Frozen Cranberries: export from Canada to ASEAN

Frozen cranberries are bought principally by manufacturers rather than for direct consumption, because the raw fruit is too acidic for most palates without sweetening. Bakery, sauce, juice and prepared-food applications are the main routes.

The specification points are size grade, colour, defect and foreign-material tolerance, and whether the fruit is whole, sliced or crumble. Brix and acidity are worth specifying for beverage and sauce applications, since they determine the sweetening required downstream.

Canadian production is cultivated on managed bogs in Quebec and British Columbia, giving steadier volume than the wild berry trade.

The operational risk is the cold chain rather than the fruit. IQF product that has partially thawed and refrozen clumps into blocks, and it is obvious on arrival. Confirm destination cold-chain capability through the last mile before the first container ships.

Frozen fruit classifies apart from fresh and from dried, and whether sugar has been added is frequently a sub-division within the frozen line. State the exact composition, because an added-sugar declaration can move both the classification and the duty.