Weighing, Dosing & Loss-in-Weight Feeding worked example

Recipe Cost at 58% material yield and capture factor: a worked example

Here is what the math looks like when conditions slip. We hold every other input steady and drop material yield and capture factor to 58%, then walk the calculation through step by step. Recipe cost is the fully loaded cost of running a formulation batch once you account for the priced ingredients, the fraction of material that actually ends up in product, and the fixed overhead that lands on every batch regardless of size.

The inputs for this scenario

  • Batch quantity produced: 100 units (held at the documented default)
  • Ingredient cost per unit: 45 $ / unit (held at the documented default)
  • Material yield / capture factor: 58 % (the input this scenario stresses; the baseline uses 80)
  • Fixed batch overhead: 250 $ (held at the documented default)

Working through the calculation

  • The calculation starts from the formula this tool documents: Recipe Cost cost = quantity × rate × capture factor + fixed cost.
  • Weighted cost works out to 2,860 $ at these inputs, and this is the headline figure for the scenario.
  • Per piece value works out to 28.6 $ / piece at these inputs.
  • Captured value works out to 2,610 $ at these inputs.
  • Fixed adjustment works out to 250 $ at these inputs.

How this compares with the baseline

  • Against the tool's baseline example, where material yield and capture factor sits at 80% and the headline result is 3,850 $, this scenario comes in 25.71% below the baseline at 2,860 $.
  • The practical read: the gap between this scenario and the baseline is entirely attributable to material yield and capture factor, so recovering it is worth quantifying in dollars before considering equipment or staffing changes. The capture factor here scales the variable ingredient cost only; it does not model rework, scrap disposal, or energy, so treat the result as a material-plus-overhead standard, not a full activity-based cost.

Results at a glance

  • Weighted cost: 2,860 $ (headline result)
  • Per piece value: 28.6 $ / piece
  • Captured value: 2,610 $
  • Fixed adjustment: 250 $

Run it with your numbers

  • To rerun this with your own numbers, open the live Recipe Cost calculator, set material yield and capture factor to your actual value, and adjust the remaining inputs to match your operation.

Last reviewed 2026-05-12.