Indonesian Seafood Pre-Shipment QC: 2025 Essential Checklist

A field-ready, step-by-step SOP to verify true net weight on Indonesian frozen shrimp using a standardized deglazing test. Includes sampling plans, acceptance criteria, simple equipment, and what to do if results fail so buyers or third-party inspectors can run it pre-shipment in 2025.

We stopped a vannamei shipment last season that would have cost the buyer US$12,900 in deductions. The average short weight was 6.8%. A simple on-site deglazing test caught it before the truck left our gate. That is why an ironclad pre-shipment QC for net weight and count is non-negotiable in 2025.

Below is the exact, field-tested SOP we use and recommend to customers and third-party inspectors. It works at a factory, cold room, or a bonded warehouse. No lab required.

The three pillars of shrimp net-weight assurance

Write it into the PO. Clear limits for glaze percentage, net weight tolerance, and count-per-pound remove 90% of disputes later. We typically see 7–10% glaze for IQF and 12–15% for block-frozen unless otherwise agreed.
Sample correctly. Pull cartons across the load. Not just the easy-to-reach front pallets. Use an AQL mindset so your sample actually represents the lot.
Use a standard deglazing method and decision rules. AOAC-style rinse. Time, temperature, and drainage controlled. Then accept or reject to written criteria.

This leads us to the practical, step-by-step procedure.

Field SOP: frozen shrimp deglazing test you can run without a lab

In our experience, consistency beats complexity. Keep the setup simple and repeatable.

Equipment needed

Calibrated digital scale. 0.1 g readability up to 2 kg or 1 g up to 5 kg. Verify with a test weight before use.
Food-grade plastic colander or wire sieve. Basin or sink. Timer. Thermometer.
Potable water. Clean towels or paper towels. Data sheet and pen. Gloves.

Sampling plan at pre-shipment

Lot definition. Same item, size, spec, and production date range.
Carton selection. For a 20 ft container of shrimp, pull a minimum of 32 master cartons spread across front, middle, and rear pallets and from top, middle, bottom layers. For 40 ft, pull 50 cartons. This aligns with General Level II intent from ANSI/ASQ Z1.4 while staying practical on-site.
Unit selection. From each selected carton, test 1 inner pack or 1 block. Aim for at least 10 kg total test weight. If carton count is small, increase units per carton to hit that total.

Water bath parameters

Water temperature. 10–15 °C. Cold enough to avoid thawing. Warm water strips water from flesh and skews results.
Water-to-product ratio. At least 4:1 by weight so temperature stays stable.

Step-by-step deglazing procedure (IQF shrimp)

Record pack details. Item, size grade, label net weight, production date, and internal temperature on receipt.
Weigh frozen gross. W1 = pack plus glaze straight from -18 °C storage.
Rinse to remove glaze. Submerge and gently agitate in 10–15 °C water. 30–60 seconds is typical. Stop the moment visible ice is gone. Do not separate meat if slightly stuck.
Drain. Transfer to sieve. Drain freely for 60 seconds at about 45 degrees. Do not shake, squeeze, or press.
Light blot. One quick touch with a dry towel to remove surface droplets. No wringing.
Weigh deglazed. W2 = net product after glaze removal. Check product temperature. It should remain at or below 5 °C. If it rose above 5 °C, your deglaze was too warm or too long. Repeat with colder water.
Calculate glaze percentage. Glaze % = (W1 − W2) ÷ W1 × 100.

Block-frozen variation

Briefly rinse the block in 10–15 °C water. Use gloved hands to wipe off the surface ice film. Do not break the block apart. Drain 2 minutes. Blot the surface and weigh.

Count-per-pound check during the same test

After deglaze, build three replicate 454 g subsamples. Count pieces in each. Average count should land inside the printed range. For 21/25, we expect 21–25 average. A practical rule we use. No single subsample should be more than 2 pieces outside the range.

Acceptance criteria we see most buyers use in 2025

Average net weight must meet or exceed the declared net on the label.
Individual tolerance. No unit more than 3% short (T1). None more than 5% short (T2). These are common commercial limits. If you rely on local law, follow NIST Handbook 133 in the U.S. or OIML R87 in the EU. Write the rule you want into the PO.
Glaze limits. IQF 7–10% unless otherwise specified. Block-frozen 12–15% unless a special protective spec is agreed. Higher glaze must be declared and never counted in net weight.

Pro tip. Stabilize product temperature first. If the carton sits on the dock and warms up, you will over-drain and under-weigh. We hold test samples at -18 °C for at least 24 hours and open them in a 0–5 °C room.

Need a one-page deglaze record sheet or help tailoring acceptance rules to your market? We can share our templates and walk your inspector through the first test. If it helps, just Contact us on whatsapp.

What is a fair glaze percentage for IQF shrimp?

Most retailers and importers in 2025 write 7–10% for IQF shrimp. We see some U.K. and EU buyers push 6–8% for private label. For block-frozen, 12–15% is a solid protection range in export packs. Anything above those numbers should be a conscious choice for shelf-life or breakage control and must be declared.

How many cartons should I sample from a container?

For a 20 ft shrimp container, 32 master cartons spread across the load is our minimum. For a 40 ft, 50 cartons gives better confidence. If your units are small (for example 500 g retail), target at least 10 kg total deglazed test weight. When shipment value is high or supplier is new, increase your sample size.

Which standards do inspectors reference?

AOAC Official Methods for deglazing frozen fish and shellfish. The rinse-and-drain approach underpins most buyer SOPs.
NIST Handbook 133. U.S. net contents inspection. Defines maximum allowable variation and average requirements.
OIML R87 and EU Regulation 1169/2011. Governs net quantity control in the EU.
CFIA guidelines for net quantity of glazed fish. Practical steps similar to AOAC and widely accepted.
NOAA and U.S. industry guides from NFI and the Better Seafood Board. Useful for terminology and expectations. Write the specific method and decision rules into your PO. That prevents “method shopping” after the fact.

What tolerance is acceptable before a short-weight claim is valid?

Commercially, buyers usually claim if the lot average is below the declared net or if more than a small fraction of units exceed T1 or any unit hits T2. A practical template we see work well.

Lot average must be at least label net.
No more than 2 out of 32 units below label by over 3% (T1).
Zero units 5% or more short (T2). Always align these numbers with your legal jurisdiction and write them into the PO.

Best-practice temperature for the deglazing water bath

Use 10–15 °C potable water. Above 15–18 °C, shrimp warms quickly and you start losing natural surface moisture, which inflates shortage. Keep the product temperature at or below 5 °C at all times. If it creeps up, pause, re-chill the sample, and re-run.

Can I verify count per pound during the same deglazing test?

Yes. Do it right after deglaze while the shrimp is still cold. Build three 454 g subsamples, count pieces, and record the average. It is efficient and gives you a full picture for both net weight and size grade.

How to calculate glaze percentage and net weight from your data

Glaze percentage = (Frozen gross weight − Deglazed weight) ÷ Frozen gross weight × 100.
Net weight compliance is simply comparing the deglazed weight to the declared net. Average must be equal or higher. Apply your T1 and T2 rules to individual units.

What should I do if the shipment fails pre-shipment net weight?

Here is the playbook we use.

Freeze the lot. Place a quality hold and block dispatch.
Verify. Increase sample size by 50% and repeat the test with a witness present.
Agree corrective action. Options include top-up and repack to correct net, relabel to a lower net or different count grade, or a price adjustment aligned to the verified shortage. Document CAPA to prevent recurrence.
Escalate for frequent misses. Move to 100% carton checks for the next two lots or shift to stricter in-process controls.

Common mistakes we still see and how to avoid them

Warm deglaze water. It strips natural moisture and makes good shrimp look short. Keep it 10–15 °C.
Over-draining. Draining 3–5 minutes will dry the surface. One minute is enough.
Not zeroing the tare. Always weigh empty tray or bowl and zero the scale.
Biased sampling. Pull from the front of the container only and you will miss what is buried in the middle or bottom. Spread your picks.
Skipping temperature checks. If deglazed shrimp warms above 5 °C, re-test. Otherwise you are not measuring glaze anymore.

Where this advice applies and where it doesn’t

Use this SOP for frozen shrimp. HOSO, HLSO, PD, PUD, PTO, and similar formats. It also works for other glazed IQF seafood like fillets and squid, with minor tweaks to drainage time. It is not a microbiology, residue, or labeling review. Run those under separate protocols.

Working with Indonesia-Seafood

We build these checks into our own releases and third-party preshipment inspections. Our Frozen Shrimp (Black Tiger, Vannamei & Wild Caught) are produced with written glaze limits, in-line scale verifications, and carton-spread sampling so what you buy is what lands. If you are drafting 2025 specs or need a joint audit on your next lot, we are happy to help. You can also browse specs and formats across species here. View our products.

In my experience, when buyers and processors agree the method on day one, disputes drop to near zero. The test takes minutes. The savings can be five figures per container. That is a checklist worth running every single time.