Why Supplier Selection Matters
Selecting an IQF supplier is one of the highest-impact decisions a procurement team makes. The wrong choice leads to quality complaints from your customers, regulatory holds at port, supply disruptions mid-season, and margin erosion from hidden costs. The right choice gives you consistent product, predictable lead times, and a partnership that improves over time.
This checklist covers the six areas that separate reliable IQF suppliers from risky ones. It is designed for procurement managers, quality assurance leads, and sourcing directors evaluating suppliers of frozen fruits, vegetables, blends, and related products at commercial scale.
1. Certifications and Food Safety Systems
Certifications are the first filter. They do not guarantee quality on their own, but their absence — or the wrong ones — is a clear disqualifier.
Minimum Requirements for Any Regulated Market
- ✓HACCP:The baseline. Any supplier without a current HACCP plan is not ready for commercial export. Demonstrates hazard analysis and critical control points are in place.
- ✓At least one GFSI-benchmarked standard:BRC, IFS, FSSC 22000, or SQF. Signals the facility has been audited against an internationally accepted food safety framework.
- ✓Destination-market compliance:EU requires Regulation 178/2002 and MRL standards. US imports require FSVP documentation. Japan requires compliance with food sanitation law.
Additional Certifications That Add Value
- •Kosher and Halal — required for certain retail channels
- •GlobalG.A.P. — demonstrates farm-level good agricultural practices
- •SEDEX/SMETA — ethical trade and labor practice auditing
- •ISO 22000 — broader food safety management system
- •Organic certification (EU Organic, USDA Organic, JAS Organic) — market-specific, not interchangeable
Red Flag
A supplier who claims certifications but cannot produce current certificates within 24 hours of request. Legitimate operations keep these documents ready for buyer review at all times.
2. Factory and Production Capability
Certifications tell you the facility passed an audit. A factory capability assessment tells you whether it can actually deliver what you need, consistently, at the volumes you require.
Processing capacity
What is the factory's daily/weekly IQF throughput in metric tons? Does it have sufficient capacity to fulfill your orders without displacing other customers or running overtime shifts that compromise quality?
Equipment and technology
What freezing technology does the factory use — tunnel freezers, spiral freezers, fluidized bed freezers? Modern IQF lines with fluidized bed or spiral freezers produce better individual separation and fewer ice crystal defects.
Product specialization
Does the factory specialize in the products you need, or are your items a minor sideline? A factory that processes 80% vegetables and 20% fruit will have more expertise for vegetables.
Cold storage capacity
How much finished-product cold storage does the factory maintain on-site? Facilities with limited storage may ship immediately after production.
Export experience
What percentage of the factory's output goes to export markets? A factory that exports 70%+ to regulated markets operates at a different standard than one that exports 10%.
Red Flag
A factory that claims to produce everything — fruits, vegetables, seafood, meat, ready meals — from a single facility. Genuine IQF specialists focus on specific product categories and do them well.
3. Quality Control and Testing Protocols
The difference between a supplier that delivers consistent quality and one that delivers occasional quality is their QC system. Look for documented, repeatable processes — not ad hoc inspections.
Pre-production Controls
- •Raw material inspection upon arrival (grading, sensory check, reject rate)
- •Supplier qualification program for upstream farms
- •Incoming material testing (pesticide residue, basic micro)
In-process Controls
- •Defined critical control points with monitoring records
- •Metal detection and/or X-ray inspection on lines
- •Weight checks and calibration records
- •Defect sorting with documented reject rates
Finished Product QC
- •Size grading verification
- •Color assessment, defect count
- •IQF separation check
- •Net weight verification
Required Testing Per Lot
Physical
- →Size grading
- →Color assessment
- →Defect rate
- →IQF separation
- →Net weight
Chemical
- →Brix levels (fruits)
- →Moisture content
- →pH, total acidity
- →SO2 residue if applicable
Microbiological
- →Total plate count
- →Coliforms, E. coli
- →Salmonella (absence/25g)
- →Listeria mono (absence/25g)
- →Yeast and mold
Contaminants
- →Heavy metals panel (Pb, Cd, As, Hg)
- →Pesticide residue panel per destination MRL
Red Flag
A supplier who provides COAs only from their own in-house lab with no third-party verification option. Reputable suppliers use accredited external laboratories for at least annual validation.
4. Sample Evaluation Process
Never commit to a container-scale order without evaluating commercial samples first. The sample stage reveals whether the product matches your specifications and whether the supplier can deliver consistent quality.
What a Proper Sampling Program Looks Like
- 1Request 2–5 kg per product. This provides enough material for sensory evaluation, lab testing, and application trials.
- 2Specify that samples must come from current production. Insist on samples pulled from a standard production run, not hand-selected exhibition quality.
- 3Conduct sensory evaluation after controlled thaw. Assess appearance (color uniformity, size consistency), texture (firmness, no mushiness), flavor and aroma (true to variety, no off-notes), and IQF quality (pieces should separate freely).
- 4Run independent lab testing. Verify key parameters with your own accredited lab. At minimum, run a microbiological panel and pesticide residue screen.
- 5Document everything. Photograph samples on arrival, record thaw conditions, keep scored evaluation sheets. This becomes your baseline for accountability.
Red Flag
A supplier who is reluctant to send samples, charges excessive fees for small sample shipments, or takes more than 2–3 weeks to fulfill a sample request. Serious suppliers treat sampling as an investment in the commercial relationship.
5. Supply Chain Reliability and Logistics
A supplier with excellent product quality but unreliable logistics is still a bad supplier. Evaluate their ability to deliver on time, every time.
Capacity and Lead Times
- •Standard lead time from order to container loading (15–30 days typical)
- •Buffer stock availability for key products
- •Peak season capacity management and order prioritization
Cold Chain Integrity
- •Reefer containers with real-time temperature and GPS monitoring
- •Temperature logs available for factory-to-port journey
- •Protocol for temperature deviations during transit
Documentation and Communication
- •Shipping documents provided within 3–5 business days
- •English-speaking commercial staff in your time zone
- •Email response time for routine and urgent inquiries
Red Flag
A supplier who cannot provide references from current customers in your target market. If they claim to export to the EU but cannot name a single European buyer willing to confirm the relationship, that is cause for concern.
6. Commercial Terms and Pricing Transparency
Price per metric ton is the headline number, but total cost of supply includes many other factors. Evaluate commercial terms holistically.
Pricing Structure
- •FOB vs CIF pricing — FOB gives more freight transparency
- •Volume pricing at 1, 5, and 10+ containers
- •Pricing change frequency — fixed season or quarterly adjustment
Payment Terms
- •Letter of Credit (LC) — security for both parties
- •Telegraphic Transfer (TT) — 30% deposit / 70% against docs
- •Evolution to better terms after trust established
Contract Protections
- •Clear specs with measurable acceptance criteria
- •Claims process and resolution timeline
- •Force majeure clause for disruptions
Red Flag
A supplier who offers pricing dramatically below market rates. In IQF commodity trade, if a price seems too good to be true, it usually means corners are being cut on raw material quality, testing protocols, or certification maintenance.
Summary Checklist for Quick Reference
- ☐Current HACCP + at least one GFSI-benchmarked certification (BRC, IFS, FSSC 22000, or SQF)
- ☐Destination-market organic certification if required
- ☐Factory with verified export experience to your target market
- ☐Documented QC process with third-party lab verification
- ☐Commercial samples evaluated and approved before first order
- ☐COA provided per production lot with full testing panels
- ☐Clear lead time commitments with cold chain monitoring
- ☐Transparent pricing structure with defined payment terms
- ☐Claims resolution process documented in contract
- ☐English-speaking commercial contact in your time zone
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