Private Label
Custom Blend
Co-packing
Contract Manufacturing
Frequently Asked Questions.
Straight answers about working with Vanns, from private label and MOQs to pricing and project support.
Our Company
01 Are your spices available to consumers?
No, we do not sell our spices directly to consumers. Vanns Spices strictly deals with businesses. However, there is a small number of retail outlets that do offer spices for sale under the Vanns Spices label.
02 What markets do you serve?
We serve retail, foodservice, and industrial markets. This reflects our blending and packaging capabilities. We package into glass and PET retail containers of various sizes, canisters and pouches, as well as foodservice containers at 32 oz and 160 oz, and 25 lb and 50 lb bulk boxes. A single high-quality specification meets the needs of all markets.
03 Can I visit your manufacturing facility?
Absolutely. Call us at 800-583-1693 to arrange a date and time.
04 Can you provide references?
Yes. We will gladly provide references upon request.
05 Do you toll blend and pack?
Yes. We provide high-quality toll blending and packing at competitive rates and have the capacity to support a range of tolling needs.
06 Where are you located?
Our production and warehousing facility is in Windsor Mill, Maryland, a suburb of Baltimore. The location is within one to two days’ transit of approximately 45% of the U.S. population and is a convenient shipping point throughout the United States and beyond.
07 Does it matter if my spice packer is local to me?
Proximity can make facility visits easier and reduce shipping costs, but trust, quality systems, pricing, fulfillment capabilities, and commitment to your success are more important when choosing a spice partner.
Product Development
08 Who owns my formula?
You own your spice formula and always will, regardless of whether we make changes based on your request. Be confident in the fact that it is YOUR formula. If we create a formula for you, we will share it once an order is placed.
09 Should I sign a non-disclosure agreement?
We strongly recommend that both parties sign an NDA before sharing proprietary information. This includes recipes, samples, and anything else related to your product and brand. You need to feel at ease when sharing this information and know that it will never be disseminated beyond the parameters of your relationship with your business partner.
10 Can you provide samples?
R&D support is part of the product-launch process. We provide samples of custom blends developed to your instructions and continue sampling until the blend is approved. We can also provide samples from more than fifty standard seasoning blends that may be privately labeled and packed to suit your needs.
11 I created a seasoning blend. Now what?
The next steps are to identify the right co-packer, use R&D support to match and scale the blend, select containers, develop compliant labels, and choose the sales channels that fit your brand.
12 What is the difference between a formula and a recipe?
A formula is an industry specification that identifies the type and quantity of each material as a percentage by weight, allowing it to scale to any batch size. A recipe is generally written for one specific yield.
13 Can you reverse engineer a blend?
Yes. Please provide us with a sample of the blend you would like us to match.
Pricing and MOQs
14 What is the cost of private label spice production?
Pricing is based on the ingredient cost of the product, the type of container, the net weight of the product in the container, and the size of the order. A product packed in 4-oz glass bottles will cost more per ounce than if packed in PET plastic or bulk. A production run of 10,000 jars will cost less than a run of 500 jars on a per-jar basis. We work with you so the pricing makes sense and enables you to profitably commercialize your product.
15 Is there a project management fee?
We are pleased to invest in the relationship and provide guidance to help grow your brand. We won’t nickel-and-dime with project management fees or similar charges.
16 Is there a product development fee?
New customers pay a $1,000 commitment fee covering the first three custom formulas. That fee is credited toward the first order. Existing customers are not charged for custom development or formula reformulation.
17 What is the MOQ (minimum order quantity)?
We understand that high minimum order quantities are prohibitive for many customers. Our minimums reflect our commitment to help you commercialize your products without an unreasonable investment. The minimum order quantity is 100 lbs for a custom blend or bulk order and four cases (48 units) of a standard product that is privately labeled.
18 Are there quantity discounts?
Yes. Larger orders improve production efficiency and spread fixed costs across more units. Volume forecasts may also improve purchasing efficiency. Those savings are passed on to customers.
Selling Your Products
19 How do you market and sell a new brand?
Start with a spice partner that gives you access to its facility and decision-makers, is transparent about formula ownership, offers coordinated R&D, packaging, fulfillment, and low-minimum support, and genuinely cares about your brand’s success.
20 What costs are involved in selling my products?
First consider production costs: ingredients, packaging, and manufacturing. Then account for the cost of reaching the customer, which may include ecommerce fees, grocery slotting and distributor fees, farmers-market booths, Amazon fees, social media, and trade shows. Together, these selling costs determine your customer acquisition cost.
21 What margin or markup do grocery stores take?
Grocery stores generally require about a 40% margin in the spice and seasoning category, plus consideration for promotions. Distributors commonly require a 30%–35% margin, while brokers typically receive about 5%.
22 Can you help with Amazon sales?
Yes. We understand Amazon’s labeling, shipping, storefront, and fulfillment requirements. We can ship to Amazon distribution centers, integrate with order fulfillment, and connect you with an experienced Amazon consultant for added guidance.
23 Can you help with Shopify or ecommerce fulfillment?
Yes. We can integrate with your Shopify ecommerce site to make order fulfillment seamless.
24 What should I charge as the retail MSRP?
Your retail price should cover the landed cost of goods and every selling expense, including ecommerce, distributor, and marketing costs. Once those costs are known, apply your target margin or markup to establish the MSRP.
Ordering
25 How do I place an order?
You may email a purchase order or call one of our customer service associates at 800-583-1693. We will provide an order acknowledgment with an estimated ship date within 24 hours of receiving the order.
26 Can my order be expedited?
Lead times are a function of production scheduling and ingredient availability. We do our best to honor requests to expedite orders without adversely impacting other customers.