For bulk frozen vegetables in plain packaging the practical minimum is one full reefer trailer, around 20 to 22 tonnes of packed product, because that is the unit that transports economically. Smaller quantities are possible as groupage, typically from one to five pallets, at a materially higher cost per kilogram. For printed retail packs the binding minimum is not the truck but the printed film run, which is frequently in the tens of thousands of units per artwork version.
Three separate minimums are often confused, and it helps to price them separately.
The production minimum is the volume that makes a line run worthwhile, usually one to a few hours of output, which on an IQF line is measured in single-digit tonnes per hour. This is why an unusual calibre or a bespoke blend carries a higher minimum than a standard product.
The packaging minimum applies as soon as anything is printed. Plate or cylinder costs are one-off per artwork version and film print runs have a step-function minimum, so a first order below that minimum means paying for and storing film you have not used.
The transport minimum is the trailer. Mixed loads across several products from the same plant are the normal way to reach it, and consolidation at a hub such as Warsaw is the normal way to reach it across several suppliers.
For a first order, a workable structure is a single mixed full load of two to four products in bulk packaging, which lets both parties test specification, documentation and the temperature chain before printed packaging is committed. Once the range is established, moving to printed retail film is a separate decision with its own volume arithmetic, covered in the private label guide.
Quantities above are trade practice, not rules, and vary by plant, season and product. Confirm the specific minimum with the supplier before building a launch plan around it.