Who You Buy Your Food Manufacturing and Professional Bakery Supplies from Matters!
Finding the right ingredient supplier is essential for any culinary venture to succeed: Even the best baker in the world will struggle if their supplies are late, unsafe, or inadequate. If you’re curious about how to find the right supply provider, keep reading to learn what to look for and what information you should glean from potential suppliers.
Ask about Production Involvement
The more involved a bakery distributor is in the production of the ingredients they distribute, the better. A supplier who has strong knowledge of the production process will have a better grip on the quality-control measures employed during it. The reverse is also true: If a supplier completely loses track during a step of the process—for example, during shipping—then that is a potential red flag.
Ask about the Safety Record
Before you go forward with a supplier, it’s important to find out whether or not they have a clean safety record. Ask if they have had any recalls or other types of safety breaches. A good supplier will have no problem providing an answer to this question; however, dodgy answers are a warning sign. Put simply, if a supplier can’t show that they have a good safety record, you should avoid them and look elsewhere for your commercial bakery supplies.
Ask about Procedures
Beyond their past safety record, you should also research their safety methods in the here and now. For example, Food Safety Magazine recommends finding out how the supplier deals with allergens and what labeling procedures they use. Another good question to ask is if and how the supplier adheres to the Foreign Supplier Verification Program. Established by the FDA, this program ensures that food importers bring in food that meets certain safety standards. You can learn more about the program here.
Ask about Specialty Ingredients
If your bakery has a specific goal—for example, organic or vegan baked products—then make sure the supplier can fulfill your needs on a long-term basis. It’s not worth sacrificing your vision for the sake of working with a particular supplier.
Obtaining Supplies from a Great Bakery Distributor
If you’re in need of professional bakery supplies in the California area, shop with Organics That Deliver for easy access to high-quality ingredients. We are a bakery distributor serving the Bay Area and surrounding regions. To see what we have to offer, check out our online shop, and if you have questions or a special request, please reach out through our contact page or by calling (510) 489-1882.