Fresh shelled peas, canned peas and IQF green peas are not interchangeable on a purchase order. One lives in a short chill window; another is ambient shelf-stable; IQF is a frozen, free-flowing ingredient for foodservice, retail private label and industrial kitchens. Mixing those assumptions is how buyers get the wrong packing, the wrong storage temperature and a dispute at goods-in. This guide lists the specification fields that actually decide quality for IQF / frozen green peas before the first container ships.
IQF green peas are not fresh or canned peas
IQF green peas (garden peas) are shelled, washed, blanched and Individually Quick Frozen so each pea stays free-flowing at −18°C. They are sold for restaurant sides, mixed vegetables, ready meals, fried rice and retail frozen packs — not as fresh produce and not as a canned ambient SKU.
Fresh peas need a short chill chain and have a different shelf life. Canned peas are a heat-processed ambient product with different color, texture and label claims. If a quotation says only “green peas” or “frozen peas” without naming IQF, free-flow vs block, size band and packing, ask which product is actually being offered.
- Product form: whole shelled IQF green peas (Common cultivation — not Organic unless a separate Organic line is named and certified).
- Cold chain: continuous frozen storage and transit at −18°C or below — not chilled fresh logistics.
- Commercial unit: carton net weight (e.g. 10 kg / 20 kg) and any retail inner packs (500 g / 1 kg) matter as much as total tonnage.
Key specification fields for IQF green peas
A usable specification sheet states numbers or grades, not adjectives. Use the table as a checklist when you read a supplier sheet or write an RFQ. Exact tolerances are agreed per order and destination market — the sheet should still name each field.
| Field | What to state | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Size / diameter grade | Size band in mm (reference offering often 8–11 mm); how the band is measured | Drives appearance in trays, cooking time and yield consistency; “mixed” without a definition is not a grade |
| Color / maturity | Natural green target; limit for yellow / pale / over-mature peas | Main visual complaint from foodservice and retail buyers |
| Defects (broken / yellow / dark) | Limits for broken halves, yellow peas, dark / stained peas (by weight or count — name which) | Separates a usable industrial grade from a rejects-heavy lot |
| Ice glaze / surface ice | Whether glaze is applied; maximum glaze % if used; free-flow requirement after thaw of surface ice | Excess glaze inflates net weight perception and can hide clumping |
| Clumping / free-flow | Free-flowing IQF peas vs block-frozen; maximum clump size / share if any clumps allowed | Block product needs different thaw and portioning; do not treat as IQF free-flow |
| Blanch status | Blanched (typical for IQF peas) — name process expectation; any under-blanch / over-blanch limit if used | Affects enzyme stability, color retention and cook performance |
| Foreign matter | Tolerance for pods, stems, stones, other vegetable matter, foreign objects | Food-safety and customer-audit line; state a real limit |
| Packing | Bulk carton (e.g. 10 kg or 20 kg) and/or retail 500 g / 1 kg inners; PE liner; label language / marks | Price, warehouse handling and private-label artwork depend on pack |
| Storage & shelf life | −18°C or below continuous; shelf life from production date on the label (often up to 24 months under continuous frozen storage — confirm per lot) | Prevents short-dated or temperature-abused stock being treated as full-life product |
Typical reference packing on our IQF green peas line includes 10 kg or 20 kg cartons for wholesale, with optional retail-style 500 g / 1 kg packs where agreed. Cultivation type for this line is Common — we do not claim Organic for standard IQF green peas. Related IQF vegetables such as IQF broccoli, IQF sweet corn and IQF spinach stay on separate product sheets; do not copy size, glaze or packing assumptions across those boundaries.
Free-flow vs clump: lock the form
IQF means individually quick frozen so peas should pour free-flowing from the carton at −18°C. Block-frozen or heavily clumped product is a different commercial form: thaw behavior, portion control and glaze economics all change. If a supplier quotes “frozen peas” without “IQF” and without a free-flow / clump limit, treat that as an open specification — not as an accepted IQF grade.
- Free-flow IQF: peas separate; suitable for automatic dosing and mixed-veg lines.
- Clumped / block: requires different handling; only accept if the PO explicitly names block and pack format.
- Ice glaze: state whether glaze is used and the maximum glaze percentage so net drained weight expectations stay clear.
Documents and certificates buyers usually ask for
Certificates relate to the named producing facility and stated scope. Confirm the producing site, exact product and destination requirements with the quotation — a logo on a brochure is not a certificate for your lot.
- Agreed product specification sheet (version and date), including size band, defect limits and packing
- Ingredients / allergen information as required by the destination market (typically 100% green peas for this SKU)
- Lot-level documents available on request (packing list, COA / quality records relevant to the shipment)
- Site certificates within the stated facility scope for the IQF line (for example BRCGS, ISO 22000, HACCP, HALAL, OU where applicable) — confirm issuing body, validity and product annex
We do not treat ISO 9001 as part of this product’s standard claim set, and we do not claim Organic for Common-cultivation IQF green peas. If your market requires a specific residue, micro or certificate annex, name it in the RFQ so scope can be checked before sampling.
Red flags on an IQF green-peas quotation
- Quote says only “green peas” or “frozen peas” with no IQF / free-flow vs block wording.
- No size band (mm), no defect limits for broken / yellow / dark — only “high quality.”
- Storage stated as chilled or ambient, or shelf life from shipment date only with no production-date reference.
- Organic claimed on a Common-cultivation line, or certificates listed without facility name, scope or validity for IQF peas.
- Heavy ice glaze or clumping not declared while the price is presented as free-flow IQF net weight.
PO checklist: lock these before the first shipment
- Product form: whole shelled IQF green peas, free-flow (or explicitly block if that is what you want).
- Size / diameter band (e.g. 8–11 mm) and how it is measured.
- Color / maturity target and limits for yellow / pale peas.
- Defect limits: broken, yellow, dark / stained; foreign-matter tolerance.
- Blanch status; ice glaze % if any; clumping / free-flow acceptance.
- Packing: 10 kg / 20 kg carton and/or 500 g / 1 kg retail inners; liner; label marks.
- Storage −18°C or below; shelf life from production date.
- Cultivation type (Common vs any separately certified Organic line).
- Quantity, Incoterms, destination and delivery window.
- Pre-shipment sample from the offered lot, accepted against the same sheet; documents and certificates (facility and product scope confirmed).
Name the size band, free-flow vs clump, and the −18°C cold chain on the same sheet — those three prevent most IQF green-peas disputes before the carton is sealed.
For formats, packing options and sample requests, see our IQF green peas product page, or contact us with your target specification for a quote or sample.
