To co-pack a frozen food in Canada, plan four things before you ask for a quote: how the product behaves from fill to freezer, packaging and labels that survive freezer temperatures, a cold chain booked end to end, and the licensing your sales will need.
Frozen products are some of the most rewarding items to bring to retail and some of the least forgiving to co-pack. This guide covers what a frozen food brand in Canada should plan before asking a copacker for a quote: the product, the package, the label and the cold chain.
Most of what goes wrong with frozen co-packing projects is not the recipe. It is everything around it: a pouch that cracks at freezer temperatures, a label that lifts with condensation, a case that collapses in a damp freezer, or a truck that was never booked as refrigerated. Planning these early saves money and avoids delaying launch.
1. Define the product's frozen behaviour
Before talking about lines and packaging, write down how your product behaves from fill to freezer:
- Is it filled fresh and then frozen, or packed already frozen? Individually quick frozen (IQF) pieces, frozen blocks, cooked meals frozen after sealing and ice-cream-style products all need different handling.
- What is the fill temperature and viscosity? A hot sauce base, a chilled smoothie mix and free-flowing frozen fruit pieces need very different filling methods.
- Does it have sharp edges or hard pieces? Frozen fruit, seafood and vegetables can puncture thin films, especially during vibration in transport.
- How is it used? Cook from frozen, thaw first, microwave in the bag or portion and reseal. Each use calls for a different package.
A short product spec with these points lets a copacker judge fit quickly. Our guide to preparing your product for a co-packing quote lists the other basics to include.
2. Choose packaging that survives the freezer
Packaging that works at room temperature can fail at freezer temperatures. Films become stiffer, seals behave differently and moisture turns to frost. When choosing a frozen package, check:
- Low-temperature toughness. Ask your packaging supplier for structures specified for frozen use, and test them by dropping filled, frozen packs.
- Seal integrity. Seals must hold when the pack is frozen, flexed and, if relevant, microwaved. Contamination in the seal area (crumbs, sauce, ice crystals) is a common cause of leaks.
- Moisture and freezer-burn protection. Barrier films and well-sealed packs reduce moisture loss, which shows up as freezer burn and ice crystals.
- Reclosability. Zippers are popular for multi-serve frozen fruit and vegetables, but they add cost and change how the pack runs on a line.
- Labels and coding. If you use pressure-sensitive labels, choose freezer-grade adhesive and apply them in suitable conditions. Make sure lot and date codes stay legible after frost and handling.
Stand-up pouches, lay-flat bags and printed roll stock are all common in frozen. If your format is not decided yet, our packaging sourcing team can look at the package alongside the production requirements, so the film is chosen for the line, not after it.
3. Get the label right for Canada
Frozen foods follow the same core Canadian labelling rules as other prepackaged foods: bilingual mandatory information, ingredient and allergen declarations, a Nutrition Facts table and, since January 1, 2026, the front-of-package nutrition symbol where saturated fat, sugars or sodium meet Health Canada's thresholds. A few points apply specifically to frozen products:
- Best-before dates. The CFIA's date-marking guidance requires a best-before date on prepackaged foods with a durable life of 90 days or less, and notes that food in a frozen state when it is packaged is deemed to have a durable life of more than 90 days. Many brands still choose to show a best-before date. If you do, it must follow the prescribed bilingual format.
- “Keep Frozen / Garder congelé.” Some products, such as low-acid foods in hermetically sealed containers that rely on freezing rather than commercial sterility, must carry this statement on the principal display panel and the shipping container. Even when it is not mandatory, clear storage and cooking instructions reduce complaints.
- Cooking instructions. If the product must be cooked, give validated instructions, especially for products that look ready to eat.
4. Plan the cold chain before the first run
A frozen co-packing project is really a cold-chain project. Ask about each step:
- Inbound ingredients: who receives frozen or chilled ingredients, and where are they stored?
- Freezing: is the product frozen on site after packing, or does it arrive frozen? Blast freezing capacity and dwell time affect how many units can be produced per day.
- Finished-goods storage: where do pallets wait before shipping, and for how long?
- Outbound freight: refrigerated (reefer) trucking needs to be booked, and the cost per pallet is higher than dry freight. Frozen goods are commonly stored and shipped at around −18 °C (0 °F) or colder. Agree the target temperature with your distributor.
- Records: temperature records and lot codes support traceability if there is ever a question about a shipment.
Because reefer freight costs more, location matters more for frozen than for shelf-stable items. If most of your volume sells in one region, producing nearby can save a lot. See our comparison of Vancouver vs Toronto copackers for how to work that out.
5. Case packs and pallets for frozen distribution
Corrugated cases lose strength in cold, humid environments, and frozen pallets are often stacked high in distribution centres. Specify cases for freezer use, check the stacking pattern with your distributor, and confirm case labels show the product, lot code and any required storage statements. Small details here, such as case count, pallet height and label position, often decide whether a retailer's DC accepts a load without trouble.
6. Licensing for frozen products sold across provinces
Freezing is one of the activities the CFIA lists as manufacturing, processing, treating or preserving under the Safe Food for Canadians Regulations. If your frozen product will be sold in another province or exported, the businesses that make, package or label it generally need an SFC licence. Confirm early how this applies to your project. The CFIA's licensing guide is the authoritative source.
7. What to send a frozen food copacker
- Product description, how it is frozen and how consumers use it
- Target net weight per pack and number of SKUs
- Package format (or the formats you are considering) and approximate dimensions
- Expected volume per run and per year
- Where the product will be sold, so freight lanes can be considered
- Allergen profile and any certifications your customers require
- Target launch date
Learn more about how we approach these projects on our frozen food co-packing page, then send your brief through the quote form. If your range includes shelf-stable items too, see all the categories we co-pack.
Frequently asked questions
What should I send a frozen food copacker for a quote?
Send a product description and how it is frozen and used, target net weight and SKU count, the package format and approximate size, expected volume per run and per year, where it will sell, the allergen profile and your target launch date.
Why do frozen food packages fail?
Most failures come from packaging chosen for room temperature: films that crack when frozen, seals contaminated with product or ice, labels that lift with condensation and cases that weaken in damp freezers. Drop-test filled, frozen packs before launch.
Do I need a licence to sell frozen food across provinces?
Food businesses that import, export or sell across provincial borders generally need a Safe Food for Canadians licence from the CFIA. Check the CFIA's licensing guidance for your specific activities.