How best to organise the purchase and sale of processed cherries

Before the fruit arrives at the processing plant, six items must be agreed in writing: product specifications, size, Brix, microbiological requirements, packaging and Incoterm. October is the last month to finalize an IQF, sulfited or dehydrated cherry supply program before the harvest begins.

The same pattern repeats every year: a new importer contacts a Chilean processing plant in November or December, when the harvest is already underway, and asks for a quote for processed cherries. In most cases, it is too late. As we explain in our note on the 2026/27 Chilean cherry season, harvesting runs from November to January, and the line for IQF, sulfited or dehydrated cherries is set up beforehand, not afterward. October is the time left to put the program in writing: what the document specifies determines whether the fruit arriving in January will meet the business’s needs.

Product specifications: the first thing to put in writing

“Frozen cherries” or “sulfited cherries” are categories, not product specifications. Before requesting a quote, define at least whether the cherries will be pitted or whole, the format (IQF, sulfited, dehydrated or pulp), the size and the defect tolerance. Size is measured by equatorial diameter in millimeters or by row count: how many cherries fit from one end to the other in a row of the package. The lower the row number, the larger the fruit. For example, the US standard for fresh sweet cherries defines size by minimum diameter and allows up to 5% of the lot, by count, to fall below the specified size (USDA). A row-size guide states that a row 10 cherry measures at least 26.6 mm and a row 12 cherry at least 21.4 mm. Row 12 and smaller fruit is normally sent for processing — canning, juice, dehydration or freezing — rather than the fresh market (cherry size guide). Each Chilean plant uses its own size chart: the point is not to memorize a figure, but to require it in writing before signing.

Defect tolerance works the same way: set a maximum percentage for fruit with pitting, splitting, detached stems or uneven ripeness, rather than leaving the decision to the packer. A fresh cherry audit protocol used in the region sets a maximum of 2% damaged fruit by count as a reference (SAA157 standard). Brix is especially important for dehydrated cherries: a Chilean harvest guide sets a target above 17° Brix because early varieties with low Brix produce dehydrated fruit with little flavor (Portalfrutícola).

Microbiology and the cold chain: documented requirements matter more than appearance

The certificate of analysis (COA) for an IQF product must accompany each shipment and include, at a minimum, product temperature, size tolerance, Brix where applicable, foreign matter limits and microbiological counts (Nutrada IQF guide). For frozen cherries exported from Chile, the pulp must be kept at −18 °C or below throughout the cold chain, following the Codex reference. Freezing plants must be registered with SAG and provide producer traceability, including name, region, municipality and orchard code (Chilealimentos guidelines). These requirements must be documented throughout the supply chain.

For microbiological parameters, SAG applies a sampling plan to fruit and vegetable products that requires the absence of Salmonella (n=5, c=0). For E. coli, it applies a plan of n=5, c=2, with limits of 10 CFU/g (m) and 20 CFU/g (M). It also requires Listeria monocytogenes testing to be qualitative and confirmed (SAG, microbiological analysis matrices). Including these figures in the contract, instead of simply stating “complies with regulations,” makes it possible to raise a claim if a lot falls outside the limits.

Packaging varies by format. IQF cherries are usually packed in polyethylene-lined boxes of 10 kg or bulk bags of up to 1,000 kg (Nutrada). Sulfited cherries, by contrast, are stored in drums of about 220 kg, immersed in a sodium metabisulfite solution that releases SO₂ and preserves tissue texture. They can be stored for 45 days to 3 years before processing (Portalfrutícola, on cherry sulfiting). Packaging affects yield calculations and determines how to handle a load if the fruit arrives improperly stacked.

Incoterm and shipping window: who bears the risk if the cold chain is interrupted?

Under FOB, the buyer arranges the freight and the risk transfers when the goods are loaded. Under CFR, the seller pays the freight to the destination, but the risk still transfers when the goods are loaded at the port of origin (FOB vs. CFR comparison). In both cases, the risk transfers when the goods are loaded at the port of origin. For high-risk refrigerated cargo, it therefore makes sense for the buyer to control the ocean freight: the buyer can choose the carrier and monitor the container temperature in transit.

The shipping window is another variable that cannot be negotiated at the last minute. As detailed in the note on the 2026/27 season, Chilean cherries are harvested from November to January. Buyers who ask about price and volume only in December are purchasing what remains of production allocated to other customers, not what their destination market needs. Setting the shipping window alongside the other specifications makes it possible to coordinate when the raw material will be reserved.

What does this mean for the industry? — Prunavita’s perspective

Through our work buying and shipping processed cherries, we have seen that the costliest mistake a new importer can make is not overpaying, but specifying the product incorrectly. A contract that calls for “large-size IQF cherries” without a diameter in millimeters or a row number, a written defect tolerance or the required Brix range allows the supplier to comply with the wording while delivering a lot that does not suit the destination processing line. The same applies to the cold chain: specifying “−18 °C” in the contract without requiring the container temperature log leaves verification until after a problem has occurred.

That is why we review the specifications before preparing a quote. Each format in our Chilean cherry range — IQF, pitted, sulfited, dehydrated and pulp — has a downloadable technical sheet with size, Brix, microbiological parameters and shelf life. This means negotiations start with the figures already defined, rather than ending in claims when the container arrives. If the program is arranged from abroad, our commercial representation in Chile checks that the loaded cargo matches the specifications before the container leaves the port.

November is just around the corner. A purchasing program finalized in October, with specifications, size and Incoterm agreed, reaches harvest with the processing line ready. Buyers who request a quote in December are left competing for what has already been committed.

Source: Prunavita

Image source: Zero Store

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