Quick-frozen foodstuff is a legal category established under EU legislation for products frozen rapidly using appropriate techniques and maintained at or below the required storage temperature throughout the supply chain, obliging operators to keep and provide temperature records.
In trade practice
Suppliers must use freezing equipment capable of passing through the maximum ice crystal formation zone rapidly, as required by the Quick-Frozen Directive. Temperature monitoring records must accompany consignments and be available for inspection by competent authorities. A common compliance gap is failing to document temperature at every handover point, including cold stores and transport legs. Buyers importing from Ukraine should confirm that Ukrainian exporters operate under equivalent cold chain controls accepted under the EU-Ukraine Association Agreement.
In a specification
Trade contracts should reference the applicable EU directive on quick-frozen foodstuffs and require the supplier to provide continuous temperature records from freezing through to the point of delivery.