Hummus goes in a round plastic tub with a snap lid, filled by weight and kept cold from the kitchen to the grocer's case. A clear tub shows the swirl of oil and paprika; a tamper-evident lid that has to be torn to open is what grocers ask for; a printed sleeve around the tub carries the brand once the flavors are settled; and a 5-pound tub goes to cafés and restaurants. Every tub says "Keep refrigerated" and carries a use-by date, since hummus keeps days, not months. In the example below, a Dearborn hummus maker prices four options: 40 cents to $1.21 a package.
The short version
- Round tubs with snap lids, filled by weight, kept cold.
- Clear tubs show the hummus.
- Grocers want tamper-evident lids.
- A printed sleeve carries the brand once flavors settle.
- Tahini is sesame: it goes on the Contains line.
- "Keep refrigerated" and a use-by date on every tub.
- TaroStack puts the tub and lid in each flavor's cost. More below.
The options
| Option | Tamper-evident | Looks | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clear tub and label | No | Plain | Markets |
| Tamper-evident tub | Yes | Plain | Grocers |
| Clear tub, printed sleeve | No | Branded | A settled line |
| 5 lb tub for cafés | No | Bulk | Cafés, restaurants |
Tubs are filled by weight straight from the cooled batch, lidded, labeled and back in the cooler within the hour. How long they keep is in hummus shelf life.
The label
A tub's label lists its ingredients in order by weight (21 CFR 101.4), the name and place of business (21 CFR 101.5) and the net quantity (21 CFR 101.105), and declares any major allergen (21 U.S.C. 343(w)): tahini is sesame, so "Contains: sesame" goes on every hummus label, as sesame labeling requirements explains. "Keep refrigerated" and the use-by date go on the lid or the label. This is general information, not legal advice.
An example: four options for a hummus maker
Cedar and Lemon Hummus, the made-up hummus maker in Dearborn, Michigan, I use in these examples, fills about 700 tubs a week for grocers, markets and cafés:
| Option | Parts | Per package | 700 a week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clear tub and label | Tub and lid 35¢, label | $0.40 | $283.15 |
| Tamper-evident tub | Tub and lid 48¢, label | $0.54 | $375.06 |
| Clear tub, printed sleeve | Tub and lid 35¢, sleeve 6¢ | $0.41 | $290.29 |
| 5 lb tub for cafés | 5 lb tub and lid $1.15, label | $1.21 | $848.75 |
The grocers get tamper-evident tubs, 13 cents more than plain; the markets get the clear tub. A printed sleeve would cost about the same as a label, but 5,000 is seven weeks of every tub the business fills. The business's year is in hummus business plan.
Get the calculator
Download the hummus packaging calculator. Two sheets: components, each part of each option with its pack price, units, how many a package uses and waste; and compare, each option's cost per package and per week at your volume, with notes. It's an ordinary Excel file with no macros, and it works in Google Sheets, LibreOffice and Numbers.
Where this stops working
A cost sheet doesn't know which batch is in which tub. When a grocer asks about one tub, or a lot of tahini is recalled, the tubs it went into have to be found.
How TaroStack does it
TaroStack keeps each batch's lot, the packaging in its cost, and where every case went.
Each batch a lot. Each batch of hummus records the ingredient lots it used, gets its own lot and dates, and lot labels print for the packages.
Packaging in the recipe. The tubs, lids and labels are items in each flavor's recipe, so every batch uses them up at the price you paid, and the count of what's left stays current.
Where it went. Each customer's order records the lots it got, so one recall report shows every customer a batch reached.
| The job | Notebook | In TaroStack |
|---|---|---|
| Which batch is in a package | Written on it | The lot on its label |
| Tubs, lids and labels left | Counted when you run out | Used by every batch |
| Which shops got a batch | Invoices | One recall report |
Lots, batches, recipes and true cost are on every plan, from $49 a month. The first 30 days are free, with no credit card. If you'd like a hand setting up, ask, and we'll do it with you.