Indonesian IQF Vegetables Cut Specs: Buyer Guide 2025

A practical, numbers-first playbook to define and verify 10x10 mm IQF carrot dice from Indonesian suppliers. Exact tolerances, sieve sizes, sampling, piece-count targets, and pass/fail criteria you can use on your next inspection.

If you buy IQF vegetables, you already know this: a “10x10 mm” dice that cooks unevenly or clogs a depositor costs more than it saves. The good news is you can lock cut quality down to the millimeter. This guide is the exact playbook we use when we qualify Indonesian suppliers for 10x10 IQF carrot dice, with tolerances, sieve sizes, and AQL that your QA team can apply immediately.

What does “10x10 mm” actually mean?

“10x10 mm” describes the target edge dimensions of each dice measured on two orthogonal faces. In practice, you’ll see three edges. We treat any edge outside 8–12 mm as out-of-spec unless otherwise agreed.

Our preferred definition for buyer-supplier specs:

• Target: 10x10x10 mm
• Per-piece tolerance: ±2 mm on each edge (accept 8–12 mm)
• Oversize critical: any edge >14 mm is a major defect; >16 mm is critical reject
• Undersize slivers: any edge <6 mm counts as a major defect (not just “fines”)

Why this matters: equipment doesn’t care about averages. It jams on single oversize chunks and leaks heat on slivers. Your tolerance must be per piece, not “mean of sample.”

The size tolerance we recommend for 2025

We’ve tested this across Indonesian lines ranging from high-speed dicing drums to multi-knife sliders.

• Working tolerance for 10 mm diced carrots: ±2 mm
• Distribution target by weight after sieving on a 1 kg sample:
  • 8–12 mm: 90–95%
  • <8 mm: ≤5%

  • 12–14 mm: ≤5%

  • 14 mm: 0% (or ≤0.3% if you allow a tiny allowance under AQL)

If you need quicker cook time or softer bite in blends, 8x8 mm is viable. In our trials, 8x8 mm reduces blanch or reheat time by roughly 20–30% versus 10x10 mm, holding color but increasing breakage risk during bulk handling. Choose 8x8 for soups and small-format ready meals. Choose 10x10 for sauté, fried rice, and mixed veg lines where visual cube definition matters.

How to measure size without thawing (works on the factory floor)

Measuring at -18°C sounds fussy, but it’s straightforward if you control three things: temperature, tool, and touch.

• Work in a cold room at -10 to -15°C to avoid surface thaw. Don’t measure in ambient air.
• Use a stainless digital caliper with flat jaws. Pre-chill it for 10 minutes in the cold room so frost doesn’t form on contact.
• Randomly pick pieces. Don’t cherry-pick “nice cubes.” Measure two faces at right angles. Record the larger deviation from 10 mm.
• Measure at least 50 pieces for a quick check. For formal checks, do 200–500 pieces per lot depending on your AQL plan.
• Don’t squeeze. If the piece skids, place it against a flat board and approach with the caliper gently.

Need a printable worksheet we use with Indonesian packers? Contact us on whatsapp and we’ll share the template.

Sieve analysis for piece size distribution

For IQF dice, sieving by weight is faster and more repeatable than counting. What’s interesting is that square-hole perforated plates prevent “bridging” better than woven wire for cubes.

Our setup:

• Sieve plates: 8 mm square hole, 12.5 mm or 14 mm square hole, and a solid pan
• Sample: 1,000 g IQF dice, taken as a composite from at least 5 cartons across top/middle/bottom layers
• Procedure: Stack 14 mm on top of 8 mm over pan. Shake for 2 minutes at consistent amplitude. Weigh each fraction.

Interpretation against spec above:

• Over 14 mm retained on top: must be 0% by weight (or ≤0.3% if you allow a tiny tolerance)
• 12.5–14 mm fraction: ≤5%
• 8–12.5 mm fraction: 90–95%
• <8 mm in pan: ≤5%

Pro tip: If you see lots of “sticks” at 8–10 mm, ask the supplier to tighten the pre-cube strip width. Stick-like pieces pass 10 mm on one axis but eat bite quality. We reject when “sticks” exceed 3% by weight even if they pass size tolerance.

How many pieces per kilogram should 10x10 dice yield?

A perfect 10 mm cube is ~1 cm³. Carrot density averages ~0.96 g/cm³. So a theoretical piece weighs ~0.96 g.

• Practical piece count target: 950–1,100 pieces/kg
• Red flags: <900 pieces/kg usually means oversize distribution; >1,150 suggests excessive undersize or slivers

This quick check gives you a sanity check before you even open the sieve case.

Using AQL to decide pass/fail on size

We use ANSI/ASQ Z1.4, General Inspection Level II, single sampling, with separate defect classes:

• Critical defect: any piece with any edge >16 mm. Reject on 1.
• Major defect: any piece with any edge >14–16 mm or <6 mm. Also “sticks” with L/W ratio >2.5. Evaluate under AQL 2.5.
• Minor defect: chips/broken edges that still meet 8–12 mm. Evaluate under AQL 6.5.

How many out-of-spec pieces are allowed? It depends on your lot size and resulting sample size. Under Level II, frozen veg shipments of 5–20 MT typically map to sample sizes of 200–500 pieces for an attribute check. At AQL 2.5, the acceptance number will typically sit around 3–5% of the sample. Example: if your sampling plan yields n=200 pieces, you’ll generally accept with 7–10 out-of-spec majors and reject at 8–11+. If your plan yields n=500, you’ll accept roughly up to 18–22 and reject above that.

Two practical tips:

• Split the sample across cartons. Don’t pull all 500 from the same pallet face.
• Record defect type by location. If oversize clusters in a few cartons, escalate to rework rather than full-lot rejection.

If your team wants us to convert your expected lot size into a specific n/Ac/Re, Call us and we’ll map the exact Z1.4 row you should use.

EU vs US buyer preferences we see now

The spec bands above are accepted on both sides, but buying behavior varies.

• EU buyers often push for stricter oversize control (>14 mm at 0%) to protect cook consistency in chilled RTE lines.
• US foodservice tolerates a little more undersize if it improves spoonability in soups and stews. Watch your <8 mm band if you sell into QSR prep kitchens.

Either way, keep your oversize under control. That’s what causes bite complaints.

What must be on a 10x10 carrot dice spec sheet (Indonesia-ready)

Here’s the checklist we use when aligning with Indonesian processors:

• Product: IQF Carrot Dice 10x10x10 mm
• Cut tolerance: 10 ±2 mm per edge; >14 mm major defect; >16 mm critical
• Piece size distribution by weight: 90–95% within 8–12 mm; ≤5% <8 mm; ≤5% >12–14 mm; 0% >14 mm
• Defect definitions: sticks L/W>2.5 major; slivers <6 mm major; broken but in-size minor
• Sampling: ANSI/ASQ Z1.4, General Level II, Normal, AQL 2.5 (major), 6.5 (minor), Critical 0
• Process: Blanched and IQF, core temp ≤ -18°C at pack, maintained at ≤ -18°C storage
• Raw material origin: Indonesia. Variety or grade if required
• Packaging: poly + carton, net weight, production date, lot coding format
• Allergens and additives: none added
• Organoleptic: bright orange, clean carrot aroma, uniform cube appearance
• Intended use: ready-to-cook or ready-meal processing

If you’re buying for mixed veg, align this with your blend partner. Our Frozen Mixed Vegetables uses 10 mm carrots precisely because it balances bite and reheat time alongside peas and corn.

Common mistakes that blow up cut integrity

We see these all the time:

• Measuring thawed samples. You’ll compress edges and under-report oversize. Measure frozen in a cold room.
• Counting instead of weighing in sieve analysis. Weight-based distribution is faster and less biased on larger samples.
• Single-axis checks. A piece that’s 10 mm on one face can be 14 mm on the third. Always measure two faces at right angles and watch for sticks.
• Letting “average size” pass. Averages don’t prevent clogging. Write per-piece tolerances into your spec.

A simple onboarding path with Indonesian suppliers

Here’s the thing: most disputes trace back to loose definitions, not bad carrots. We onboard in three steps:

1. Align the spec sheet. Share your AQL and our per-piece tolerance language. Ask for a pre-shipment sieve photo with weights.
2. Run a pilot. 1–2 pallets. Do full sieve and AQL on arrival. Log piece count/kg, not just pass/fail.
3. Lock process controls. If your application needs 8x8 for faster cook, say so early. If you’re building a retail blend, size-match with peas and beans.

We can source and process carrots to your cut. Our Indonesian roots on fresh carrots start with Carrots (Fresh Export Grade). If you’re building a broader frozen program with corn or bell peppers, see Premium Frozen Sweet Corn and Frozen Paprika (Bell Peppers) - Red, Yellow, Green & Mixed for compatible 10 mm cuts.

Fast takeaways you can use tomorrow

• Define 10x10 mm as 10 ±2 mm per edge. Treat >14 mm as major, >16 mm as critical.
• Verify by weight using 8 mm and 14 mm square-hole sieves, 1 kg sample, 2-minute shake.
• Target 90–95% in the 8–12 mm band. Keep undersize and oversize each at ≤5%.
• Expect 950–1,100 pieces/kg for 10 mm dice. Use this as a quick plausibility check.
• Use Z1.4 Level II with AQL 2.5 for majors. Expect acceptance numbers around 3–5% of the sample, depending on n.

Questions about your application or need a ready-to-use inspection sheet? Contact us on whatsapp and our Indonesia‑Vegetables team will share the exact forms we use in supplier audits.