specialty food production

[Stewey]

Hello all! I have always had good luck getting questions answered in the forum so I thought I should try it again.

I am trying to locate information about specialty food production. Specifically, I am interested in finding more information about how to bottle and sell salsa as a specialty food product.

So far, my research has turned up information on a contest in Texas and some other general information (e.g. self-bottling/paying a commercial bottler/etc.). What I am looking for is an organization that is designed to help amateur chefs develop and produce products. I heard about some organization in N.Y. but I cannot find it.

Thanks in advance!

[phatch]

Your County Extension will provide safe food procedures and guidelines for canning. Home canning. If you're talking resale, home canned products are not legal from what bits I know. The requirements for commercial products are set by the FDA.

Another alternative is to sell it as a refrigerated "fresh" product instead of canning.

Phil

[KeeperOfTheGood]

Hey oh

It depends on what state and or provence you are in, and how you want to sell your product, etc.

In the US, the Extentions programs are a good strating point. In Ontario, OMAFRA is the best.

All states and provences have different rules, and boarder sales have their own rules as well. In Ontario it is NOW (as in just in the last few years) to make ANY food product in a kitchen that has not passed provincial inspection, and you must submit random samples of your product for testing.


Going into buisness is not an easy thing. Not only is there food concideration, there is distribution conciderations. and Legal conciderations with regaurds your product (that its not a copie of someone elses even unintentionally) and in regaurds to the lable art work.

[kuan]

First you need a product. You need to make it safe, and you need to get the ingredient "deck" approved along with the nutritional labeling. You will also need to contact a food packaging facility. You will be charged for runtime which will differ depending on the product. This can be $1000/hr and up. Then you have to source your jars, your labels, etc.

Best thing is to hire a consultant. Email me if you need one.

[Suzanne]

The organization you may be thinking of is the trade organization for the fancy food/specialty food industry:

National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc.
120 Wall Street, 27th Floor
New York, NY 10005
Phone: 212-482-6440
Fax: 212-482-6459
www.specialtyfood.com
www.nasft.org

This is the group that runs the Fancy Food Shows. They also publish magazines and run seminars, although I'm not sure if the seminars are standalone outside of the shows.

[Stewey]

Thank you all for your help !!!! Yes, I know the "thank you" is just a little delayed.

I recently picked up where I left off a few years back concerning specialty food items. I had some questions written down that I needed to research again to refresh my memory. After hitting some dead ends, I thought I would check the cheftalk forums for info and/or post a question.

But MAN! I was blown away to realize that I had ALREADY posted my question 2 years ago and that my post was already answered!

Thank you all again for the info, and Suzanne's link to the specialty food trade group was exactly the group I was looking for. Thank you all again!

[bluedogz]

Originally Posted by Stewey

But MAN! I was blown away to realize that I had ALREADY posted my question 2 years ago and that my post was already answered!

Congratulations. Here's your sign.

[Suzanne]

Thanks for reporting back. It's nice to know that somebody listens to our advice. Now, do you think you could come and have a talk with my husband about that?