Frozen Strawberries (IQF Whole, Sliced & Diced, Block and Puree Grade)

IQF and block strawberries in 10 kg cartons or bins, bought on grade, calibre, defects and a clean residue and virus file

Frozen strawberries are traded on a specification sheet, and the sheet follows the structure of Codex CXS 52-1981, the standard for quick frozen strawberries. The standard recognises whole, halved, sliced or cut styles, presented free-flowing (IQF, berries that do not stick together) or non free-flowing (a solid block), with whole berries sized or unsized; for Fragaria grandiflora no more than 5% by number may be under 15 mm diameter, and sized berries must sit within 10 mm of each other. It counts defects on a 500 g sample: no more than 3 stalks over 3 mm, 3 cm² of calyces, 1 completely uncoloured berry, 5% partially uncoloured, 5% disintegrated, 5% blemished, 2% misshapen and 6% dissimilar varieties, with mineral impurities such as sand at no more than 0.1% of the product. Quick freezing is complete only when the thermal centre reaches -18 °C. Packs with added sugar carry a soluble solids band (18-35% for dry sugar, 15-25% for syrup, by refractometer); for unsweetened fruit the Brix minimum is a contract term stated on the specification. Commercially, Grade A is the retail and foodservice berry (whole, calibrated, few defects) and Grade B or crumble goes to jam, yoghurt, bakery and smoothie plants, and US buyers also work to USDA grade standards for frozen strawberries. UN Comtrade 2024 export declarations under HS 0811.10 put Egypt first at USD 381 million and 191,400 MT (China, Germany, the USA, Poland and the Netherlands among its larger markets at USD 30-42 million each), followed by Mexico USD 162 million and 76,400 MT, Poland USD 126 million and 64,100 MT, Chile USD 112 million and 45,400 MT, China USD 89 million and 65,300 MT, Morocco USD 77 million and 51,000 MT and Peru USD 57 million, of which the USA took USD 27 million and Canada USD 17 million. Average 2024 unit values ran from about USD 1.37/kg (China) and 1.52/kg (Morocco) to 1.97-2.12/kg (Poland, Egypt, Mexico) and 2.46/kg (Chile).

Food safety decides who can buy. Frozen berries have been the vehicle in documented virus outbreaks: about 11,000 norovirus cases in German schools and canteens in 2012 were traced to a consignment of frozen strawberries from China, a US hepatitis A outbreak in 2016 was linked to frozen strawberries from Egypt, and a 2023 US outbreak to frozen organic strawberries from farms in Baja California. Buyers therefore look for packers with irrigation-water and worker-hygiene controls at farm level (GlobalG.A.P.), a BRCGS or IFS certificate at the plant, and lot testing for norovirus and hepatitis A by the ISO 15216-1 method where the retailer requires it. Pesticide residues are the other gate: the EU cut chlorpyrifos MRLs to 0.01 mg/kg from November 2020, and Implementing Regulation (EU) 2026/194 placed Egyptian strawberries (CN 0810 10 00 and 0811 10) on 20% border checks for pesticide residues. Seasons differ by origin: Egypt's crop for freezing comes mainly from November to March in the Nile Delta, Morocco grows strawberries from November to March in the Gharb and Loukkos, Mexico harvests from November to July with freezing concentrated around Zamora and Irapuato, and Poland picks from mid-June to early July. CBIL is a commodity brokerage company and brokers frozen strawberries from packers in these origins against the packer's specification, a certificate of analysis for residues and microbiology per lot, the phytosanitary and health certificates the destination requires, a certificate of origin and, on request, halal certification by a body the destination accepts. Cartons of 10 kg, 400-500 kg bins and retail bags move at -18 °C or colder in 40-ft high-cube reefers, with exporters typically quoting 22-26 MT of 10 kg cartons depending on palletising, priced per MT on FCA, FOB, CFR or CIF terms by style, calibre, grade and crop year. Send the style, calibre, grade, Brix and residue limits, pack, volume and destination, and the enquiry is screened and worked against packers who meet it.

Excluded origins are not offered, including product re-exported, blended or re-processed through a third country. Every lot moves with a certificate of origin naming the producing plant, mine or grower country, and nothing is quoted before the seller and loading point are known.