Indonesian vannamei count uniformity: the buyer’s playbook to protect yield and portion control

A practical, field-tested guide to write the right count-tolerance language, run a simple sampling plan, and cap defects so your Indonesian vannamei performs exactly as spec’d. Includes realistic PD yields, broken tail limits, and contract wording you can copy.

If you buy shrimp for a living, you already know this: count drift quietly drains margin. Five extra pieces per pound might not scare anyone in the lab, but it wreaks havoc on breading pick-up, cook time, and serving cost. Over the years working with global buyers and Indonesian processors, we’ve learned that Indonesian vannamei can hit tight size grading accuracy if you ask the right way and verify the right way. Here’s our playbook.

The three pillars of count uniformity

Clear, enforceable spec language. If the spec is vague, the grading line will optimize for throughput, not your portion control shrimp.
A simple, repeatable shrimp sampling plan. Count checks that take 20 minutes, not a full day.
Defect caps that matter to yield. Focus on broken, miss-cut and process-induced defects, not just cosmetic.

We’ll show you the exact wording and how we verify with Indonesian plants.

Week 1–2: Align the spec and the math

What’s a realistic count tolerance for Indonesian 26/30 PD shrimp?

For peeled, deveined tail-off (PD T/O) Indonesian vannamei 26/30, we recommend:

Lot average: 26–30 pcs/lb. Target 28.
Unit pack tolerance: At least 85% of inspected retail packs within 26–30. Up to 10% may fall in the adjacent band (31/40) and up to 5% may be one band up (21/25) or down (31/40) combined. No pack outside 24–32.
By count, not weight. Always state tolerance in pieces per pound (and per kilogram), not just carton labels.

Why this works. In our experience, good Indonesian lines can consistently hold 85–90% in-band on 26/30 PD. Pushing to 95% in-band is possible on smaller lots, but it tends to increase trim and cost. The above tolerance protects your portion cost without scaring off strong processors.

What PD yield percentage should you expect by count size?

Assuming non-phosphate processing, HLSO to PD T/O expected yields for Indonesian vannamei are typically:

41/50 PD T/O: 52–56%
31/40 PD T/O: 54–58%
26/30 PD T/O: 56–60%
21/25 PD T/O: 58–62% Add 2–3 percentage points if using light STPP. If you’re strict non-phosphate and sulfite-free, plan the low end of each range. Shell ratio and trim practices vary by farm and plant, so confirm on your R&D lot.

Quick math you can use: Expected PD weight = HLSO intake weight × expected yield. Example: 1,000 kg HLSO to 26/30 PD T/O at 58% yields about 580 kg finished PD.

Spec wording that locks in count uniformity without chasing suppliers away

Copy and adapt this clause:

Product: Vannamei shrimp, PD tail-off, IQF, 26/30 count per pound.
Count tolerance: Lot average within 26–30 pcs/lb (57–66 pcs/kg). Minimum 85% of inspected retail packs within 26–30. Maximum 10% combined in adjacent band 31/40. Maximum 5% outside adjacent bands. No pack outside 24–32.
PD yield declaration: Supplier to declare expected HLSO→PD yield by size. Target for 26/30 PD T/O is 56–60% without STPP. Deviation >2 points from declared yield requires buyer approval.
Defects (by count): Broken tail (if tail-on) ≤3%. Miss-cut/butterfly error ≤2%. Residual shell/vein ≤2%. IQF clumps (pieces stuck) ≤2%. Sulfite-free melanosis at ship ≤0.5%.
Sampling and acceptance: As per buyer sampling plan described in PO appendix.

Use plain language and define bands. Processors in Indonesia respond well to simple, numeric guardrails.

Week 3–6: Run a simple, reliable sampling plan

How do I measure shrimp size uniformity during a pre-shipment inspection?

Here’s the count check we use on IQF PD lots. It’s fast and defensible.

Determine lot size. For each distinct production date/size/spec, count cartons.
Select cartons. Sample cartons = square root of total cartons, rounded up. Cap at 13 for very large lots. Example: 100 cartons → 10 cartons sampled.
Pull packs per carton. Pick two packs from different layers. Avoid obviously frosty corners. Total sample packs = cartons sampled × 2.
Thaw and drain. Thaw under 0–4°C water. Drain 2 minutes in a mesh colander. No forced drying.
Count and weigh. Record pieces per pack and net weight, then calculate pcs/lb and pcs/kg.
Decide pass/fail. Lot average must be 26–30. At least 85% of packs must be in-band. No pack outside 24–32. If a lot straddles the line, open two more cartons. Consistency beats lottery sampling.

This light-touch plan mirrors a practical AQL 2.5 approach without the paperwork and it’s widely accepted by Indonesian plants in our network.

How many cartons should I sample for a count check?

Rule of thumb that balances time and confidence:

≤50 cartons: sample 7 cartons.
51–200 cartons: sample 10 cartons.
200 cartons: sample 13 cartons. More is better when counts sit on the band edge or when you’ve seen recent drift.

Week 7–12: Scale and optimize with defect caps that protect yield

How much broken tail is acceptable in IQF Indonesian shrimp?

For PD tail-on, we cap broken tail rate at ≤3% by count, with premium programs at ≤2%. Combine “broken tail” and “miss-cut” into a single “trim-impact defect” cap of ≤5% if you’re cost focused. For tail-off, define “broken” as body damage >10 mm and cap it at ≤2–3%.

What about other IQF shrimp defects that hit performance?

Miss-cut/butterfly error: ≤2%.
Residual shell/vein: ≤2%.
Soft/mushy texture: ≤1% (sensory). If you need a metric, use compression score or drip loss, but agree methodology first.
Clumping after IQF: ≤2% of pieces stuck together after a 2-minute thaw.
Sulfite-free black spot expectations: At time of shipment, melanosis ≤0.5%. With good chilling and harvest-to-freeze under 6–8 hours, Indonesian plants can meet this.

Keep the list short. Every extra defect check steals time from what matters: count uniformity and net yield.

How does size variance affect breading yield and portion control?

Here’s the thing. Smaller pieces have more surface area per kilogram. More surface area means more breading pick-up. If your 26/30 drifts to 31/40, your breading cost goes up and frying time changes.

Example from a customer program:

Target: 5-piece portion. Finished 100 g. Breading pick-up 20%.
True 26/30 PD T/O averages 28 pcs/lb. Portion = about 90 g raw shrimp + 10 g breading. Cost hits target.
Drift to 31/40. Portion still 5 pieces, but now 5 pieces weigh ~75 g raw. To hit 100 g finished, you either oversauce/overbread (raising material cost) or accept smaller portions. Either way margin erodes.

That’s why we push the 85% in-band requirement. You’ll see the savings in your fryer and your costed menu.

Quick comparisons and context

Is Indonesian shrimp more uniform than Indian or Vietnamese product?

Uniformity is about process control more than geography. That said, we do see an edge in Indonesia on PD uniformity for two reasons: short harvest-to-freeze timelines and tight grader maintenance on export-focused plants. India can be excellent on large, integrated lots but shows more variability across smaller third-party peelers. Vietnam has strong uniformity on value-added and PTO lines, less so on commodity PD where line speeds run hot. We buy from all three origins, but if your spec is strict non-phosphate and you need tight 26/30 bands, Indonesia is a safe default.

The five mistakes that kill shrimp size programs

Vague count specs. “26/30” without in-band percentages invites drift.
Weight-only checks. Always record pieces per pack and pieces per pound.
Overstuffed defect lists. Focus on broken, miss-cut, residual shell, clumping, melanosis.
Ignoring yield declarations. Require HLSO→PD yield upfront and track it per lot. STPP vs non-phosphate changes the math by 2–3 points.
Skipping the core. Always sample inner cartons, not just the easy top layers.

Putting it to work with Indonesian supply

If you need a ready-made product that hits these controls, we can produce vannamei under the above spec and pack formats. See our Frozen Shrimp (Black Tiger, Vannamei & Wild Caught) options. We’ll align count tolerance, PD yield targets, and defect caps before the first lot, then share sampling sheets on every shipment.

Questions about your program or want our sampling worksheet template? You can Contact us on whatsapp and we’ll tailor the spec to your pack size and cooking method.

Practical takeaway. Set 85% in-band on 26/30 PD, cap tail break at ≤3%, agree non-phosphate yield at 56–60% for 26/30, and use the square-root sampling rule. With that, Indonesian vannamei will behave exactly how your menu cost model expects.