Food and beverage is a risky industry that involves many responsibilities. Equipment breakdowns, climate changes, demand changes, and production breakdowns can occur. However, finding an effective logistics partner can help you manage many activities more effectively.
In this guide, you will understand how hiring the best 3PL helps streamline your food and beverage brand and what factors to consider.
Factors To Consider In Find The Best 3PL For Food And Beverage Brands
1. Do They Provide Temperature-Controlled Facilities?
When finding a 3PL for food and beverage brands, you must ensure that the 3PL has ideal temperature-controlling facilities.
Since diverse food products will require refrigeration or freezing, your 3PL should be able to manage them effectively. Moreover, some products, such as canned goods, potato chips, and bottled drinks, must be shelf-ready. Therefore, they may get spoiled if they are kept at high temperatures.
Therefore, 3PL’s warehouse needs ideal temperature control, including in transportation such as truck trailers or even cargo containers.
Moreover, your 3PL should effectively handle both raw materials and finished goods. The products must be stored at the right place and temperature depending on each production stage and lifecycle.
2. Are They Familiar With Technological Capabilities?
It’s important to know whether they have ideal technological capabilities. Generally, if a food and beverage industry uses technological facilities, it helps to enhance work efficiency.
Therefore, you can also ask about how well the 3PL integrates or uses the below technologies:
- Inventory management systems: It help obtain real-time tracking and automated stock updates.
- Order fulfillment tools: These help to know order updates and integrate with e-commerce platforms.
- Data analytics: Advanced reporting helps optimize effective business solutions and strategies.
- Temperature monitoring: When handling sensitive and perishable goods, live temperature tracking helps to ensure careful monitoring and compliance.
3. Do They Prioritize Food Safety?
Food safety should be the top priority of your 3PL. But why do we say so? The food or beverage must move to the correct location at the right time. Also, they should be kept by meeting the regulations and quality standards.
4. What Certifications Or Compliance Do They Meet?
For beverage and food handling, 3PLs need to have the ideal certification and compliance according to rules and regulations. Moreover, depending on the nature and type of product, they may have unique compliance regulations that must be met.
Here are some regulatory compliance your 3PL needs to follow while handling food and beverage:
- Registration with the FDA (Food and Drug Administration).
- Obtain a unique FDA facility identification number for each location where the 3PL handles food products.
- It’s essential to pass FDA inspections every three years in compliance. It is related to the Food Safety Modernization Act.
- You should obtain an approved plan identifying problems and solutions for facility-specific issues that might compromise food safety.
For example, if your business is in the United States (US), you must confirm your 3PL complies with the FDA and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). Therefore, depending on where your business is located, you must guarantee that the 3PL complies with the legal laws and regulations.
If your 3PL violates any rules, it may even result in grounds for the FDA. It may also lead to an ordered product recall and a facility being shut down. Moreover, this would also impact your business activities and reputation.
5. Do They Have Non-Government Certifications For Reliability?
Your 3PL must comply with rules and regulations. It’s also essential but optional to see if they possess any non-government certifications. This certification will give you more trust in them and their services.
Here are some certifications you can look into:
- American Institute of Baking (AIB) certification is dedicated to food warehouses and distribution centers
- Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) is dedicated to food-grade warehouse certification.
6. How Many Distribution Locations Do They Have?
Generally, food and beverages include perishable goods. Therefore, your 3PL provider should ensure that the goods are distributed to the ideal locations on time.
For example, if you sell fruits, some may last longer when kept in controlled storage and temperature conditions. However, they may also get ripe based on the days they can be kept. But they need to reach the final destination on time. Therefore, your 3PL provider should also help reach the goods on time with the correct standard.
This can only be possible if there are appropriate warehouses and distribution methods.
7. Do They Have Industry Experience?
Is the 3PL experienced with food and beverage logistics? It would be best to find out whether the individual is experienced in this industry, as only an experienced team can give you the best service here.
You can also identify how well they are familiar with the below checkpoints in the food and beverage industry (it speaks of their experience):
- Cold chain expertise: When handling perishable goods, the 3PL must pay attention to maintain the ideal temperature requirements.
- Regulatory knowledge: They should know local and international food safety laws.
- Customized packaging options: Check if they provide customized packaging to ensure product safety and to attract customers.
8. Do They Prioritize Scalability And Flexibility?
Your 3PL logistics must help ensure scalability and flexibility in their operations. Depending on the demand for goods, you face many challenging circumstances. Therefore, you can ask the below critical questions for better clarity:
- Can you handle sudden spikes in order volume?
- Do you offer flexible warehousing options?
- How quickly can you expand their services?
- Can you support us if you want to expand to several markets?
9. Do They Work With Other F&B (Food And Beverage) D2C Brands?
Identifying whether the 3PL works with F&B brands helps ensure that they have prior industry experience. Moreover, it gives you an in-depth analysis of what type of clients they have worked with, how they have tackled the challenges, and how they have formulated effective strategies to handle the problems caused.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, finding the best 3PL for the food and beverage industry may take time and effort, but it may save you a lot of hassle. For example, if there are any changes in rules and regulations, your 3PL will adjust and handle the products accordingly. Moreover, you don’t have to put a lot of strain on yourself.
Do you still require help discovering the right 3PL for your food and beverage brand? Check out 3PeeL, where we help you find a reliable 3PL provider by being your 3PL matchmaker.
