Industry Trends

Fillmore Container FAQ: 5 Questions I Wish I'd Asked Before My First Order

I've been handling packaging orders for small-batch food producers for about six years now. In that time, I've personally made (and documented) a dozen significant mistakes, totaling roughly $2,800 in wasted budget—mostly from avoidable errors on container orders. Now I maintain a checklist for our team to prevent repeats.

If you're new to Fillmore Container or ordering packaging in bulk, you probably have questions. Here are the ones I should have asked, answered from the perspective of someone who's paid the "learning tax."

1. "What's the real difference between 'regular mouth' and 'wide mouth' jars? It can't just be the opening, right?"

You'd think it's obvious, but this tripped me up on a $450 order. I chose wide-mouth jars because they looked easier to fill. The result? Our standard-sized ladle didn't fit properly, creating a mess and slowing down production. The jars themselves were fine. Our process wasn't.

The critical difference isn't just the opening size—it's the compatibility with your filling equipment and utensils. Wide mouth is great for chunky products (salsas, pickles) or if you're hand-filling with a wide scoop. Regular mouth often works better for liquids and with automated filling nozzles. Always, always test with a sample first. A $10 sample jar could have saved me that $450.

2. "I see a discount code. Is the listed price the 'real' price, or are there always hidden fees?"

This was my biggest source of hesitation. I'd get a quote from one place, see Fillmore's online price, and wonder which was accurate. Here's the breakdown from my experience:

Fillmore's website shows the base price. The discount codes (which are almost always available) apply to that. The main variable is shipping cost. For a pallet of glass jars, shipping can add 15-25% to the order total. It's not hidden—you see it at checkout—but it's the part people forget to factor in. My mistake was budgeting based on the product total alone. Now I use their shipping estimator before finalizing my budget.

Personally, I find their pricing straightforward. No mandatory account fees or surprise handling charges at the end. The listed price plus shipping is typically what you pay. Simple.

3. "How do I know if a lid is truly airtight or leak-proof for my product?"

This one cost me $890 and a week's delay. I ordered classic mason jar lids for a vinegar-based product. They sealed fine initially, but the acidic fumes corroded the metal underside of the flat lid over time, leading to seal failures. The jars were fine. The lids were wrong.

The key is in the lid liner material. Standard mason jar lids have a plastisol liner that's great for canning but can degrade with strong acids or oils. For products like vinegar, essential oils, or certain cosmetics, you need lids with PVC-free, specialty liners (like pulpboard with a foil seal or BPA-free plastisol).

Don't just trust the product title saying "airtight." Check the liner specification. If you're unsure, their customer service can usually tell you what works for products like yours. I learned that lesson the expensive way.

4. "What does 'FDA compliant' actually mean for my jars? Is my product automatically safe?"

This is a crucial distinction. A container being FDA compliant means the materials (glass type, lid coating, liner) are approved for food contact under normal use conditions. It doesn't mean your specific product-formula-in-this-container is FDA approved. That's on you.

For example, most of Fillmore's glass jars are fine for cold-filled, shelf-stable goods. But if you're hot-filling at a very high temperature or storing a high-alcohol product long-term, the stress on the glass or the interaction with the lid might be different. The container is a compliant component, but the final safety of your packaged good depends on your process.

When in doubt, consult a food safety professional. Don't rely on a container supplier's website for your product's regulatory clearance.

5. "I need 300 bottles. Their site shows a 'case quantity' of 24. Do I have to order in exact case multiples?"

This was a late-night panic moment before my first order. I needed 300, but 300 isn't divisible by 24. Did I need to order 288 (12 cases) or 312 (13 cases)?

Here's what I've found: You can usually order the exact quantity you need. The "case quantity" is often just the standard pack size for pricing and shipping efficiency. When you enter 300 in the quantity field, the system typically calculates the price based on the per-unit cost, not forcing case multiples. However—and this is important—shipping might be more efficient (and sometimes cheaper) if you stick to full cases, as they palletize neatly.

For my 300-bottle order, I ordered 300. They arrived as 12 full cases and one open case of 12. It was fine. No extra fees. Just verify in your cart that the price looks correct per unit before checking out.

The most frustrating part of starting out? The anxiety over these small details. You'd think buying a jar would be simple, but the specifics matter. A lot. Asking these questions upfront—or better yet, ordering samples—saves money, time, and stress. An informed customer makes better decisions, and that's good for everyone.