What is a Commercial Kitchen?
A commercial kitchen is a facility that has been approved by the state's Health Department and is also USDA/FDA certified and inspected facility able to cook in large quantities for restaurants or do co-packing for small enterprises or start-up individuals. A commercial kitchen can also private label their product for other folks.

Louisiana Food Manufacturers and Co-Packers
Due to the devastating hurricane and ensuing floods in the southern Louisiana region, Henry Riojas, owner of Henry's Dream, is making available his commercial kitchen in Houston, Texas to Louisiana food manufacturers who cannot operate their own commercial kitchen facilities due to flood damage or who cannot continue co-packing or servicing their existing clients. Henry will work with these food manufacturers to find a way to provide continuous service for their clients. In such desperate times, a helping hand can accomplish what seems impossible. Please contact us via email: chef@texmextogo.com  or cal our offices: 713.995.5502.

Henry's Dream, Inc. home of the famous Tejano Salsa and its family of products, which include the traditional Tex Mex style Mexican red salsa, salsa verde, meat, chicken and vegetable tamales, cheese dips and Tex Mex spices, is a food manufacturer operating in a Texas Department of Health (TDH) State Approved commercial kitchen. A food manufacturer will custom pack your product and adhere to state imposed food safety regulations.

Located in Houston Texas, Henry Riojas, owner of Henry's Dream, can guide you step by step:
* copyright and trademark requirements regarding food labels.

* each start-up recipe and product must go through shelf life and nutritional properties which must be approved by an FDA Process Authority (Henry uses Texas A&M University and Dr. Al Wagner - the Process Authority for our area here in Houston, Texas).

* contacting the Uniform Code Council for a UPC code.

* recipe test batches.

* locating a distributor.

Because of the potential for some foods to cause botulism (a potentially fatal illness), the food processing method and recipe formulations must be reviewed by an FDA expert and the facility must be registered with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

We will custom manufacture salsas, sauces, gourmet spices, specialty dips, jams and jellies, condiments of any type. Contact Henry via email henryrio@tejanosalsa,com or call our office: 713.995.5502 to schedule and discuss making your dream come true - your product on a store shelf!

Food Co Packing
How often have you heard someone say to you "Oh this is so good, you should sell it in the stores!" Co packing refers to the processing of a food product by a food manufacturer other than the originator of the said food product. Examples of co-packing are outside contracting and private label.

Any food company or private individual interested in producing their own product must meet state and federal health regulations and standards as well as the time and costs associated with getting a kitchen up to code. In addition to regulations regarding the kitchen facility, there are also city zoning lawns that might restrict certain business activities on such property.

If you wish to have a food product manufactured but do not want to do your own processing or have the capabilities to manufacture a food product, co packing may be a good option. In this arrangement, you would contract with an existing food manufacturer with a commercial kitchen, to run your product according to your production and quality control specifications. Henry's Dream Inc. co packing capabilities make it easy to offer more brands in different categories. Located in Houston, Texas, Henry's Dream  commercial kitchen facilities can offer co-packing your existing products to your exact specifications. We can also help you develop new products. In either case, complete confidentiality is guaranteed.

Rules for Licensure of Manufacturer of Food and Wholesale Distributors of Food Including Good Manufacturing Practices 229.183 (a) (3) states "No Manufacturing of foods shall be conducted in any room used as living or sleeping quarters. All manufacturing operations shall be separated from any living or sleeping quarters by complete partitioning."