to life, even on a small scale, from idealization to distribution. The right co-packer will have a food innovation kitchen to test a variety of creative snacks for your brand and work with you to commercialize your product to blow away all your competition. Some co-packers also cover a multitude of other services such as storage, dropship fulfillment, ingredient sourcing, and distribution that your growing food business needs but cannot invest in upfront. This allows brands to reduce their overhead costs while maintaining positive cash flow.

4. Regulatory Compliance

Do you know what isn't exciting and fun to discover on your own? Compliance-related laws. The food industry is profitable for sure, but there is a lot going on behind the scenes. The regulatory compliance landscape can pose a large obstacle for small businesses because of its complex regulations and requirements. Even if you go in with the best intentions, it's easy to accidentally miss a law or regulation, which can have very serious consequences for your brand. And even if you achieve everything you need to know about the regulatory compliance landscape, obtaining certifications are expensive, especially for startups and entrepreneurs. With a protein bar co-packer, you will never need to worry about compliance issues because they will have the certifications needed to manufacture your product in line with all the standard compliance regulations and dietary specifications in the current market. Adding claims and certifications to your delectable treats is crucial for your brand not only for increased profits but also to show that you are truly offering a quality product. The ideal protein bar co-packer partner will ensure your product is produced to the highest standards from the very first batch, which can lead to more sales and much less hassle for your business.

Key Takeaways

In today’s food landscape, it is important for new brands to partner with co-packers, like YouBar, to not only stay relevant and ahead in a growing industry but also to establish and capture more market share. At the end of the day, the right co-packer will mean everything for your protein bar business. You’ll be able to seamlessly bring your products to market at a scalable pace and gain a competitive advantage.