Defining your production capacity
Defining production capacity in food processing means determining the maximum quantity of processed products a business can produce within a given time frame (per day, week, month, or year), based on current labor resources and machine throughput.
To define your production capacity, consider:
- Evaluating equipment and infrastructure: machines, production lines, available space, and technologies used (cooking, fermentation, pasteurization, etc.).
- Availability of raw materials, packaging, and storage capacity.
- Analyzing human resources: number and qualifications of employees required to meet production standards.
- Considering production processes: recipe mastery, processing time, production steps, losses, preservation, and packaging.
- Measuring available vs. used capacity: many companies do not operate at full capacity. For example, in some regions, nearly 30% of companies could double production if they accessed new markets.
- Meeting regulatory standards: particularly regarding hygiene and food safety, which can impose production limits or conditions.
Production capacity is a key indicator for planning growth, optimizing resources, meeting demand efficiently, and remaining competitive in the agri-food sector.
In summary, defining production capacity in food processing means determining the maximum volume of compliant, profitable, and safe processed products a business can produce with its technical, human, and regulatory resources.
We can provide you with tools or recommend experts to help you calculate production capacity.
Selling to retailers
Creating product sheets
Product sheets are essential to your market strategy.
They should include product details such as:
- Product name
- Product codes (UFC, GTIN)
- Size
- Unit and case weight
- Shelf life
- Nutrition facts and ingredient list
- Usage instructions
- Company contact information
An example product sheet from MAPAQ is available to help guide you in creating your own.
Finding a go-to-market model (broker, distributor, or other)
Retail trade (e.g., major chains and supermarkets, big-box stores, warehouse clubs, dollar stores, specialty stores, convenience stores, etc.)
Resource:
Obtaining claims and certifications (optional)
There are 4 types of claims that may appear on food labels as governed by labeling regulations:
- Nutritional
- Health-related
- Nutrient-related
- Other
Note the difference between a certification and a claim:
A certification is validated by an external body that audits your practices, facilities, ingredients, and sourcing.
A claim, however, relates to labeling regulations.
Resource:
Selling to HRI
Creating product sheets
The combined market of Hotels, Restaurants, and Institutions is referred to as HRI. It is entirely different from the retail market and requires understanding its unique characteristics:
- Specialized equipment
- Varied clientele
- Formats adapted to food services
- Requirements for nutritional and technical data (technical sheets)
- Purchasing through tenders
- Adapted pricing structures
Resources:
MAPAQ sample technical sheet for HRI
https://www.mapaq.gouv.qc.ca/fr/Pages/Details-Publication.aspx?docid=DDJ7DZ3RAA3J-202-12314
https://www.mapaq.gouv.qc.ca/fr/Publications/GuideAERbioalimentaire.pdf
Working with an institutional distributor
Do you have an attractive offer for a food distributor? How do you work with one?
The HRI market represents over $34 billion in annual food sales—a major opportunity for producer-processors.
Sourcing can occur through:
- Contracts with distributors
- Subcontracting
- Purchasing groups
- Wholesale self-service
- Direct/self-managed sales
Distributors and brokers in this market are highly sought after and receive many product proposals regularly.
How to get their attention?
In addition to selling your products to end-users (chefs, kitchen managers, nutritionists…), you must first sell them to the representatives of these intermediaries.
This large market is within reach of every food producer-processor.
CIBÎM can help you break into this market through its annual buyer meetings and institutional delivery HUB.
Just be sure to know who you’re selling to—and be prepared!
Resources:
Obtaining certifications (mandatory)
To sell to the HRI market, the required certifications for all food manufacturers are the same as for retail markets, including:
- Restaurant and retail sales permits
- Food hygiene and safety training – food handler certification
- HACCP certification
Why certify your products, services, or business?
- To guarantee product/service quality to your customers
- To demonstrate good manufacturing or management practices
- To build trust with customers, suppliers, shareholders, and partners
- To strengthen your market positioning
Resources:
- https://cdn-contenu.quebec.ca/cdn-contenu/adm/min/agriculture-pecheries-alimentation/alimentation/permis-restauration-vente-detail/GM_permis_restauration_vente_detail_MAPAQ.pdf
- https://www.mapaq.gouv.qc.ca/fr/Transformation/Qualitedesaliments/securitealiments/Pages/securitealiments.aspx
- https://www.haccpcanada.net/https://bnq.qc.ca/fr/normalisation/agroalimentaire/haccp.html
