Indonesian Surimi: 2025 Specs, Grades & Pricing Guide

A practical 5‑minute buyer’s guide to matching Indonesian surimi grades to your crab stick formulation in 2025. We decode gel strength, L* whiteness, COAs, species mixes, price bands, and container math—with hard-won tips from the production floor.

If you’re buying Indonesian surimi for crab sticks in 2025, you don’t need another fluffy overview. You need to know what gel strength and L* whiteness will actually run your line, how AA differs from A beyond the label, and what a realistic FOB is this quarter. After years speccing and exporting surimi to kani makers across Asia, the Middle East and North America, here’s the playbook we keep coming back to.

The non‑negotiables for kani sticks in 2025

The three specs that determine whether your sticks set, slice and sell are gel strength, whiteness, and moisture/protein balance. Everything else is important, but these three decide texture and visual.

Gel strength (JIS): For mainstream crab sticks, you’ll want 650–850 g·cm. Premium brands targeting firm snap often run 750–900 g·cm. Economy sticks can work at 550–650 with texturizers, but you’ll trade bite.
L* whiteness: 76–82 is the practical window for clean white lamellae without heavy whitening aids. Below 74 you’ll start fighting a gray cast that increases starch and color costs. Many retail brands aim for ≥78.
Moisture and protein: Typical Indonesian AA/A surimi lands around 74–76% moisture and 12–14% protein. If moisture creeps above 77%, expect reduced elasticity or higher cook loss unless you compensate.

Takeaway: lock your gel and L* targets before negotiating. It keeps price talks grounded in performance, not just grade names.

AA vs A vs B: what actually changes for crab sticks

What’s the difference between Indonesian surimi AA and A for kani sticks?

In practice, AA is a tighter window on gel and color with more threadfin bream and fewer darker species in the blend. A is broader, often with slightly lower gel or L* and more variability lot to lot. B will usually require formulation help to reach mainstream textures.

Indicative 2025 performance bands we’re seeing out of Indonesia (JIS method):

AA grade: 720–900 g·cm gel, L* 77–82, moisture 74–75.5%, protein 12.5–14.5%
A grade: 620–780 g·cm gel, L* 74–79, moisture 74–76.5%, protein 11.5–13.5%
B grade: 520–680 g·cm gel, L* 72–76, moisture 75–77%, protein 10.5–12%

We’ve found that AA buys you headroom. It tolerates small day-to-day shifts in line temperature or salt without collapsing texture. A can run beautifully, but you’ll tune starch and set times more often. B needs intentional formulation and tight process control.

Gel strength by application

What gel strength do I need for imitation crab sticks in 2025?

Use gel strength to match your end-market expectations.

Premium retail and sushi bars: 750–900 g·cm. Cleaner bite and slice, better freeze-thaw.
Mainstream retail and foodservice: 650–800 g·cm. The sweet spot for value and performance.
Economy or high-starch sticks: 550–650 g·cm. Works if you add carrageenan/konjac and manage cook profiles.

Two non-obvious tips:

If you’re moving to phosphate‑free, assume a 30–60 g·cm gel penalty at the same grade. Either step up one grade or increase salt/setting time to compensate.
A 0.5% swing in added salt during paste prep changes gel more than buyers expect. We recommend validating gel at your actual salt level (usually 2.3–2.7% in the paste), not just the lab’s 2.5%.

The L* whiteness line you can’t cross

What L* whiteness is acceptable for imitation crab?

Target L* ≥ 76 if you want consistent white lamellae without aggressive whiteners. L* 78–80 gives you margin if you add paprika or carmine for the red layer. Since TiO₂ is off the table for many markets, formulators are relying on calcium carbonate, rice starch and careful oil selection. Those help, but they can’t fully mask a low‑L* base.

How to measure fairly: Use a D65 illuminant, 10° observer, measure on a tempered, smooth surface of thawed paste. If your colorimeter is reading 1–2 points lower than the COA, check sample temperature and surface moisture before calling the supplier.

Species: which Indonesian mixes deliver the best gel for sticks?

Threadfin bream surimi is the workhorse for high-gel tropical surimi in Indonesia. Our hierarchy for kani applications, based on consistency and flavor neutrality:

Threadfin bream (Nemipterus spp). Best balance of gel and light color.
Lizardfish (Saurida spp). Strong gel, but can carry a slight flavor. Great in blends.
Bigeye snapper and goatfish. Medium gel, clean flavor. Useful for A-grade blends.
Croaker and mixed reef fish. More variable. Better for A/B grades or economy lines.

“Indonesian vs Thai surimi grades for crab sticks?” The top Indonesian and Thai AA grades perform similarly when species composition is comparable. Indonesia often delivers sharper pricing on AA/A in Q2–Q3 when landings peak, and we see good continuity from plants that specialize in threadfin bream.

If you run kani alongside other whitefish SKUs, we can also source complementary items like Croaker Fillet (IQF) or cephalopods for seafood salads like Loligo Squid (Whole Round / Whole Cleaned).

COA interpretation and verification

How to read an Indonesian surimi spec sheet

Key lines to focus on:

Grade, species composition and cryoprotectants. Confirm sugar/sorbitol levels and whether STPP is used. Phosphate‑free lots should be explicitly marked.
Gel strength and method. Look for JIS gel strength with sample prep details. A single number without the method isn’t enough.
L* whiteness. Ensure the instrument and settings are shown. If not, ask for the lab’s SOP.
Moisture, protein, salt, pH and ash. Use these to predict water binding and cook loss.
Lot date, block code and storage temp. You want traceability and a cold‑chain record.

How can I verify a supplier’s gel strength claims on the COA?

Ask for a retained sample policy. We keep retains for at least six months so you can re‑test if something drifts on your line.
Replicate the JIS gel test. 2.5% salt paste, set at 40°C for 30–60 minutes, then cook 90°C for 20–30 minutes, measure on a texture analyzer with the specified plunger and speed. Match their SOP.
Witness test or third‑party lab on the first order. Small cost. Big confidence.
Cross‑check with your line paste. Build a 3 kg pilot batch at your salt and starch levels. If your gel drops >10% vs lab, the issue is usually prep temperature or salt, not the base.

2025 price bands and container math

How much more does AA cost than A in 2025?

FOB Indonesia ranges we’re seeing in late 2024 to early 2025 for threadfin bream‑led blends:

AA grade: USD 2,200–2,700/MT FOB
A grade: USD 1,900–2,300/MT FOB
B grade: USD 1,600–1,900/MT FOB

Premiums and surcharges to factor:

Phosphate‑free: +USD 50–100/MT
MSC or specific sustainability claims: availability is limited and priced case by case
High L* AA (>80) in off‑season: +USD 50–150/MT

Seasonality: Q2–Q3 usually offers better availability and steadier AA pricing. Weather and fuel costs can swing offers within a week, so hold a 2–3% variance buffer when budgeting.

MOQ and container load:

Pack: 10 kg blocks, usually 2 blocks per master carton
20‑ft reefer: ~16–18 MT net, depending on carton spec
40‑ft reefer: ~24–26 MT net. Expect roughly 2,400–2,600 blocks per 40‑ft
Typical production lead time: 2–4 weeks after spec sign‑off and deposit, faster if we allocate from running lots

Can I use A or B grade and still make acceptable sticks?

Yes, with trade‑offs. We’ve helped clients hit solid mainstream textures using A and even B by adjusting formulation and process:

Starch and hydrocolloids. Move from 8–12% starch to 12–16% with a blend of potato/tapioca. Add 0.2–0.4% carrageenan or konjac for elastic bite.
Enzymes. Transglutaminase at 0.1–0.2% can recover 50–100 g·cm of gel if your salt and temperature control are tight.
Process tweaks. Lower paste temperature by 1–2°C and extend setting time by 5–8 minutes before the cook step. Small changes matter.

Downside: higher starch risks dulling flavor and raising cook loss. If your brand leans on clean labels, stepping up a grade is often cheaper than pushing additives.

Quick decision checklist for 2025 buys

Define your target gel and L* before you request quotes. Premium: 780/78. Mainstream: 700/76.
Confirm species blend and cryoprotectants on the spec. Need phosphate‑free? State it upfront.
Ask for JIS method details on gel and color SOP. No method, no deal.
Price sanity check. AA in the low 2,000s and A in the high 1,000s FOB is realistic for threadfin bream‑led lots right now.
Run a 3 kg pilot at your actual salt, starch and cook. Approve by texture and slice, not just the COA.

Where we can help

If you want a quick sanity check on a supplier’s COA or need a side‑by‑side AA vs A pilot, send us your target gel/L* and species preference and we’ll propose matching lots or do a fast bench formulation to show you the trade‑offs. Need help with your specific situation? Contact us on whatsapp.

And if you’re balancing a kani line with complementary SKUs, our Indonesia‑Seafood team also handles whitefish and cephalopods for retail and foodservice. You can browse options here: View our products.

In our experience, buyers who lock specs first, validate with a small pilot, and then negotiate price save themselves the most headaches. The COA is the start of the conversation, not the end. Get the physics right and the economics usually follow.