Ask the Collective
The questions independent drinks founders ask most — answered. Distilled from years of community knowledge so the good stuff never disappears in the feed again.
What causes cans to leak during production and how should we investigate the root cause with our co-packer?
Leaking cans are caused by multiple factors and rarely point to a single culprit. A full technical investigation is needed, as the seal itself is usually tested rigorously during production. **Common root causes members identified:** - **Exterior corrosion from low-pH products** — The outside of the can lacks the internal plastic coating protection. In acidic drinks (RTDs, ciders, low-pH beverages), the product can eat through the exterior over 6+ months, typically leaking from the top or bottom seams where water spray protection was not applied before labelling. - **Can specification or liner changes** — If the co-packer has changed the can spec, can lining, or the liner material, this can introduce compatibility issues with your product. - **Recipe or ingredient alteration** — Even minor tweaks or ingredient changes affecting acidity can trigger leaks; verify target pH levels with your recipe team. - **Production pressures or corner-cutting** — Members noted leaks occurring during can shortages (e.g. late 2023/early 2024) when manufacturing standards may have been compromised. - **First-run production** — New SKUs run for the first time carry higher risk if pre-production testing was incomplete. **Investigation approach:** - Request a full technical incident report from the co-packer documenting can supplier, liner material, production dates, and any process deviations. - Engage your can supplier, recipe/product team, and co-packer to rule out each variable systematically — each party often blames the others. - Check whether the issue affects all SKUs or just specific ones (some members saw leaks on 1 of 3 SKUs). - Document cascade failures: one leaked can can contaminate multiple cans below it in stacked pallets ("Christmas tree effect"). **Caveat:** Root cause may remain unclear even after investigation, as responsibility is often disputed across multiple parties. Members recommend proactive dialogue with your co-packer early and involvement of experienced operations staff to document findings.
What should you do if a distributor or co-packer suddenly shuts down or goes out of business?
This is a real risk in the drinks industry. Members who experienced unexpected closures (such as the Brittains Beverage situation) report it can be a major disruption to recover inventory. **What happened in practice:** - Members caught in the Brittains closure faced an "absolute nightmare" trying to recover liquid, boxes, capsules and other materials held at the facility - Recovery required "determination" and direct effort to retrieve goods; it was not straightforward or automatic - Some suppliers may have a significant proportion of bulk inventory stored at a single facility, creating concentration risk **Preventative steps members suggest:** - Before committing inventory or materials to a distributor or co-packer, understand their operational footprint and consolidation risks (e.g. whether they operate multiple sites that might be rationalised) - Consider requesting vetting help from the DBT (Drinks Business Trust), which maintains an accredited buyer list as a baseline check - Build relationships directly with your co-packer/distributor contacts so you have a personal channel to escalate if warning signs emerge **Caveats:** - Even with warning, recovery of goods is time-consuming and resource-intensive; there is no automatic process - Bulk inventory held at a single location (especially if it's a consolidation play) puts you at higher risk - No foolproof protection exists—the best approach is due diligence upfront and maintaining alternative supply chain routes where possible.