Sourcing Cluster Guide · Food
China's cold-chain gateway — seafood, frozen vegetables and peanut products shipped from the country's busiest reefer port.
Qingdao is one of China's most important food-processing and food-export hubs, and Shandong province around it is the country's largest producer of peanuts, vegetables, poultry and seafood. The city's port handles the largest volume of refrigerated containers in China, which is why frozen seafood, IQF vegetables, prepared meals and ambient grocery lines all cluster here. Hundreds of export-licensed plants operate within a 150 km radius, many holding EU, US and Japanese registration numbers.
The processing base splits into five strong verticals: frozen and chilled seafood (shrimp, squid, white fish, shellfish), IQF and dehydrated vegetables, peanut products (roasted, blanched, peanut butter), prepared and frozen ready meals (dumplings, buns, coated products), and ambient sauces, seasonings and canned goods. Cold storage, blast freezing, metal detection, X-ray and modified-atmosphere packing are standard, and most plants run BRC, IFS, HACCP and ISO 22000 systems for retail customers.
What buyers gain here is reliable cold-chain execution and competitive pricing at container scale; what they must control is specification and documentation. Glaze percentage on frozen shrimp, moisture and aflatoxin limits on peanuts, sulfite levels on dehydrated vegetables, and the exact species/latin name on the label are the details that cause rejections at destination. Every order we place in Qingdao is tied to a pre-shipment lab test and a signed spec sheet, not just a photo of the carton.
Trial orders are typically one 20GP or a part-load of 5–10 pallets per SKU; private label starts around 3–5 tonnes per item for frozen goods and 1,000 cases for ambient. Lead time is 20–30 days for stock production and 35–45 days for private-label printing and new recipes. QC must include a pre-shipment microbiological panel (TPC, coliforms, Listeria, Salmonella), glaze and net-weight verification, allergen and label review, and a certificate of origin plus health certificate for the destination market.
21 representative product lines with typical export specifications. Every product below is available through our vetted supplier network in Qingdao, Shandong.
Peeled deveined and headless shell-on vannamei, individually quick frozen.
| Species | Litopenaeus vannamei |
| Sizes | 21/25, 26/30, 31/40, 41/50 pcs per lb |
| Glaze | 10% / 20% protective ice glaze |
| Freezing | IQF, −35 °C blast, core −18 °C |
| Packing | 1 kg / 2 lb printed bag, 10 kg bulk carton |
| Certification | HACCP, BRC, EU approval, ASC option |
Alaska pollock and cod-style fillets, boneless, for retail and foodservice.
| Species | Theragra chalcogramma / Gadus morhua |
| Form | boneless skinless fillet, PBO or IVP |
| Weight | 60–120 g / 120–200 g portions |
| Freezing | IQF or block frozen (BQF) |
| Shelf life | 18–24 months at −18 °C |
| Certification | MSC option, HACCP, BRC |
Clean squid tubes, rings and tentacles for frying and processing.
| Species | Illex argentinus / Dosidicus gigas |
| Forms | tube, ring 8–15 mm, tentacle, whole cleaned |
| Glaze | 10–25% |
| Packing | 10 kg bulk or 500 g retail |
| Shelf life | 24 months at −18 °C |
| Test | heavy metals (Cd, Pb), microbiological panel |
Broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, peas, corn and mixed vegetables.
| Products | broccoli florets, beans cut, peas, sweetcorn, mix |
| Freezing | IQF, −35 °C, core −18 °C within 2 h |
| Moisture | ≤ 88% (varies by item) |
| Packing | 1 kg / 2.5 kg / 10 kg carton |
| Shelf life | 24 months at −18 °C |
| Certification | BRC, HACCP, GlobalG.A.P. source option |
Prepared frozen dumplings, baozi and spring rolls for Asian retail.
| Fillings | pork & cabbage, chicken, shrimp, vegetable |
| Piece weight | 15–25 g per dumpling |
| Freezing | IQF, −35 °C |
| Cooking | steam 8–10 min / pan-fry 6–8 min |
| Packing | 500 g / 1 kg bag, 10 kg carton |
| Certification | HACCP, BRC, export health certificate |
Canned tuna, mackerel, sardines and shellfish in oil, brine or sauce.
| Species | skipjack tuna, mackerel, sardine, clam |
| Net weight | 95 g / 170 g / 425 g / 1,850 g |
| Medium | sunflower oil, olive oil, brine, tomato sauce |
| Process | retort sterilized, F0 ≥ 8 min |
| Shelf life | 36 months ambient |
| Certification | FDA, BRC, IFS, EU approval |
Shandong's signature export — roasted, blanched, split and salted peanuts.
| Grades | 35/39, 41/51, 51/61 counts per oz |
| Forms | blanched, roasted, split, salted, honey-roasted |
| Moisture | ≤ 5% |
| Aflatoxin | ≤ 4 ppb total (EU limit), batch tested |
| Packing | 12.5 kg vacuum carton / 25 kg bag |
| Certification | HACCP, BRC, ISO 22000 |
Natural and stabilized peanut butter in retail jars and foodservice pails.
| Ingredients | 100% peanuts, or with salt/sugar/hydrogenated oil |
| Consistency | smooth, crunchy, super-chunky |
| Packaging | 340 g / 500 g / 1 kg jar; 20 kg pail |
| Moisture | ≤ 1.0% |
| Shelf life | 12–18 months ambient |
| Certification | FDA, BRC, Kosher/Halal option |
Air-dried flakes, granules and powder for seasoning and food manufacturing.
| Forms | flakes, minced, granules 40–80 mesh, powder 100 mesh |
| Moisture | ≤ 6% |
| SO2 | ≤ 30 ppm (EU compliant) |
| Packing | 20 kg / 25 kg kraft bag with PE liner |
| Shelf life | 24 months, cool dry storage |
| Certification | HACCP, BRC, pesticide residue report |
Ambient condiments in glass jars, pouches and catering packs.
| Products | chilli garlic sauce, bean paste, hoisin, sweet chilli |
| Brix / salt | 28–38 °Brix; salt 8–12% |
| pH | 3.8–4.3 (hot-fill) |
| Packing | 200 g / 340 g jar, 5 kg catering pail |
| Shelf life | 18–24 months ambient |
| Certification | HACCP, BRC, FDA, Halal option |
Straight-cut and crinkle fries from Shandong potato processing lines.
| Cut | 7×7 / 9×9 / 10×10 mm straight, crinkle, shoestring |
| Blanch | pre-blanched, par-fried |
| Freezing | IQF, −18 °C |
| Packing | 1 kg / 2.5 kg / 10 kg / 12.5 kg |
| Shelf life | 24 months at −18 °C |
| Certification | BRC, HACCP, GlobalG.A.P. |
IQF strawberries, blueberries, mango and mixed fruit for retail and industry.
| Products | strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, mango dice |
| Freezing | IQF, −35 °C |
| Grade | A-grade whole, B-grade for processing |
| Packing | 1 kg / 10 kg / 20 kg |
| Shelf life | 24 months at −18 °C |
| Test | pesticide residue (EU MRL), microbiology |
Nori sheets, roasted seasoned laver and seaweed snack packs.
| Species | Pyropia / Porphyra yezoensis |
| Forms | full sheet 19×21 cm, 5 g snack pack, shredded |
| Moisture | ≤ 7% |
| Seasoning | salt, sesame oil, wasabi, spicy |
| Packing | individual 4–5 g packs, 12–24 packs per box |
| Certification | HACCP, BRC, heavy-metal test |
Acacia, linden and multifloral honey in bulk drums and retail jars.
| Types | acacia, linden, litchi, multifloral |
| Moisture | ≤ 18% (acacia ≤ 20%) |
| HMF | ≤ 40 mg/kg (EU limit) |
| Packing | 290 kg drum / 25 kg pail / 500 g jar |
| Shelf life | 24 months |
| Certification | HACCP, antibiotic residue screening |
Coated chicken, marinated meats and single-serve frozen meals.
| Products | breaded chicken, karaage, marinated skewers, rice bowls |
| Freezing | IQF or blast frozen |
| Portion | 80–250 g per piece / 300–450 g meal |
| Packing | bulk 5 kg or retail 300–450 g tray |
| Shelf life | 12–18 months at −18 °C |
| Certification | BRC, IFS, HACCP, EU approval |
Brewed soy sauce, oyster sauce and cooking sauces in retail and catering sizes.
| Types | light soy, dark soy, oyster, teriyaki, stir-fry |
| Brewing | naturally fermented 3–6 months (soy) |
| Salt | 12–18% (soy sauce) |
| Packing | 150 ml–1 L bottle, 5 L / 20 L catering |
| Shelf life | 18–24 months ambient |
| Certification | HACCP, BRC, FDA, Halal |
Extruded kibble and pouch/wet pet food manufactured for private label.
| Formats | dry kibble 2–12 mm, 85 g pouch, 400 g can |
| Protein | 22–32% (dry), by formula |
| Extrusion | twin-screw extruded, coated |
| Packing | 1.5 / 3 / 10 kg bag; 12–24 pouches per box |
| Shelf life | 18 months |
| Certification | HACCP, BRC, EU pet-food registration |
Frozen scallop meats, half-shell scallops and boiled clam meat.
| Species | Patinopecten yessoensis / Ruditapes philippinarum |
| Forms | scallop meat 10/20, half shell, boiled clam |
| Glaze | 10–20% |
| Packing | 1 kg / 10 kg |
| Shelf life | 18–24 months at −18 °C |
| Test | biotoxin, E. coli, heavy metals |
Dried cranberries, raisins, dates and trail mixes for retail packs.
| Products | raisin, cranberry, date, apricot, mixed nuts |
| Moisture | 12–20% depending on fruit |
| SO2 | ≤ 100 ppm (dried apricot, EU compliant) |
| Packing | 200 g–1 kg retail, 10–12.5 kg bulk |
| Shelf life | 12 months ambient |
| Certification | HACCP, BRC, pesticide residue report |
Quick-frozen noodles and steamed buns for Asian foodservice.
| Products | ramen noodles, udon, steamed buns, scallion pancakes |
| Piece weight | 30–80 g noodle block; 60–100 g bun |
| Freezing | IQF, −35 °C |
| Cooking | boil 3–5 min / steam 8–10 min |
| Packing | 200 g–1 kg retail, 10 kg bulk |
| Certification | HACCP, BRC, export health certificate |
Custom dry rubs, marinade powders and soup bases for food manufacturers.
| Form | powder, granule, paste, liquid concentrate |
| Moisture | ≤ 8% (dry blends) |
| Custom | recipe development 10–15 days, NDA available |
| Packing | 20–25 kg bag / drum, or 1 kg retail |
| Shelf life | 12–18 months |
| Certification | HACCP, BRC, allergen declaration |
Tell us the products and quantities — we reply within 24 hours with supplier options, sample costs and an all-in quote.