Co-Packing in Quebec: How to Choose Your Bottler
You have a recipe, a brand, maybe even pre-orders. What remains is the step that makes or breaks a beverage launch: production. Quebec's co-packing ecosystem has matured — 355 ml and 473 ml cans, tunnel pasteurization, lines dedicated to non-alcoholic ready-to-drink. But not every bottler fits every project. Here's how to decide.
What exactly is co-packing?
Co-packing (contract bottling or canning) means entrusting production of your beverage to a third-party facility that owns the equipment, licences and staff. The brand keeps ownership of the recipe and identity; the co-packer manufactures, fills and packages. At Liquid Solution, we treat co-packer selection as a decision as strategic as the formulation itself.
In practice, a co-packer may provide:
- Filling and seaming (cans) or capping (bottles);
- Pasteurization or another stabilization treatment;
- Sourcing of cans, sleeves or labels;
- Sometimes batching from your ingredients or a concentrate;
- Warehousing and palletizing for shipment.
What are the essential criteria for choosing a co-packer?
To choose a beverage co-packer in Quebec, Liquid Solution recommends evaluating five criteria: the MOQ (minimum order quantity), available formats (355 ml, 473 ml), pasteurization capability matched to your recipe, food safety certifications (SQF, BRC, GFSI), and contractual transparency on losses and lead times.
1. MOQ: the minimum order quantity
MOQ is usually the first filter. Typical market minimums range from 5,000 to 50,000 units per run, depending on line size and beverage type. A low MOQ costs more per unit but limits inventory risk on a first batch. Ask:
- Does the MOQ apply per flavour (SKU) or per total run?
- Is the minimum different for printed cans vs sleeved cans?
- What is the can supplier's own MOQ (often higher for direct printing)?
2. Formats: 355 ml, 473 ml and container choice
In Quebec, the two dominant can formats are 355 ml (standard or sleek) and 473 ml (tallboy). The 355 ml sleek has become the reference format for non-alcoholic RTD and functional beverages; the 473 ml remains associated with craft beer and value formats. Verify:
- Which formats are actually tooled on the line (a format change may require parts and fees);
- Compatibility with Quebec's deposit-refund system: since November 1, 2023, all aluminum beverage containers from 100 ml to 2 L carry a $0.10 deposit, and since March 1, 2025, ready-to-drink plastic containers from 100 ml to 2 L do as well (program managed by the AQRCB under RECYC-QUÉBEC oversight). You or your co-packer must register containers with the deposit system.
3. Pasteurization and recipe stability
This is the most technical and most underestimated criterion. A low-acid beverage, or a recipe with juice, proteins or botanicals, does not require the same treatment as an acidic carbonated soda. Common options:
| Process | Best for | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Tunnel pasteurization | Sealed cans, carbonated drinks, RTD | Does the co-packer have a tunnel on site? |
| Hot fill | Juices, teas, lightly carbonated drinks | Container heat compatibility |
| HTST + filling | Sensitive, low-acid beverages | Process validation by a specialist |
| Preservatives / acidified formulation | Cold-stable recipes | Impact on taste and positioning |
A development studio like Liquid Solution validates the target pH, Brix and required thermal process before approaching co-packers — avoiding the discovery, on the plant floor, that your recipe doesn't fit the line.
4. Certifications: SQF, BRC and Canadian compliance
SQF (Safe Quality Food) and BRCGS are food safety schemes recognized by GFSI (Global Food Safety Initiative). They are not mandatory to sell in Quebec, but major retailers and distributors frequently require them. At minimum, the co-packer must hold a licence under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations (SFCR) and maintain a HACCP-based preventive control plan.
On the product side, remember that label compliance rests with you as the brand:
- Bilingual labelling: the CFIA requires mandatory information on prepackaged retail foods to appear in both French and English;
- Supplemented foods (Division 29): if your beverage contains added caffeine, taurine, vitamins or certain amino acids, it falls under Health Canada's supplemented foods framework (in force since July 2022), with the Supplemented Food Facts table and, where applicable, mandatory cautionary statements;
- Caffeine: a caffeinated energy drink is capped at 180 mg of caffeine per serving (and 400 mg/L) under Health Canada rules. That constraint is exactly what Liquid Solution designed around with one of our own brands, a caffeine-free functional energy drink (L-Theanine, L-Tyrosine, electrolytes).
5. Red flags to watch for
- No plant visit allowed — a serious facility can be toured;
- No test run offered before committing to a full MOQ;
- Loss rate not quantified in the contract — filling losses always exist; refusing to cap them means passing them to you;
- Vague quotes (who supplies the cans? who pays for lost material? who absorbs a non-conforming batch?);
- No verifiable client references in your beverage category;
- An "always available" calendar — good lines book up weeks ahead, especially before summer;
- Pressure to sign an exclusivity from the very first batch.
What are the known co-packing options in Quebec?
Quebec has several active contract bottlers and canning services, including Co Pack Pro, Kanit (Drummondville), La Voie Maltée (co-packing services at a microbrewery), Lao and BevMax. Liquid Solution does not sell bottling services: the studio acts as an independent referee that matches each project with the best-suited partner.
This list is non-exhaustive and presented neutrally — each facility has its strengths (formats, treatments, MOQ, accepted categories), and the right choice depends entirely on your recipe and volume. That is precisely why an intermediary with no stake in selling line time changes the equation.
Co-packer or development studio: what's the difference?
A co-packer manufactures your beverage; a development studio like Liquid Solution makes it manufacturable. The studio formulates the recipe, secures Health Canada compliance and bilingual labelling, designs the packaging, then selects the appropriate co-packer — independently, without selling line time.
Arriving at a co-packer with a complete file changes everything:
| Step | Without a studio | With Liquid Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Recipe | Costly in-plant adjustments | Validated formulation and documented scale-up |
| Compliance | Late discovery of requirements (Division 29, bilingualism) | Verified before production |
| Co-packer selection | Trial and error | Matching by process, MOQ and category |
| Negotiation | Information asymmetry | Compared quotes, losses and lead times framed |
It's the model behind our own brands: each product was formulated, made compliant, then produced with the partner suited to its category. Your project follows the same path. Tell us about your idea.
How much does co-packing cost in Quebec?
Cost depends on format, volume, thermal process and who supplies the inputs. Typical fees include per-unit filling, setup fees, cans and sleeves, pasteurization and palletizing. For a costed assessment of your specific project, contact us.
Three levers drive the bill:
- Volume — unit cost drops in tiers with batch size;
- Container — sleeved cans (flexible, low MOQ) vs printed cans (cheaper at high volume, high MOQ);
- Process — a recipe engineered for stability simplifies treatment and lowers cost. That trade-off is won in formulation, not on the plant floor.
FAQ
What is the typical MOQ to produce a beverage in Quebec?
Market minimums generally range from 5,000 to 50,000 units per run depending on line and format. Some co-packers accept smaller test batches. Printed-can MOQs are often the real bottleneck — sleeves are the flexible option to start.
Does my beverage need to be pasteurized?
It depends on pH, composition and distribution (shelf-stable vs refrigerated). An acidic carbonated drink can be stabilized more simply than a recipe with juice or proteins. Liquid Solution determines the required treatment at the formulation stage, before choosing a co-packer.
Is SQF or BRC certification mandatory?
No — the legal requirement is an SFCR licence and a preventive control plan. But SQF and BRCGS (GFSI-recognized) are frequently required by major chains. If your distribution plan targets national retail, pick a certified co-packer from the start.
Who is responsible for label compliance: the brand or the co-packer?
The brand. Bilingual labelling (CFIA), the nutrition facts table and, for beverages with added caffeine, vitamins or amino acids, Health Canada's supplemented foods requirements (Division 29) are your responsibility. It's one of the workstreams Liquid Solution handles.
Do I need to deal with Quebec's deposit-refund system?
Yes. Aluminum cans from 100 ml to 2 L have carried a $0.10 deposit since November 2023, and ready-to-drink plastic containers since March 2025. Registering containers with the modernized deposit system (AQRCB / RECYC-QUÉBEC) is part of the launch checklist.
Is Liquid Solution a co-packer?
No. Liquid Solution is a beverage development studio: formulation, compliance, packaging design and matching with the right production partner. Because the studio doesn't sell line time, its co-packer recommendation is independent.
Your recipe deserves the right plant — not the first one that answers. Liquid Solution assesses your project, locks down compliance and matches you with the bottler suited to your format, process and volume. Got an idea? Let's talk. · info@liquidsolution.ca
Regulatory sources: Health Canada — caffeinated energy drinks · Health Canada — supplemented foods · CFIA — bilingual labelling · RECYC-QUÉBEC — deposit-refund