April 11, 2013
If you’re involved in the food processing industry in eastern Oregon, you know that spring means things are ramping up. From asparagus harvesting to grape vine pruning, to processing greens and beans to preparing for berry season, all hands are needed on deck. If you’re looking to hire a slew of extra help this spring, here is something to consider: Have you thought about the knowledge and skill of your seasonal hires, and how that will affect your productivity?…
April 4, 2013
From Dunkin’ Donuts’ latest treats to third-party certification organizations, “gluten-free” is the latest buzzword in the food world.
And appropriately so: A gluten-free diet is the only existing treatment for celiac disease, the autoimmune digestive disease that damages part of the small intestine and interferes with the absorption of nutrients from food. In the US, celiac disease may affect as many as one in 133 people, roughly 3 million people, but an astounding 83% of people in the US who have celiac disease are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions.
Moreover, nearly 80% of people following a gluten-free diet, approximately 1.6 million people, have not been diagnosed with celiac disease. It’s likely that most of these people have a condition called non-celiac gluten intolerance, otherwise known as a gluten sensitivity, while the rest choose a gluten-free diet for its other health benefits.
So what does all this mean? It means that since 2008, the gluten-free market has grown 28% annually, reaching $4.2 billion in sales in 2012. Additionally, 18% of adult consumers are buying or consuming gluten-free products because they follow a gluten-free diet or believe these products are healthier. It’s likely that the market will continue to grow thanks to efforts to raise public awareness and increase the diagnosis rate. It also means that the FDA has determined gluten-free labeling to be “economically significant” and will likely issue stricter rules for labeling foods as gluten-free.
We currently process gluten-free certified foods in our packaging facility and have a food scientist on site to verify results. This means we can test for gluten on a parts per million (ppm) scale, which is important because products that do not contain wheat, barley or rye can still contain gluten if they are processed with gluten products or if they contain gluten derivatives.
If you need a quality packager or co-packer that understands the ins and outs of gluten-free foods, come talk to us.
February 11, 2013
Motivated by a love of barbecue and a concern about negative effects from pesticides, brothers Greg and Scott Madsen set out to develop a line of products featuring chemical-free seasoning blends. Emerging with a heart-healthy product line targeted to those who don’t exclusively shop for organic products or at specialty stores, Homestead Seasonings was born.
The Challenge: Reliable Certified Organic Co-Packer to Dry-Fill a Variety of Specialty Spice Blends
After developing their product line, Homestead Seasonings was on the hunt for a co-packer to dry fill their carefully-selected blends—one who was certified Organic and shared Homestead’s emphasis on customer service and top-notch quality. In order to get its products into conventional grocery stores to be available to the widest variety of consumers, Homestead needed a co-packer willing to start with them on small batches and work their way up to larger distribution.
The Solution: DePaul Packaging’s Dependable, Quality Approach
Organic packagers who were willing to work with a start-up were extremely hard to come by, but DePaul believed in Homestead and coached them through the process. “For the first two months, I talked to DePaul more than I talked to my wife,” said Scott Madsen. “They were extremely patient, caught issues early on, and were willing to roll up their sleeves and get down in the proverbial dirt alongside us to make things work.”
The Benefits
Transparency and communication were key in bringing Homestead Seasonings into food shows and grocery store distribution much more swiftly than the average company. “Our relationship with DePaul Packaging is more of a partnership,” says Scott. “They were willing to come to the table.” By understanding the growth process, remaining accessible and communicative, and handling the expansion logistics of a small spice business, DePaul Packaging has played a key role in Homestead Seasonings’ transition into its next phase of expansion: Their products will soon be distributed by a retailer with over 600 stores in the Western U.S.
Looking for a co-packaging solution? Let's chat.
February 4, 2013
DePaul Industries is extremely proud to introduce our brand-new private label of wholesale and retail snack foods: Lost Coast Snacks.
Finding its beginnings in a DePaul Industries’ contract to package snacking and baking nuts for the U.S. Military, Lost Coast Snacks evolved into a full-blown brand from a need for a flexible supplier, processor, and packager of wholesale and retail snack foods in the Northwest. Thus, Lost Coast Snacks was born.
Its premise is incredibly simple: Lost Coast helps you pick your product, pick your packaging, and pick your label. We’re as much or as little involved in the process as you need, ensuring that your needs are met without any extra hassle.
Lost Coast Snacks focuses on getting customers exactly what they’re looking for—whether it’s a single quality product in bulk for wholesale food service, or a new blend of tasty snacking ingredients for retail. Because of Lost Coast’s close relationships with regional growers, we’re able to source a wide array of fresh ingredients, from fruits to nuts to beans to lentils… and even more.
What’s more, Lost Coast Snacks is a true 21st Century company, successfully integrating its social investment directly in the way it does business. All Lost Coast Snacks products are processed and packaged at DePaul Industries’ packaging facility, and therefore all Lost Coast Snacks products create jobs for people with disabilities. The best of both worlds ensues.
Check out the brand new Lost Coast Snacks website and learn more at www.lostcoastsnacks.com.
February 1, 2013
What’s the secret to growing a vibrant contract packaging business? We think it’s in large part due to hiring people with disabilities.
Packaging World magazine recently interviewed DePaul about its ten years spent in contract packaging. When asked what he would do if he were the ‘Ruler of All Contract Packaging,’ President & CEO Dave Shaffer said, “I would convince other contract packaging businesses to realize they can be competitive, even be more of a driver of market growth, by following our employment model.”
Listening to the market is the reason that DePaul got into the contract packaging business in the first place. Check out the full article on PackWorld.com.
