Third-Party Manufacturing
Your name is on the pack, so the responsibility is yours
Getting your product made by someone else does not move the compliance burden to them. If a batch fails, if a label is wrong, if the unit loses its licence, the brand on the front of the pack answers for it.
Most brands find this out at the worst possible moment. We set up the documentation, specifications and checks that keep you covered from the start.
What we set up
The paperwork that protects you
Manufacturer assessment and licence checks
Before you commit, we look at whether the unit can actually make your product to the standard you need. Licence status, category endorsement, capacity, hygiene, existing systems, and whether your arrangement is structured correctly under FSSAI rules.
Product specification
A written specification covering ingredients, process, parameters, packaging and finished product standards. Without one, you have no basis to reject a batch.
Agreements and responsibilities
Who is responsible for what. Raw material sourcing, testing, storage, recall, record keeping. Put in writing before production starts, not after a dispute.
Incoming and finished goods checks
What gets checked, by whom, how often, and what happens when something fails.
Testing plan
What needs testing and how often. We do not run a laboratory, so testing goes to an accredited external lab. We tell you what to test for, arrange it, and review the reports.
Records and traceability
Batch records that let you trace a problem back to a specific run. This is what makes a recall manageable instead of catastrophic.
What usually goes wrong
- No written specification, so quality drifts and there is no basis to reject a batch
- The manufacturer's licence does not cover the product category being made
- Nobody agreed who pays for testing, so it does not get done
- Label details do not match the manufacturing arrangement
- No batch records, so a complaint cannot be traced to a run
- Recall responsibility never discussed until a recall is needed
Starting out, or already in production
Setting up a new arrangement
We work through manufacturer selection, specification and agreements before the first batch. This is the cheaper path.
Already in production
We review what exists, find the gaps, and fill them. Usually the specification and the records need the most work.
Common questions
Who is legally responsible if something goes wrong, us or the manufacturer?
Both parties carry obligations, and the brand owner carries more than most people expect. The manufacturer is responsible for making the product to specification. You are responsible for what you put your name on, including the label and the claims. Where liability sits in a specific case depends on your arrangement and the records you hold, which is exactly why the paperwork matters.
Does the manufacturer's FSSAI licence cover us?
Not by itself. Your arrangement needs to be structured correctly and, depending on how you operate, you may need your own licence as well. We will tell you which applies to your situation.
Do you audit the manufacturer for us?
Yes. A pre-contract assessment before you commit, and periodic audits afterwards if you want them.
Do you do the lab testing?
No, we do not have our own laboratory. Testing goes to an accredited external lab. We decide what needs testing, arrange it, and review the results.
We use more than one manufacturer. Does that change things?
It adds work rather than changing the approach. Each unit needs its own assessment and specification, and consistency between them becomes something to manage.
Can you help us move to a different manufacturer?
Yes. Transfers are a common point of failure because specifications and records often do not move with the product.
Related services
Where this fits in
Diptasree Chaudhuri
Founder, Inspeckt Food Solutions
Diptasree Chaudhuri founded Inspeckt Food Solutions after nearly a decade across production floors, audits and quality systems in the Indian food industry, including an HSEQ role at HungerBox covering around 50 corporate foodservice clients across Bangalore. She works with food brands on the part of the business that rarely gets talked about: regulations, labelling, licensing, testing and manufacturing quality. Inspeckt today supports more than 15 food businesses, from established brands to founders launching their first product.
More about DiptasreeGet the paperwork right before the first batch
Tell us who is making your product and we will tell you where the gaps are.
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