Choosing a frozen spinach supplier starts with a format decision that many buyers gloss over: IQF whole leaf, chopped block, or portion pucks. Each behaves differently on the production line, carries a different water content, and prices differently per drained kilogram. Egypt has become one of the Mediterranean’s most competitive origins for frozen spinach — winter-grown flat-leaf spinach, processed within hours of harvest at BRC-certified plants, and shipped from Alexandria, Damietta or Sokhna at −18 °C year-round.
This guide explains the three commercial formats, the specs that belong on your contract — drip loss, blanching standard, foreign-matter limits — plus packing options from 400 g retail bags to 4×2.5 kg catering cases. Full details are on the frozen spinach product page. PEIVANA, the flexible Egyptian exporter, supplies full frozen containers or slots spinach alongside strawberries, okra and molokhia in mixed frozen loads.
Formats and Grades
IQF whole leaf: individually quick-frozen whole or broken leaves, free-flowing. Premium format for retail bags and dishes where leaf identity matters. Spec point: leaf integrity — min 60–70% whole leaves by weight.
Chopped block (BQF): blanched chopped spinach pressed into 300 g–2.5 kg blocks. The industrial standard for soups, fillings, ready meals. Chop size typically 5–10 mm; blocks are dense, so pallet yield per container is highest.
Portions (pucks/pellets): chopped spinach frozen as 20–30 g portions, free-flowing like IQF. Dose-control favourite for ready-meal lines and food service — no thawing a whole block for a 200 g recipe.
All formats: Grade A colour (uniform dark green, no yellow leaf above tolerance), stems limited per spec, and blanching to peroxidase-negative standard.
Sizes & Cut Specs
| Format | Cut / unit size | Key spec | Typical buyer |
|---|---|---|---|
| IQF whole leaf | Whole/broken leaf | ≥60% whole leaf | Retail packers |
| Chopped block | 5–10 mm chop | Block weight tolerance ±2% | Industry, canners |
| Portions | 20–30 g pucks | Free-flowing, no clumping | Ready meals, HORECA |
| Purée (on request) | Fine mill | Brix / dry matter declared | Baby food, sauces |
Packing Formats
| Pack | Net weight | Case | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Retail poly bag | 400 g / 450 g / 1 kg | 10–20 × per carton | Private label print available |
| Catering bag | 2.5 kg | 4 × 2.5 kg carton | IQF and portions |
| Block carton | 10 kg (4×2.5 kg blocks) | polylined carton | Industrial standard |
| Bulk | 20–25 kg | Poly-lined carton or octabin | Repackers, processors |
A 40′ reefer at −18 °C takes ~24–26 t of block spinach or ~20–22 t of IQF (lower bulk density). Cartons carry production date, lot code and best-before (24 months at −18 °C).
Season — and Why It Barely Matters to You
Egyptian spinach is harvested and processed mainly November through March, when cool weather gives the best leaf colour and lowest nitrate levels. Because production is frozen at −18 °C, shipment is year-round from cold store — you contract fresh-pack in winter or reserve stock for summer delivery. The fresh-harvest overlap with other freezing crops is mapped in the Egyptian produce seasons calendar.
QC Checkpoints Buyers Should Ask For
- Drip loss / drained weight — the money spec. Contract a maximum drip loss (commonly ≤8–10% for IQF leaf on controlled thaw) or a minimum drained weight for blocks; test method must be named (e.g. thaw at 20 °C on sieve, 2 h).
- Blanching verification — peroxidase-negative certificate per lot; under-blanched spinach turns bitter and grey in storage.
- Foreign matter & weed leaf — metal detection + optical sorting records; contractual limits for grass/weed leaf per 10 kg.
- Microbiology — TVC, E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes per EU 2073/2005 with certificates of analysis.
- Nitrate level — EU limit 2,000 mg/kg for frozen spinach; ask for per-lot results, especially for baby-food-adjacent buyers.
- Cold chain proof — loading at ≤−18 °C product core, logger in every container.
Mixed-Container Fit
Frozen spinach is the classic volume-filler in a mixed frozen container from Egypt: 6 pallets of spinach blocks stabilise a load built around IQF strawberries, okra, molokhia, artichoke and mixed vegetables — all at one −18 °C setpoint, no compatibility maths. That flexibility is the core of the PEIVANA model described in our mixed produce containers guide — mid-size buyers get factory pricing without committing 26 tonnes to a single SKU.
FAQ
Which format gives the best cost per drained kilo?
Chopped block — highest density, lowest packaging cost. IQF leaf and portions cost more per kg but reduce line waste through dosing control; many buyers run block for base recipes and portions for batch cooking.
What shelf life and MOQ apply?
24 months from production at −18 °C. MOQ for private-label retail bags is typically one pallet per SKU within a mixed frozen container.
Is Egyptian frozen spinach accepted in the EU?
Yes — our partner plants run BRCGS/ISO 22000 systems with full EU-compliant labelling, nitrate and pesticide testing per lot.
Request a Quotation
Tell us format, pack size and annual volume — we quote the same day, including mixed frozen combinations. Use the contact form or WhatsApp.