Private Label Cooking Oil: How to Launch Your Own Brand

Private label lets a retailer, distributor or food brand sell cooking oil under its own name without owning a refinery or a bottling line. You choose the oil, the grade and the pack; the supplier fills, caps, labels and packs it with your branding. Done well, it gives you a product with your margin and your customer relationship. This guide explains how it works and what to plan for.

How private label works

1. You choose the oils, grades, pack sizes, quantities and the markets you will sell in.
2. We confirm the oil specification, the label information your markets require, the artwork format and the lead time.
3. You supply or approve the final label artwork.
4. We fill, label and pack your order, and test every lot before release.
5. Your branded oil ships with its Certificate of Analysis and shipping documents.

We offer private label on request in 1-liter and 5-liter bottles, 10-liter containers and 20-liter jerrycans. See our private label page for an overview.

Choosing your product

Which oil

Most brands start with one or two best-selling everyday oils, then add premium lines once the brand is established:

• Everyday oils such as sunflower, canola and blended vegetable oil sell in the highest volumes.
• Premium oils such as olive and avocado oil carry higher margins.
• Specialty and world food oils such as sesame, peanut and red palm oil serve particular cuisines and communities.
• Frying oils such as deep frying oil in jerrycans suit a trade or food service brand.

Which pack

• 1-liter bottles for supermarket shelves and premium oils.
• 5-liter bottles for value packs, families and small food businesses.
• 10-liter containers and 20-liter jerrycans for cash-and-carry, restaurants and trade customers.

Light speeds up rancidity, so choose dark or opaque packaging for light-sensitive oils such as flaxseed, walnut and pistachio oil, and plan on shorter shelf lives for them. Our guide to cooking oil shelf life lists each oil.

What must go on the label

Label rules are set by the country where the oil is sold, and the brand owner is usually responsible for the label being right for that market. Two common frameworks illustrate what is typically required.

United States

• A statement of identity, the common name of the oil, such as “Canola Oil”.
• The net quantity of contents.
• An ingredient list for blends and any product with more than one ingredient.
• The name and place of business of the manufacturer, packer or distributor. When the company named is not the manufacturer, the name must be qualified, for example “Distributed by” or “Manufactured for”.
• A Nutrition Facts label, unless an exemption applies.
• Allergen labeling where required. Highly refined oils are excluded from the definition of a major food allergen, but cold-pressed and roasted peanut, sesame and tree nut oils are not.

European Union

• The name of the food, the list of ingredients and any allergens, emphasized in the ingredient list.
• The net quantity and the date of minimum durability (“best before”).
• Any special storage conditions, and the name and address of the food business operator responsible for the food.
• A nutrition declaration, and country of origin where required.
• For blends of refined oils, the term “vegetable oils” must be followed by the specific plant origins, for example “vegetable oils (rapeseed, sunflower)”.

Labels must usually be in the local language of each market. Many brands also add a barcode, which the brand owner obtains in its own name so the product can be listed by retailers.

Claims on your label

Claims are where private label brands most often get into trouble. Use only claims that are allowed in your market and that you can support:

• Health and nutrition claims are tightly regulated, often with fixed wording. In the US, for example, oils with at least 70% oleic acid may carry a qualified health claim about coronary heart disease, but only in the FDA’s approved form.
• Process claims such as “cold-pressed”, “extra virgin” or “refined” must match the grade you actually buy. Our guide to refined vs cold-pressed oil explains the definitions.
• Certification claims such as organic, non-GMO, kosher, halal or RSPO need the matching certified product and documentation for each order. Tell us in your quote request which certifications your label needs, and we will confirm availability.

Minimum runs, cost and lead time

• Minimum order. Our quote minimum is 1,000 liters across your whole list. A first branded run may need more, depending on the bottles and labels, and we confirm this in your quote. As an example, 84 cases of twelve 1-liter bottles make 1,008 liters.
• Lead time. This depends mainly on artwork approval and the supply of bottles and labels. Approving artwork quickly is the best way to shorten it.
• Cost. Branded packs cost more per liter than bulk oil, because of bottles, caps, labels and cartons. Larger runs spread the setup across more units.

Planning your first order

• Start with one or two oils in one or two pack sizes, and add lines as sales grow.
• Check the label rules for every market before finalizing artwork, and have the label reviewed locally if you are new to a market.
• Ask for the specification sheet and a sample before your first run, so the oil you sell matches what you expect.
• Plan stock around shelf life, allowing for shipping time, so your customers receive fresh oil.
• Keep each lot’s Certificate of Analysis with your records. Every pack carries a lot code, so any question can be traced back to the batch.

Ready to talk about your brand? Add the oils and pack sizes you want to your quote list, mention private label, your markets and your label requirements, and we will reply with a quotation.

Sources

• 21 CFR 101.5: Food labeling, name and place of business of manufacturer, packer or distributor
• Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Article 9: mandatory food information
• Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex VII: designation of refined oils
• US FDA: Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA)
• Institute of Food Technologists: US FDA qualified health claim for high-oleic oils