Start a Packaged Food Brand
Companion to "The Legal Kitchen" and "Where You Make It."
| Date | Kitchen / facility | ||
| Product / SKU | Batch size (units) | ||
| Lot code scheme (date + batch, e.g. YYMMDD-B1) | Lot code stamped on every unit | ☐ | |
| Operator | SOP version used |
| Ingredient | Supplier | Supplier lot # | Weight called for (grams) | Actual weighed (grams) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The recipe is an SOP written by weight, not volume measures or taste: cups compress and spoons vary. Log weights to the gram as you go. If a supplier recalls an ingredient, this log is the difference between pulling one batch and pulling everything you ever made.
| Time | Units checked | Target net weight | Low / high reading | Action (overfill when in doubt) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
The net weight rule has a direction: underfill is fraud (deceptive-practices violation), overfill is your cost alone. One operator filling by eye ran about 5% variance and overfilled deliberately. If the product settles after packing, weigh it at its final state, not at filling.
| Cook / mix start and end | |
| Fill and seal start and end | |
| Cool-down, label, lot code and date stamp | ☐ done |
| Units produced / cases packed | |
| Hold samples pulled and labeled with the lot code | ☐ done |
| Deviations from SOP (what drifted, fix for next run) | |
| Cleanup sign-off (kitchen left cleaner than found; access is a privilege tied to cleanliness) | ☐ done, initials: |
| Run the SOP twice at small scale and fix what drifts | ☐ |
| Process authority consulted if the product is acidified or low-acid canned (21 CFR 114/113: Food Canning Establishment registration, filed scheduled process, Better Process Control School) | ☐ / not applicable |
| FDA food facility registration current for this location (free, renews in even-numbered years) | ☐ |
| Co-packer (if used): made a product like yours before? true minimums per run and per SKU? who owns ingredients and packaging? food-safety certificates shared? tolling or full-service, and what is not included? | ☐ |
Co-packer screening and the switch trigger: when the hours you spend producing exceed the hours you spend selling, or a single order's size would occupy your kitchen for a month, the co-packer conversation starts. Visit for the first runs, every time you can.