Packaging Question

On Sat, 8 May 2004 12:54:57 -0400, "mary" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

I was wondering how to determine if the maker of a food
product actually makes the product themselves or if they
buy it from someone else, and just has their label on it.
If the label says "distributed by" does that mean it is not
made by company whose brand is on it, and that it is made
by an other company?

Almost always. Sometimes it's made by a parent, subsidiary,
or sister company, but usually it's outsources, often times
to another major name brand manufacturer.

Often times even the name brands are made/harvested/packaged
by someone else. The brand name is just a clearinghouse for
several small manufacturers. Produce, meat, and fish are
common examples.

-sw

On 5/8/2004 12:54 PM Ted shuffled out of his cave and grunted these
great (and sometimes not so great) words of knowledge:

Quoted message said:

I was wondering how to determine if the maker of a food
product actually makes the product themselves or if they
buy it from someone else, and just has their label on
it. If the label says "distributed by" does that mean it
is not made by company whose brand is on it, and that it
is made by an other company? There is a small local
company that makes a lot of "condiment" type products,
and I wonder if they really would cook and package it
all themselves. I met the president of the company at a
store by accident, and asked him but he did not give me
a clear answer.

Thanks

Tom

Bottom line:

If it say "Distributed By" it is not made by the company
with the label on the package.

It may be a subsidiary, but not the company whose name is on
the label.

"mary" <[email hidden]> wrote in message news:<[email hidden]>...

Quoted message said:

I was wondering how to determine if the maker of a food
product actually makes the product themselves or if they
buy it from someone else, and just has their label on
it. If the label says "distributed by" does that mean it
is not made by company whose brand is on it, and that it
is made by an other company? There is a small local
company that makes a lot of "condiment" type products,
and I wonder if they really would cook and package it
all themselves. I met the president of the company at a
store by accident, and asked him but he did not give me
a clear answer.

Thanks

Tom

distributed by means just that, a company that distributes
the product to the customers e.g. to the stores and
supermarkets for the manufacturer. I once worked in a frozen
food factory and we used to package the frozen produce,
peas, sprouts cauliflower etc.the plastic bags they were
sealed in were for many different companies like birds eye
and supermarket own brands, so the produce was the same but
the end price was dramatically different. my dad worked at a
sarah lee plant and they made gateaux and deserts (as you
will no doubt know as it is an american firm) and some were
under the trade name and others were for different companies
like marks and spencers etc. I think the answer to your
question is it depends on the type of product, a multiple
producing firm may well have its own production line and
packaging department then again another one may not.

mary said:

I was wondering how to determine if the maker of a food
product actually makes the product themselves or if they
buy it from someone else, and just has their label on
it. If the label says "distributed by" does that mean it
is not made by company whose brand is on it, and that it
is made by an other company? There is a small local
company that makes a lot of "condiment" type products,
and I wonder if they really would cook and package it
all themselves. I met the president of the company at a
store by accident, and asked him but he did not give me
a clear answer.

Depends on the product. Why not let us in on the name of
the product you have in mind? Maybe if you disclose the
name of the product, someone on this newsgroup might know
its origin.

In article <[email hidden]>, "mary"

Quoted message said:

I was wondering how to determine if the maker of a food
product actually makes the product themselves or if they
buy it from someone else, and just has their label on it.

Depends.

Quoted message said:

If the label says "distributed by" does that mean it is not
made by company whose brand is on it, and that it is made
by an other company?

Very likely.

Quoted message said:

There is a small local company that makes a lot of
"condiment" type products, and I wonder if they really
would cook and package it all themselves. I met the
president of the company at a store by accident, and asked
him but he did not give me a clear answer.

Quoted message said:

Thanks

Tom

Gee, that wasn't the Gedney company, was it? :-) They
"produce" my Peach Raspberry Jam and the other preserves in
their line of Award Winning State Fair Recipes, but they
don't make it. :-) They're line is primarily pickles and
condiments (relishes, mustard, etc.) and they outsource the
manufacture of the jams. The fine print on the jar says they
distribute it.
<http://www.gedneypickle.com/products/statefair.htm>

They in turn do some packaging for Del Monte. Some
veggies, I think.
--
-Barb, <www.jamlady.eboard.com> updated 5/7/04 -
Fajita Soup.

"mary" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
"]news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I was wondering how to determine if the maker of a food
product actually makes the product themselves or if they
buy it from someone else, and just has their label on it.
If the label says "distributed by" does that mean

it

Quoted message said:

is not made by company whose brand is on it, and that it
is made by an

other

Quoted message said:

company? There is a small local company that makes a lot
of "condiment"

type

Quoted message said:

products, and I wonder if they really would cook and
package it all themselves. I met the president of the
company at a store by accident, and asked him but he did
not give me a clear answer.

Hardly anyone makes all their own products. Some specialty
companies make a host of items that are identical but for
the package. Frozen dinners are an example. I know of a
company that makes certain dinners for some of the big names
you see as well as store brands. It all comes down the same
line, prepared the same, gets packed the same, handled the
same. The corn comes from the same supplier, the potatoes
from the same field.

Even some of the big names in soft drinks subcontract to
others. They may supply the syrup and set some
specifications, but private companies sometimes do the
actual mixing and bottling. Ed [email hidden]
pages.cthome.netedhomeOpen ↗

Quoted message said:

mary said:

I was wondering how to determine if the maker of a food
product actually makes the product themselves or if they
buy it from someone else, and just has their label on it.
If the label says "distributed by" does that mean it is
not made by company whose brand is on it, and that it is
made by an other company? There is a small local company
that makes a lot of "condiment" type products, and I
wonder if they really would cook and package it all
themselves. I met the president of the company at a store
by accident, and asked him but he did not give me a clear
answer.

Depends on the product. Why not let us in on the name of
the product you have in mind? Maybe if you disclose the
name of the product, someone on this newsgroup might know
its origin.

i don't wonder about the food products so much, as cleaning
products and the like. (i've decided i don't like house
brand paper products.)

your pal madge