Compliance and operations consulting for food and beverage manufacturers, co-mans and emerging CPG brands
Scale production without losing control of food safety or the schedule.
We keep food and beverage manufacturers audit-ready, build the planning systems that let production scale, and bring in the right specialist for whatever comes up next. One firm, one point of contact, and an operator who knows what a scale-up actually takes.
- ✓ Food safety plan reanalysis signed by PCQI
- ✓ Supplier approvals and COAs current
- ✓ EMP swabs, Zones 1 to 3 logged
- ✓ Allergen changeover verified and signed
- ✓ Mock recall: 100% traced in 2 hrs
- ✓ Scale and thermometer calibration on file
2-minute self-assessment
Could your operation handle twice the volume next quarter?
Ten questions we ask on every first site visit. Answer honestly and you'll get a score, plus the area most likely to break first when volume goes up.
Nothing is sent anywhere unless you choose to send it.
The calls we usually get
If one of these sounds familiar, we should talk.
- "We just landed a national retailer and they require GFSI certification within six months."
- "FDA left a Form 483 and we have fifteen business days to respond."
- "Volume doubled this year and production planning still lives in one spreadsheet."
- "We're outgrowing our co-man and want to bring production in-house."
- "Our mock recall took two days. It should take two hours."
Food safety, quality and regulatory compliance
FSQA programs written for how your facility actually runs, so they hold up on audit day and on every shift in between.
What we cover
- FSMA Food Safety Plans (PCHF), reviewed by a PCQI
- HACCP plans for USDA, seafood and juice operations
- GFSI-benchmarked certification: SQF, BRCGS, FSSC 22000
- FDA and USDA FSIS inspection readiness and Form 483 responses
- GMPs, supplier approval, allergen, sanitation and environmental monitoring programs
- FSMA 204 traceability and mock recalls
- Label and regulatory review
What you get
- A gap assessment ranked by risk
- Written programs, records and SOPs ready for an auditor or inspector
- Food safety culture training and a mock audit before the real one
Typical timeline: 4 to 16 weeks, depending on scope
Operations and scale-up
A scale-up breaks things in a predictable order: planning, then inventory, then quality, then people. We fix them in that order, before they break.
What we cover
- Capacity planning: lines, shifts and throughput
- Moving from test batches to commercial-scale production
- Co-man selection, onboarding and oversight, or bringing production in-house
- Facility layout and sanitary design for new sites and added lines
- SOPs, roles and training so a second shift ramps fast
- KPIs: yield, OEE, COGS and on-time-in-full
What you get
- A scale-up roadmap with costs and sequence
- Bottlenecks named and fixed before volume hits
- Compliance that keeps pace with added capacity
Typical timeline: from a 2-week assessment to ongoing support
Custom MRP systems
Most off-the-shelf ERPs are built for discrete manufacturing. Food is process manufacturing: formulas, yields, lots and shelf life. We build MRP systems around the way your operation really runs.
- Demand forecasting from orders and sales history
- Master production schedule, materials planning and purchasing
- Formulas, yields and costing
- Lot traceability forward and back, with batch records
- Line capacity, changeovers and shift scheduling
- Integrations with your accounting, ERP and order management systems
Every system is built for one company, around its own products, processes and people.
Talk to us about a custom MRP →| Material | Needed | On hand | Order |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rolled oats, lb | 4,800 | 1,250 | 3,550 |
| Clover honey, lb | 960 | 1,100 | 0 |
| Sunflower oil, gal | 210 | 85 | 125 |
| Dried cranberries, lb | 640 | 200 | 440 |
| 12 oz stand-up pouch | 18,000 | 6,500 | 11,500 |
Example data. We never show client products.
One point of contact. The right specialist for every problem.
Food manufacturing problems rarely stay in one lane. A labeling question turns into a formulation question. A new line turns into a sanitation and allergen question. So we don't work alone. Every engagement is led by Compliance Chef, and we bring in vetted specialists from our network when the work calls for it.
FSQA
PCQIs, SQF practitioners and auditors
Regulatory and labeling
FDA and USDA FSIS labeling, claims and nutrition facts panels
Food science
Formulation, shelf life and process validation
Supply chain and sourcing
Ingredient sourcing, supplier qualification and logistics
Engineering and layout
Equipment selection, facility design and sanitary design
Packaging
Materials, suppliers and co-packers
Systems and data
Custom MRP, ERP integrations and reporting
People and training
Hiring plans, training programs and supervisors
Every specialist works under the same confidentiality terms we do, and reports through us. You never have to manage a crowd of consultants.
Led by Erick Mejia, compliance and operations consultant.
I started Compliance Chef because I kept seeing growing food and beverage brands hit the same wall. Sales took off, and production, the food safety program and the planning systems couldn't keep up. Compliance slipped, schedules turned into firefighting, and every new order made it worse.
I know what a company needs when it has to scale quickly, and in what order. I build the compliance programs, the operating systems and the custom MRPs that let an operation add capacity without losing control. And when a problem needs a specialist, I bring in the right one.
I've spent 10 years in the food industry, and I work the same way on every project: down to the last detail, and honest about where things really stand, even when it isn't what a client wants to hear. That's how problems actually get fixed.
The work I care about most is turnarounds. Helping a company that's struggling get its footing back, and watching a team go from firefighting to running smoothly, is the best part of this job.
Credentials
- PCQI, FSPCA Preventive Controls for Human Food
- HACCP certified
- SQF Practitioner, SQF Food Safety Code: Food Manufacturing
- 10 years in the food industry
Questions people ask first
Are you one consultant or a firm?
Both, in the way that matters. Compliance Chef leads and owns every engagement, and we bring in specialists from our network as the work requires. You get one contact and one invoice.
What does it cost?
Every engagement is different, so we scope and price it after the first call, once we understand your operation and what you need. There's no cost for that first conversation.
Why a custom MRP instead of an off-the-shelf ERP?
Most ERPs need months of setup and still handle process manufacturing poorly: formulas, yields, lot traceability and shelf life. A custom MRP fits your process from day one, and it connects to the accounting and order management tools you already use.
How quickly can you start?
For urgent issues like a Form 483 or an upcoming certification audit, we can usually start within a week.
Will you show my products or data to anyone?
No. We sign an NDA before the first site visit, your data stays in your systems, and we never publish client names, products, formulas or numbers. Every product shown on this site is a made-up example. References are available on request, with the client's permission.
Book a 30-minute call.
Tell us what's going on in your operation. We'll reply within one business day, and everything you share stays confidential.
- info@compliancechef.net