A New Standard in Food Manufacturing: The Story Behind Free From Co-Packing
When people ask why we started Free From Co-Packing, the answer has very little to do with manufacturing.
It starts with our family.
My wife, Erin, and I are the parents of two daughters with food allergies. Like many families, we've spent years reading ingredient labels, asking questions at restaurants, packing safe food for birthday parties, and worrying about cross contact. We've experienced the fear that comes with allergic reactions and the relief that comes from finding products we know we can trust.
Those experiences inspired us to create our own top allergen free food brand. As we worked to bring safe products to market, we quickly learned how difficult it was to find a manufacturing partner that truly understood the importance of allergen control. We weren't simply looking for a company that could blend ingredients and package products. We were looking for a partner that appreciated what was at stake for the families who would eventually buy those products.
That experience planted the seed for what would become Free From Co-Packing.
When the opportunity came to purchase our former manufacturing facility, we saw much more than a building and a collection of equipment. We saw the opportunity to create something that simply didn't exist in Atlantic Canada. We could build a dedicated manufacturing facility focused entirely on top allergen free dry food production.
Today, Free From Co-Packing is the only dedicated top allergen free co-packing facility in Atlantic Canada and one of only a few facilities in Canada with this level of ingredient exclusion. Our facility does not permit gluten, wheat, dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, sesame, fish, shellfish, mustard, celery, or lupin. Every client who manufactures with us benefits from that same commitment.
Being parents has shaped the way we approach this business. We understand that behind every product is a family placing their trust in a brand. We understand that manufacturing decisions have real consequences for people living with food allergies and celiac disease. Those aren't abstract ideas to us. They're part of our everyday lives.
Our vision for Free From Co-Packing is to create a place where brands developing top allergen free products can manufacture with confidence. Whether a company is launching its first product, expanding into retail, growing in foodservice, or developing a private label line, we want to provide a manufacturing environment where food safety and quality are never competing priorities.
We also believe Canada has an opportunity to become a leader in inclusive food manufacturing. Demand for top allergen free products continues to grow, but many entrepreneurs still struggle to find manufacturing partners that align with their standards. By providing a dedicated facility designed specifically for top allergen free production, we hope to make it easier for innovative brands to bring safe products to market.
Our tagline, "Peace of mind, one batch at a time," reflects the responsibility we carry every day. It represents peace of mind for the companies that trust us with their products and for the families who ultimately depend on them.
This blog is where we'll share what we're learning as we continue building Free From Co-Packing. We'll write about food safety, manufacturing, certifications, product development, scaling production, and the future of top allergen free food manufacturing in Canada. We hope you'll follow along as we work toward becoming a trusted manufacturing partner for brands across the country.
