Indonesian IQF Vegetables Packaging Specs: 2026 Guide

A numbers-first, buyer-ready spec template for 1 kg retail IQF vegetable bags from Indonesian processors exporting to EU and US in 2026. What MVTR and OTR to target, which film structures to choose, puncture and seal metrics that prevent bursts at -18°C, and the exact lab tests to request.

We cut export complaints by 61 percent in one peak season simply by tightening five film specs for our IQF lines. No new machines. No fancy graphics. Just the right numbers in the datasheet and the discipline to hold vendors to them. This guide is exactly what we wish we had on day one.

We’re writing as the Indonesia‑Vegetables team at PT FoodHub Collective Indonesia. We process and export IQF vegetables every week, including high‑motion SKUs like Premium Frozen Sweet Corn, Frozen Mixed Vegetables, Premium Frozen Okra, and Frozen Paprika (Bell Peppers). Here’s the 2026 numbers-first spec we recommend to buyers and co-pack partners.

The three pillars of IQF film performance

1. Barrier. Keep water where it belongs to avoid freezer burn. Oxygen barrier matters less than most people think for vegetables, but there are edge cases.
2. Mechanics. Resist puncture and tears from sharp cuts and rough handling at -18°C.
3. Sealing on real lines. Achieve strong, consistent seals through frost and fragments with low temperature seal initiation and high hot tack.

Let’s break these into the questions we get most.

What MVTR is acceptable to prevent freezer burn?

Short answer. Target MVTR at or below 1.5 g/m²·day at 38°C, 90 percent RH. If you export long lanes or face DC picking multiple times, push to 1.0.

Why. Freezer burn is moisture loss. While actual storage is at -18°C where vapor transmission is far lower, we compare films at the standard test point. We’ve found that MVTR above 2.0 g/m²·day usually correlates with surface dehydration in 3 to 6 months for cut items with high surface area like diced paprika. Mixed vegetables and peas tolerate a bit more, but sub‑1.5 keeps you safe across SKUs.

How to hit it. Use adequate total gauge and a tight seal. A 12 PET over 70–90 PE already achieves around 1.0–1.8 depending on PE blend. Adding PA does not improve MVTR. Good seals and zero pinholes matter as much as the datasheet value.

Do frozen vegetable bags need oxygen barrier like EVOH?

Usually no. For vegetables like sweet corn, peas, mixed veg, okra, or bell peppers, oxidation is effectively slowed by the frozen state. A monomaterial PE with OTR under 2,000 cc/m²·day at 23°C, 0 percent RH is perfectly serviceable. If you handle high‑fat or highly pigment‑sensitive items, that’s different. But vegetables are rarely the use case.

If you must use a barrier for a retail buyer claim, keep EVOH content under 5 percent in a mono‑PE structure to retain EU recyclability in 2026.

Which structure resists puncture better for peas and cut carrots?

PET/PA/PE beats PET/PE for puncture and tear resistance. The PA core spreads stress and handles sharp edges from cut carrots, okra tips, and sliced paprika.

Our rule of thumb for 1 kg bags:

• PET/PE. Fine for peas and sweet corn. Specify minimum ASTM D1709 dart drop 400 g and Elmendorf tear MD/CD 200/350 g.
• PET/PA/PE. Prefer for mixed veg, okra, and diced paprika. Specify dart drop 600 g and tear MD/CD 250/450 g.

If you want recyclability, a well‑designed mono‑PE with MDO‑PE outer and metallocene PE inner can reach 450–550 g dart drop at 100–110 μm total. It won’t match PA’s edge-case toughness but covers most retail handling if your outer cartons and pallets are sound.

A 12‑week rollout plan that works on real lines

We use this with new films and new vendors. It keeps surprises off the export lane.

Week 1–2. Define and validate with lab tests

• Send a one‑page spec with targets and test methods. Vendors that push back early usually save you time later.
• Request certificates for MVTR, OTR, dart drop, COF, SIT, hot tack, and seal strength. Ask for the exact conditions used.
• Review machinability. VFFS jaws, collar width, bag style, print orientation, and tear notch plan.

What to ask for on the datasheet (use these methods):

• MVTR. ASTM F1249 at 38°C, 90 percent RH.
• OTR. ASTM D3985 at 23°C, 0 percent RH. Optional second point at 23°C, 50 percent RH.
• Dart drop. ASTM D1709, Method A.
• Puncture energy. ASTM D5748 or equivalent.
• Tensile and elongation. ASTM D882.
• Elmendorf tear. ASTM D1922, MD/CD.
• COF. ASTM D1894, film/steel and film/film, inside and outside.
• Seal strength. ASTM F88 at 23°C after 24 hours conditioning. Report average N/15 mm and minimums.
• Hot tack and SIT. ASTM F1921. Report peak hot tack and initiation temperature for the inner metallocene PE.

Week 3–6. Pilot on the line

• Run at least 1,200 bags per SKU at your standard winter setpoints. Measure actual waste, leakers, and burst-on-drop.
• Run seal-through-contamination. We place a few grains of IQF corn in the seal area every 200 bags to mimic reality.
• Cold performance. Condition filled pouches at -18°C for 24 hours. Then test F88 seal strength and do 10 drop tests from 1.2 m on corners, faces, and butt seam.

Week 7–12. Lock spec and scale

• Freeze the datasheet. Add the exact PE blend, adhesive type, and corona level. Don’t leave it generic.
• Document the sealing window. Example. 140–160°C, 0.6–0.8 s dwell, 3.5 bar. Note any changes for mono‑PE vs PET laminations.
• Add distribution drops. If you export to the EU and US, test two ambient–frozen–ambient cycles to simulate transshipment.

Seal strength and seal width that prevent bursts at -18°C

We’ve found these numbers work for 1 kg IQF vegetables in pillow bags.

• Minimum seal width. 10 mm for smooth items like peas and corn. 12 mm for mixed veg, okra, and diced paprika.
• Seal strength (ASTM F88). Average 15 N/15 mm with no individual below 12 N/15 mm at 23°C. After conditioning at -18°C for 24 hours, aim for at least 12 N/15 mm average.
• Hot tack. Peak ≥8 N/15 mm at 130–140°C. This is what keeps seals from peeling during discharge when product and film are cold.
• Inner sealant. Metallocene LLDPE blend with SIT 95–105°C and strong seal-through-frost behavior. Metallocene PE liners are the single easiest win on cold-line consistency.

Practical takeaway. Don’t chase max seal strength if the film curls or wrinkles. A stable, wide seal with high hot tack prevents more failures than sheer peel force.

Is nitrogen flushing necessary? How much headspace is ideal?

Vegetables generally don’t require nitrogen for oxidation. We use gas mainly to shape pouches and protect the product surface from abrasion in transit.

• Residual O2 target. Under 5 percent if flushing. No need to chase 1 percent for vegetables.
• Headspace. 10–15 percent of pouch volume. For 1 kg, that’s usually 150–200 mL. Too much headspace encourages burst on compression. Too little causes seals to crease at VFFS discharge.

For shaped pods like Premium Frozen Okra or Premium Frozen Edamame, a small gas pad reduces compression marks without adding barrier complexity.

Recyclable mono‑PE options for EU 2026

Buyer asks for “recyclable PE frozen packaging” more often now. In the last six months we’ve seen widespread adoption of MDO‑PE/PE films approved by RecyClass and aligned with CEFLEX D4ACE guidance.

Baseline spec that works:

• Structure. 30–40 μm MDO‑PE outside printed. 70–80 μm mLLDPE inside. Total 100–120 μm.
• Performance. MVTR 1.0–1.5 g/m²·day. OTR 1,000–2,000 cc/m²·day. Dart drop 450–550 g. Hot tack peak ≥8 N/15 mm.
• Design for recycling. PE zipper if needed. PE-based inks and primers. EVOH under 5 percent if used at all.

When to avoid mono‑PE. If you have chronic puncture failures on cut, angular products and can’t reinforce cartons. In that case, PET/PA/PE still has a place.

Film thickness and a quick bag size calculator for 1 kg

Typical totals by structure for 1 kg retail pillow bags.

• PET/PE. 90–100 μm. Example. 12 PET + 80–90 PE.
• PET/PA/PE. 95–110 μm. Example. 12 PET + 15 PA + 70–80 PE.
• Mono‑PE. 100–120 μm. Example. 35 MDO‑PE + 70–85 mLLDPE.

Volume and dimensions.

• Bulk density for IQF veg. 0.65–0.75 g/cm³. So 1,000 g needs roughly 1.33–1.54 L product volume.
• Add 10–15 percent headspace. Target pouch internal volume 1.5–1.75 L.
• A common 1 kg pillow bag on VFFS. Flat width 220–240 mm. Finished length 300–340 mm with 10–12 mm top and bottom seals. Adjust based on your forming set and desired profile.

If you need a quick sanity check for Frozen Mixed Vegetables vs Premium Frozen Sweet Corn, use the higher volume assumption for mixed cuts. They settle less densely than kernels.

Five mistakes that quietly kill frozen pouches

1. Chasing ultra‑low OTR for vegetables. You add cost and recyclability headaches with little benefit.
2. Under‑specifying hot tack. Great peel strength doesn’t save a seal that rips open as it leaves the jaws.
3. Too‑narrow seals. We still see 6 mm seals on 1 kg bags. They burst on corner drops in winter.
4. Ignoring COF balance. Outside COF over 0.35 chokes multihead infeed. Inside COF under 0.2 makes pouches slide and crease. Ask for 0.25–0.35 outside and 0.2–0.3 inside.
5. Not testing at -18°C. Room‑temp validation hides brittle failures. Always condition filled pouches cold before drop and seal tests.

A ready‑to‑use 1 kg IQF bag spec template

• Structure. Choose one.
  • PET/PE, 12/80–90 for peas and corn.
  • PET/PA/PE, 12/15/70–80 for mixed cuts, okra, paprika.
  • Mono‑PE, 35 MDO‑PE/70–85 mLLDPE for EU recyclability.
• Barrier. MVTR ≤1.5 g/m²·day at 38°C, 90 percent RH. OTR ≤2,000 cc/m²·day at 23°C, 0 percent RH.
• Mechanics. Dart drop ≥400 g (PET/PE) or ≥600 g (PET/PA/PE). Elmendorf tear MD/CD ≥200/350 g (PET/PE) or ≥250/450 g (PET/PA/PE).
• COF. Outside 0.25–0.35. Inside 0.2–0.3.
• Seals. Inner metallocene PE. SIT 95–105°C. Hot tack peak ≥8 N/15 mm at 130–140°C. Seal width 10–12 mm. F88 ≥15 N/15 mm at 23°C and ≥12 N/15 mm after -18°C conditioning.
• Line window. Note target jaws 140–160°C, 0.6–0.8 s, 3.5 bar. Customize per line.
• Tests required. ASTM F1249, D3985, D1709, D5748, D882, D1922, D1894, F1921, F88. Certificates with conditions listed.

If you want us to sanity‑check your current film against this template or tailor it to a specific SKU like Frozen Paprika vs Premium Frozen Okra, just Contact us on whatsapp. We’re happy to share real data from recent exports and help you avoid avoidable headaches.

What’s interesting is that none of this requires heroics. Define the right numbers. Test them the way you actually ship. Then hold the line. If you need a product reference while you draft specs, you can also View our products.