Premium IQF Frozen Strawberries

IQF Frozen Strawberry Product Overview

We prepare IQF strawberries from clean, sound and mature fruit received under an identifiable raw-material lot. The production sequence covers variety and maturity inspection, Brix and color checks, washing, destemming, calyx removal, trimming, sorting, cutting where required, surface-water removal, individual quick freezing, frozen grading, final inspection, metal detection, packing and storage.

The standard unsweetened product contains 100% strawberries. Added sugar, preservatives, artificial color, artificial flavor and added glaze are 0%. Sulphur dioxide is controlled below 10 mg/kg. The ingredient is non-GMO, not irradiated and has no intentionally added allergens.

IQF freezing rapidly moves the fruit through the main ice-crystal formation zone and creates a product that can be portioned while frozen. It is not a sterilization step. Frozen strawberries naturally soften and release liquid after thawing, so we define the intended use before production. Standard industrial product enters cooking, pasteurization, baking or another controlled manufacturing step. A retail thaw-and-use or direct-consumption program uses the enhanced food-safety controls described below.

Manual frozen inspection shows the actual stage used to remove off-color fruit, calyx, stems, damaged berries and foreign material before packing.

Form comparison helps purchasing teams select visible whole fruit, controlled cuts or processing pieces before quotation.

Whole, Halves, Slices, Dice and Crumble

Whole IQF Strawberries

We supply 15-25 mm, 20-30 mm, 25-30 mm, 25-35 mm, 30-35 mm, 35 mm+, mixed 15-35 mm and uncalibrated whole fruit. Diameter is measured at right angles to the stem-to-apex axis. Grade A reaches at least 90% size conformity; Premium A+ reaches at least 95%.

Halves and Quarters

Halves are longitudinal 1/2 cuts, normally 20-50 mm long. Quarters are 1/4 cuts, normally 15-35 mm long. Grade A provides at least 90% cut conformity with fragments limited to 5%; Premium reaches at least 95% conformity with fragments limited to 3%.

Slices

Available thicknesses are 5, 7, 8, 10, 12 and 15 mm. The 10 mm slice is the main commercial format. Tolerance is ±1.5 mm for 5-8 mm slices and ±2 mm for 10-15 mm slices.

Dice and Processing Pieces

Available dice sizes are 6×6, 8×8, 10×10, 12×12, 14×14, 15×15 and 20×20 mm. We also supply 3-10 mm crumble, 5-15 mm crumble, 10-20 mm pieces and random broken pieces. Grade B and Processing Grade permit more visual variation but do not permit mould, decay, fermentation, foreign material or lower food-safety limits.

Whole Strawberry Size and Cut Conformity

For calibrated whole fruit, Grade A limits undersize and oversize to 5% each by count. Premium A+ limits each to 3%. The diameter spread within one calibrated pack is limited to 10 mm for Grade A and 8 mm for Premium. Whole fruit below 15 mm is supplied only when the product is explicitly identified as Small Grade.

For slices and dice, we inspect the declared dimension, small fragments, oversized pieces, damaged pieces, connected pieces and clumps by weight. Grade A dice reaches at least 90% dimensional conformity; Premium reaches at least 95%. For 6×6 mm dice, dimensional tolerance is ±1.5 mm. For 8×8 through 15×15 mm, tolerance is ±2 mm. For 20×20 mm, tolerance is ±3 mm.

We report the number of samples, inspected weight, average result and maximum individual result. This prevents a good average from hiding one carton with excessive fines or off-size pieces.

Diameter measurement provides judgeable evidence for whole-fruit calibration and size-conformity reporting.

Visual reference separates acceptable whole fruit and cuts from white shoulder, severe damage, decay and mould.

Premium A+, Grade A and Processing Grades

Premium A+ Whole Fruit

Minimum Brix is 9°Bx, size conformity is at least 95%, and whole identifiable fruit is at least 95%. Characteristic red surface covers at least 95% of fruit. Damaged fruit is limited to 3%, white shoulder to 3%, green shoulder to 0.5%, partial or mushy fruit after the standard thaw test to 5%, clumps to 1%, loose surface ice to 1% and severe freezer burn to 0.5%.

Grade A Whole Fruit

Minimum Brix is 8°Bx, size conformity is at least 90%, whole identifiable fruit is at least 90%, damaged fruit is limited to 5%, white shoulder to 5%, green shoulder to 1%, partial or mushy fruit to 10%, clumps to 2%, loose surface ice to 2% and severe freezer burn to 1%.

Grade B and Processing Grade

Grade B uses minimum Brix of 7°Bx, calibrated conformity of at least 80%, damaged whole fruit up to 10%, partial or mushy fruit up to 20%, white shoulder up to 10%, green shoulder up to 2%, clumps up to 3% and surface ice up to 3%. Processing Grade permits buyer-defined broken fruit and color variation. Every grade still requires mould, decay, fermentation and foreign material to be absent.

Color Defects

Partially uncolored means 25-75% of the outer surface lacks characteristic red color. Completely uncolored means 75% or more. White shoulder is a pale area around the calyx end; green shoulder is a green area showing insufficient maturity.

Structural Defects

Damaged fruit includes material deformation, hard seedy ends, mechanical injury, bruising or pest damage. A partial strawberry retains less than three-quarters of the apparent whole fruit. Mushy fruit forms a pulpy or badly disintegrated mass.

Frozen-Condition Defects

A clump is three or more berries or pieces adhering together and not easily separated by hand while frozen. Freezer burn is dry, pale or dehydrated surface. Added glaze is 0%; loose ice is inspected separately.

Brix, pH, Acidity and Thawing Performance

Standard natural Brix is 7-11°Bx. Grade A starts at 8°Bx, Premium A+ at 9°Bx and selected high-Brix lots at 10°Bx. Special programs cover 10-12°Bx after crop-lot selection. We measure a representative thawed and homogenized sample with a calibrated refractometer at 20°C. Contract pH is 3.0-3.8, normally narrowed to 3.1-3.6, and titratable acidity is 0.60-1.20% as citric acid.

Our standard thaw test uses a 500 g frozen sample on a perforated food-grade tray at 4±2°C for 16 hours, followed by two minutes of draining. Drip loss equals the initial frozen weight minus drained fruit weight, divided by initial frozen weight and multiplied by 100. Premium A+ controls drip loss to 12% maximum and identifiable whole-fruit retention to at least 88%. Grade A controls drip loss to 15% and whole-fruit retention to at least 80%.

We record mushy or collapsed fruit, abnormal fermented odor and mouldy odor after thawing. The limits are 5% mushy or collapsed fruit for Premium and 10% for Grade A; abnormal fermented and mouldy odors are absent.

The actual lot image supports review of diameter, red-color coverage, calyx removal and frozen condition.

Premium Retail Whole Fruit

We use 25-35 mm, 30-35 mm or 35 mm+ Premium A+ lots with Brix ≥9°Bx, damaged fruit ≤3%, white shoulder ≤3%, green shoulder ≤0.5% and clumps ≤1%.

Bakery and Muffins

We match 15-25 mm whole fruit, 20-30 mm whole fruit, halves or 10-20 mm pieces. Grade A uses Brix ≥8°Bx, damaged fruit ≤5% and clumps ≤2%.

Yogurt and Dairy

We supply 6×6, 10×10 or 12×12 mm dice and 5-15 mm crumble with Premium size conformity, low fines and enhanced microbiology for fruit preparations.

Smoothies

We match 15-25 mm whole fruit, Grade A, Grade B, crumble or processing pieces. Brix, aroma, color, microbiology and portion-control packing are stated in the order.

Jam and Spread

We use Senga Sengana, Dahongpao, Grade B, crumble or processing pieces with Brix 7-11°Bx, pH 3.0-3.8, acidity 0.60-1.20% and strong color.

Ice Cream

We supply 6×6 or 10×10 mm Premium dice and small 15-25 mm whole fruit with Brix ≥9°Bx, low calyx and stem limits and enhanced microbiology.

Filling and Compote

We match halves, quarters, 10 mm slices or 15×15 mm dice. The order defines piece integrity, Brix, acidity, heat stability, color retention and the formula trial.

Freeze-Drying Input

We select 20-30 or 25-35 mm whole fruit and halves with Premium conformity, Brix ≥9°Bx and low damage, followed by an application trial.

Strawberry receiving inspection checks maturity, color, calyx condition, damage and raw-material lot identity before freezing.

Processing and Physical-Hazard Control

Our process follows approved farm, harvest-lot identification, receiving, pre-cooling, washing, destemming, calyx removal, trimming, optical and manual sorting, cutting where required, surface-water removal, IQF freezing, frozen calibration, frozen sorting, metal detection, weighing, packing, cold storage, COA release, pre-shipment inspection and reefer loading.

At receiving, we record farm or grower code, variety, harvest date, receiving date, raw-material temperature, Brix, maturity, color, firmness, mould, decay, insects and pesticide program. Raw-material temperature target is 10°C or below. Processing starts within 12 hours of receiving under the recorded production schedule.

Our published metal-detection target is ferrous 1.5 mm, non-ferrous 2.0 mm and stainless steel 2.5 mm. Challenge tests run at production start, at least every two hours, after product or packing change, after equipment adjustment or restart, and at production end. A failed check stops the line, isolates product since the last successful test, triggers detector recheck and correction, and requires re-screening before release.

Bulk, Foodservice and Private-Label Packing

Industrial bulk formats include 1×10 kg, 1×20 kg, 2×5 kg and 4×2.5 kg PE bags per export carton, plus 20, 30 and 40 lb cartons. Foodservice formats include 10×1 kg, 5×2 kg, 4×2.5 kg and 2×5 kg. Retail programs include 20×500 g, 10×1 kg, 12×1 lb, 24×8 oz and 12×2 lb.

We review food-grade PE or frozen-food laminated film, 0.06-0.08 mm bulk liner, five-ply export carton, heat seal, net weight, carton dimensions and pallet plan. Whole strawberries are not vacuum packed as the default because excessive vacuum can compress the fruit.

Private-label work covers printed bags, neutral bags with buyer label, printed cartons, barcode, QR code, nutrition panel, multilingual text, lot code, date code and shipping marks. We approve artwork and carton marks before printing and connect the final files to the product and packing specification.

Cartons, seals and batch labels show how packing identity stays connected to the production lot.

Temperature evidence supports frozen storage and loading checks at -18°C or below.

MOQ, Lead Time, Cold Storage and Reefer Loading

Standard MOQ is 12 MT per specification. A trial SKU starts at 5 MT when standard stock and packing are available. Mixed-container planning uses 3-5 MT per SKU. Private-label MOQ is 10-12 MT per design and specification; certified organic programs start at 12-20 MT.

A 20-foot reefer loads approximately 12 MT. A 40-foot reefer loads approximately 22-24 MT. Final loading quantity is calculated from carton dimensions, retail or bulk packing, palletization and destination weight restrictions. Standard lead time is 15-21 days, stock supply is 7-10 days and printed retail packing is 20-30 days after artwork approval. A 1-2 kg sample takes 3-5 working days when stock is available.

Cold storage operates at -18 to -22°C. Product core temperature before packing and loading is -18°C or below, and the reefer set point is -18°C. We inspect the container for cleanliness, dryness, odor, pest evidence, damage, clear air channels, correct setting and intact door seals. Shipment evidence includes cold-store and product temperature, container inspection, setting photograph, loading photographs, container number, seal number and batch loading list.

Container Loading and Mixed Shipment Planning

Before loading, we match finished-lot numbers, carton quantities, net weight, pallet count and labels against the packing list. Product temperature is checked across at least five cartons. Cartons are positioned without blocking reefer airflow, and the loading record links each finished lot to the container and seal.

For mixed frozen-fruit containers, we separate SKUs in the loading map and state the carton count and lot number for every product. This gives the receiving warehouse a usable unloading sequence and prevents one strawberry grade from being mixed with another.

Loading evidence covers carton handling, temperature checks, container condition and shipment readiness.

Certificate files support supplier qualification; each order file uses the current holder, site, scope, certificate number and expiry date.

COA, Certificates and Buyer Documentation

We provide a signed product specification, batch COA, ingredient declaration, allergen statement, non-GMO statement, sulphite statement, shelf-life statement and nutrition data. Shipment files include the commercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin, health certificate and phytosanitary-related document where applicable, bill of lading draft, loading photos and container-and-seal record.

Available management and market files include BRCGS, HACCP, ISO 22000, KOSHER, HALAL, FDA Food Facility Registration and organic documentation for certified programs. We provide the current certificate holder, factory address, certificate number, validity, product scope and certification body rather than presenting a logo as proof.

The COA header identifies product, code, scientific name, variety, form, size, grade, origin, farm or grower code, harvest, receiving and production dates, expiry date, lot, packing, net weight, customer PO, sampling and testing dates. Its four columns are Parameter, Specification, Actual Result and Test Method. Actual Result contains the measured batch value, not a copy of the acceptance limit.

Defined Premium Grade

Premium is defined by Brix, color, size conformity, shoulder defects, damage, calyx, stems, clumps and thawing performance.

Multiple Forms

We prepare whole, halves, quarters, slices, dice and crumble with separate measurement and defect rules.

Application Matching

We match visible fruit, dosing accuracy, Brix, cut integrity, drip loss and packing to the final manufacturing use.

Berry Food-Safety Program

Enhanced projects include farm-water, hygiene, sanitation, pathogen, virus and hold-and-release controls.

Batch Evidence

We connect farm origin, production, COA, label, cold-store position, loading record, container and seal.

Inspection Access

Customer visits, remote review and SGS, Bureau Veritas or Intertek inspection are scheduled around production and loading.