Every food product on shelves has one thing in common: nutrition labels. This is because the FDA requires it. The label has a list of ingredients and nutritional information. This is helpful for consumers with allergies or health conditions. It is good for anyone who pays attention to daily nutrition.
The label makes sense from a health and consumer protection standpoint. But it can be daunting for people who own food businesses. The FDA updated its new nutrition label requlations in 2016. They gave small businesses only a few years to come into full compliance. These kinds of rules make adding a label to a food product a more complex and costlier that one might think.
ReciPal is a welcome solution to this problem. It has a database of nutrition information. It includes FDA-compliant formatting. Most users find its interface easy-to-use and easy to learn. ReciPal is welcome for entrepreneurs who run a restaurant and prepare food for sale.
What is ReciPal?
ReciPal is an easy software system to create your own FDA-approved nutrition labels. That is at a fraction of the cost of going to an outside packager. Anyone in the food industry can upgrade their product. The creator of ReciPal had the idea when he discovered the many FDA label rules. As a food product owner himself, he decided that the old way was too difficult. It was too high of a price to pay for a small company needing hundreds or thousands of nutrition labels.
ReciPal users can skip the high-priced food analysis. Instead, they can research recipe information with the food database. If they do have to complete an in-house analysis, ReciPal makes it easy. They can save a large amount of money by entering the results of that analysis into the program. From there, ReciPal helps to customize nutrition labels.
You can choose a style that suits your brand or product. In other words, ReciPal is a living database. Food entrepreneurs can use this info, or add their own from outside research.
ReciPal does more than create labels. The software has other impressive bells and whistles. These include a recipe cost calculator and inventory management system. These perks prove to be as useful as the nutrition label functionality.
Recipe Cost Calculator
Restaurant owners, food truck owners, and packaged food makers can track recipe cost. This analysis of cost of goods sold is essential for the effective running of a business. Knowing how much it costs to create a single unit allows for the accurate calculation of a profit margin. The menu cost calculator shows how to reduce costs so that the profit margin may be larger. Users can also see how costs are rising. This helps them to develop a plan to find the right price point.
The right pricing means a good profit margin and high sales volume. ReciPal’s pricing info helps owners to create a cost-cut or increase. The tool is also essential to the restaurant accounts payable department. These individuals, after all, have to keep close tabs on costs charged by suppliers.
Inventory Management System
ReciPal also helps inventory managers. They can make sure they have enough of each ingredient or product on hand. In the food industry, too much of certain ingredients can lead to expensive waste. An accurate record of rate of ingredient use is essential to cost-effective reordering. ReciPal allows owners to stay on top of inventory in an efficient way. There is no extra burden of having to examine supplies on a regular basis.
Top Features of ReciPal
The features of ReciPal are all essential tools for running a food business. They help entrepreneurs run a more efficient internal operation. The software helps with cost and inventory analysis. The professional consumer-focused labels can align with a strong brand identity. Those labels also ensure regulatory compliance with the FDA.
These are the main features of ReciPal:
- FDA Compliance Guide and Information
- Recipe Cost Calculator
- Nutrition Database
- Custom Nutrition and Ingredient Labels
- Recipe Management
- Inventory
In sum, it is a program that supports owners of all kinds of food businesses.
Who Is ReciPal For?
ReciPal is for anyone who needs support for restaurant back office operations. This includes FDA-approved nutrition labels and recipe cost calculations. It is also essential as a way to manage food-related inventory. While the creators advertise it as a program for “food entrepreneurs,” it is a helpful tool for many. If you have created a line of gourmet foods from your home, you can use ReciPal. If you run a food truck or have a successful restaurant, you can also use ReciPal. It works for everyone.
The software is accessible from both Android and iPhone devices. The app is a simple download from the app store.
This gives you remote access to your nutritional information, recipe costs, and inventory. This is helpful for food entrepreneurs with a large production space. It also makes it easier to set up a satellite location away from central systems. On-the-ball business owners can also access info while travelling or on vacation.
How ReciPal Helps Restaurant Owners
Given the ease of use of ReciPal, it has a benefit for all food producers who want to simplify their packaging. It is great for those who create custom food products. It is also essential for meal plan delivery services and bakeries. Indeed any segment of the food market can use ReciPal. Here are a few ways ReciPal may benefit food entrepreneurs.
Consumer Protection
The necessity for clear and accurate labelling is not only from the FDA. New state laws are requiring restaurants to put calorie counts on their menus. An easy-to-use labelling product is an essential tool. It makes it easier for any food service business that wants to be transparent about what’s in their food. That’s the case even if they sell a product that does not need an FDA label.
Helps Create Custom Recipes
Eateries that sell packaged, prepared food from in-house recipes have to disclose ingredients. With ReciPal they have the flexibility to create an FDA-compliant nutrition label. They do so using both the food database in the software as well as added ingredients. ReciPal helps chefs who want to use an uncommon ingredient in a signature recipe. The software makes it easy to prepare inventory of that dish for customers to take home.
Reduces Packaging Time
By using the software, food producers do not have to go to an outside source to prepare the packaging. This means theyare in many ways “cutting out the middle man.” This reduces production time. If they can label goods in-house, it may be a matter of hours from the oven to the store shelves. That means food is fresher when customers come in to buy. There’s more room in display cases for regular turnover of inventory.
Minimizes Regulatory Mistakes
ReciPal produces an FDA-compliant label. This gives food entrepreneurs an added sense of security. They can put trust in the software to create a label that complies with relevant regulations. Knowing that the label is compliant means one less worry for busy entrepreneurs. These business owners have a laundry list of other pressing issues. With ReciPal, there’s one less with which they must concern themselves on a daily basis.
Professional Image
FDA-compliant labels signal to customers that owners care about the product they sell. This is important for consumers who may be reluctant to buy something sloppy. Clear labelling gives important nutrition data. It is also the hallmark of a professionally-run operation. Restaurant owners use ReciPal because it helps them improve their image. It also streamlines their internal processes.
ReciPal: Is it Right for Your Restaurant Business?
ReciPal may seem ideal for most food entrepreneurs. But it may not be the right tool for everyone. To assess the software, you may wish to learn a little bit more about its functionality. If it aligns well with your current needs, it could improve your business. Think about your current business challenges. Ask whether you want to increase the sales volume of your packaged food line. Consider if you and your staff are ready to make the switch. If any of these are true, ReciPal may be worth a try.
About Sourcery
Are you a restaurant owner that wants to take even more control over your costs? Check out Sourcery’s powerful AP and AR automation tools. Sourcery tracks your spending and price changes and sends alerts when they exceed your chosen limits. This lets you easily know when to update your recipe cost calculator and when you need to ask your vendors why prices have changed. All you need to do is email your invoices, and Sourcery automates the rest. Contact Sourcery today for a free demo!