Yes, you can co-load frozen tuna and squid in one reefer and cut freight costs—if you follow a tight temperature, packaging, and stowage plan. Here’s the exact method our Indonesia‑Seafood team uses to avoid odor transfer and temperature excursions.
If you’re trying to ship tuna and squid together to tame freight costs, you’re not alone. Three out of five buyers who ask us about mixed frozen seafood containers have the same fear: squid smell tainting tuna and temperature drift causing claims. We’ve run enough mixed tuna–squid consolidations to say it plainly. You can do this safely if you respect a few non-negotiables.
Here’s the go/no-go logic and the loading plan we use when we co-load tuna loins, steaks or cubes with Loligo squid rings and whole cleaned squid.
Can you safely ship tuna and squid in the same reefer?
Yes, if both products are fully frozen to core at -18 C or below and you build odor and moisture barriers. It’s not safe when one product requires ultra-low temperatures. Sashimi-grade tuna at -60 C is a hard no for mixed loads. Different freezing regimes don’t belong in the same box.
In our experience, the most common and successful combo is frozen tuna loins/steaks/cubes with frozen Loligo squid rings or whole cleaned squid, consolidated at a reefer setpoint between -18 C and -20 C.
The three pillars of a safe mixed frozen seafood container
- Temperature strategy that matches both products.
- Setpoint: We typically set the reefer to -20 C to maintain product core ≤ -18 C. Many buyers ask for “reefer setpoint -18C,” but remember the setpoint controls air, not core. The -20 C air cushion compensates for door opening at origin and transit defrost cycles.
- Pre-cool cargo and container: Cargo must be at -18 C or colder before stuffing. Never use the container to freeze. Pre-cool the reefer to setpoint with fresh-air vents closed for at least 30–45 minutes before loading.
- Defrost and airflow: Keep defrost on auto. Fresh-air vent closed to prevent moisture ingress.
- Packaging and odor barrier that actually works.
- Squid is the odor donor. Tuna is the odor absorber. We spec squid in double polybags (70–90 micron) with a positive seal, then inside a 5-ply master carton. Tuna should be vacuum packed where practical, or heavy-film IVP/IWP, then master-cartoned and stretch wrapped.
- Add a plastic liner around each squid pallet and full stretch wrap to the pallet base. Use corrugated slip sheets under pallets to lift cartons off any condensate.
- Glaze is fine on both products as a protective layer, but we reject wet, dripping cartons. Moisture equals odor transfer.
- Airflow-friendly stowage and segregation.
- Don’t block the T-floor. Maintain a 12–15 cm headspace to the ceiling and 5–10 cm from sidewalls. Air must circulate.
- Vertical segregation: Avoid placing squid above tuna. If something leaks, gravity wins.
- Horizontal segregation: Group tuna pallets together and squid pallets together. Insert one row of buffer pallets or empty space with dunnage sheets between species. We also wrap the two outside faces of squid blocks facing tuna with extra film as a “soft wall.”
Practical takeaway: If you nail these three pillars and verify temperatures at stuffing, odor cross-contamination is extremely unlikely.
Go/No-Go: When to co-load and when not to
Can I mix sashimi-grade tuna with squid in one container?
No. Sashimi-grade Yellowfin Saku (Sushi Grade) or ULT tuna needs -60 C. That requires a ULT reefer and dedicated loading. Mixing that with -18 C squid is a guaranteed problem. Instead, co-load squid with non-ULT tuna formats like Yellowfin Steak, Yellowfin Cube (IQF), or Bigeye Loin that are designed for frozen transport at -18 C to -20 C.
Acceptable product mix for -18 C shipments
- Tuna formats: loins, steaks, cubes, ground meat IQF, retail IVP. Avoid glazed blocks that need tight stacking if your squid is IQF in bags; keep carton heights consistent.
- Squid formats: Loligo Squid (Whole Round / Whole Cleaned), rings, tubes. Double-bagged, sealed, and master-cartoned.
When in doubt, match the thickest tuna piece’s thermal mass to your transit time. Big loins hold temperature better than thin IVP steaks but need more pre-freeze time.
The loading plan we use
Here’s our step-by-step for a 40’ HC reefer (20–22 pallets typical on standard 1.0 x 1.2 m pallets):
- Pre-brief with forwarder
- Confirm setpoint (-20 C). Fresh-air vents fully closed. Auto defrost. Unit pre-trip passed.
- Ask specifically for the reefer’s airflow diagram. Not all models behave the same at high cube capacities.
- Pre-cool
- Pre-cool container to setpoint with doors closed for 30–45 minutes.
- Verify cargo core temps: Tuna at -18 C or colder, squid at -18 C or colder. Record lot and temperature on the loading checklist.
- Packaging check
- Squid: double polybag sealed, no odor on carton exterior, stretch-wrapped pallet with plastic liner.
- Tuna: IVP/IWP or tight film with intact seals, no loose glaze.
- Pallet segregation plan
- Load tuna pallets first at the machinery end, then a buffer row (empty dunnage space or neutral pallets), then squid pallets toward the door end. Keep species grouped.
- Keep at least one full pallet-width between species where possible. If you must interleave, face palletized “soft walls” of plastic-wrapped cartons toward each other.
- Airflow and stowage discipline
- Don’t overstuff. Maintain top clearance and side gaps. Do not block return-air grilles at the bulkhead.
- Keep heavy or taller pallets centered. Avoid creating a solid wall at the door. Use airbags/dunnage to prevent shifting and air bypass.
- Data logger placement for mixed loads
- Minimum four EN12830/NIST-traceable loggers. One inside a tuna carton near the machinery end mid-height. One inside a squid carton near the doors upper tier. One mid-container centerline. One ambient clip-on at the return-air level.
- For long routes or high-risk seasons, add two more: one at floor level center and one near the ceiling over the species boundary.
- Seal and handover
- Close doors quickly. Verify seal numbers and setpoint on the B/L instruction. Fresh-air vent confirmed closed.
Small but critical detail: we never allow loose ice in a mixed frozen seafood container. Moisture plus odor equals trouble.
Common mistakes we still see
- Setting the reefer to -18 C and loading warm cargo. The unit cools air, not product. Pre-freeze to core.
- Mixing sashimi-grade tuna with squid. Different temperature classes can’t coexist.
- Blocking the T-floor with cartons or slip sheets draping into the channels.
- Under-wrapping squid pallets so odor leaks from corners.
- Too few loggers. If there’s a dispute, you’ll want a map of readings across the box.
- Door openings in transit for inspections. If there’s a likelihood of inspection at transshipment, over-spec the setpoint to -20 C and maximize top clearance to buffer air exchange.
Answers to the questions buyers ask us
- Is it safe to ship tuna and squid in the same reefer? Yes, if both are fully frozen at -18 C core, packaged and segregated properly, and you run -20 C setpoint with vents closed.
- What temperature setpoint works if I co-load tuna loins and squid rings? We use -20 C to protect product core at -18 C. Document this with data loggers.
- Will squid smell affect tuna flavor during transport? With double-bagged squid, sealed tuna packs, pallet wrap, and a buffer row, odor transfer is highly unlikely.
- How should I segregate pallets? Group by species, avoid squid over tuna, add a buffer row and extra wrap, maintain airflow gaps.
- Can I mix sashimi-grade tuna with squid? No. -60 C tuna requires its own ULT reefer and should not be co-loaded.
- Do I need separate documents or HS codes when co-loading? Mixed HS codes in one reefer are common, but they must be declared correctly per species on commercial docs. We’re not covering destination-specific paperwork here.
- How many temperature loggers should I use? Four is our minimum for mixed loads. Six if the route is long or involves transshipment.
Useful product formats for mixed loads
For tuna at -18 C to -20 C setpoint, we regularly ship:
- Yellowfin Steak and Yellowfin Cube (IQF) for retail and foodservice.
- Bigeye Loin when buyers want thicker cuts that hold core temperature well.
For squid, our go-to is Loligo Squid (Whole Round / Whole Cleaned), with ring/tube specs packed in sealed inner bags and 5‑ply masters. These formats follow the packaging and odor barrier rules above and are proven in tuna and squid consolidation.
If you need complementary whitefish portions for the same -18 C setpoint, IQF options like Mahi Mahi Portion (IQF) or Goldband Snapper Fillet also ride well in mixed frozen seafood containers without complicating temperature management.
Quick checklist you can print
- Both products at ≤ -18 C core before stuffing. Infrared check is not enough. Use a probe on a sacrificial carton.
- Reefer setpoint -20 C. Fresh-air vent closed. Auto defrost on.
- Squid double-bagged and master-cartoned. Tuna IVP/IWP or tight film. No dripping cartons.
- Species grouped. Buffer row between tuna and squid. No squid stacked over tuna.
- Airflow gaps preserved. T-floor clear. 12–15 cm headspace.
- Min. four temperature loggers in mapped positions.
- Seal, setpoint, and vent status documented on B/L instructions.
What’s interesting is how small refinements move the needle. A second plastic liner only on the squid face toward tuna can be the difference between a spotless QC report and a “trace odor” rejection. And a -20 C setpoint instead of -18 C often gives you that extra safety margin during unavoidable door time at origin.
If you’re weighing a specific ratio or pallet mix for your next sailing, we’re happy to review your stow plan and logger map before you book. Need a quick gut check on whether your spec will pass? You can Contact us on whatsapp and we’ll share a one-page template we use with our forwarders. Want to see formats that pair well in mixed loads? View our products.
The reality is you can reduce freight per kilo without raising your claim risk. Follow the temperature, build the barriers, respect airflow, and instrument the box. That’s the system we’ve used for years to ship tuna and squid together with clean arrivals.