Size codes, carton types, punnets, and bins: a practical guide to packaging choices in fresh produce exports.
Two concepts let buyer and seller speak the same language in international fresh produce trade: caliber (size) and packaging type. Caliber ties fruit diameter to standard millimeter-based codes; packaging determines the form in which produce reaches the shelf.
How to read caliber codes
Citrus sizes use numeric codes: roughly 60-110 mm for oranges, 35-83 mm for lemons, 35-78 mm for mandarins, and 70-139 mm for grapefruit, each range divided into codes. Stone fruit uses letter codes instead: peaches and nectarines run from AAAA (90-97 mm) down to D (51-56 mm), apricots from AAA (50-55 mm) to C (30-35 mm). Buyers specify the caliber code together with the product, making the size of every fruit in the carton predictable.
Caliber is only half the specification — quality class is the other half
Internationally, fresh produce marketing standards are set jointly by the Codex Alimentarius Commission (FAO/WHO) and the UNECE, and the EU's own marketing standards largely mirror them. These standards sort produce into quality classes — typically Extra, Class I, and Class II — each with its own maximum tolerance for external defects: an Extra-class lot is commonly held to around a 5% defect tolerance, rising to roughly 10% for Class II. A caliber code without a stated class is an incomplete order — the two travel together on every specification sheet and shipping document.
Main packaging types
- Corrugated cartons (5-18 kg): the standard for citrus, apples, grapes, and stone fruit; telescopic and perforated variants exist.
- Perforated plastic crates: preferred for tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers for air circulation; washable and reusable.
- Punnets: the retail standard for strawberries and cherries; 250-500 g punnets shipped 8-10 to a carton.
- Single-layer trays: used for persimmons and kiwifruit, each fruit in its own cell to prevent bruising.
- Bins (300-400 kg): the efficient middle ground between bulk loading and palletized shipment for watermelons and melons.
- Mesh bags (10-50 kg) and retail nets (0.5-2 kg): volume or shelf-ready options for onions, potatoes, and citrus.
The paperwork that has to match the carton
Whatever the packaging, three documents need to agree with what's physically in the container: a phytosanitary certificate issued by the exporting country's plant protection authority for that specific consignment, a commercial invoice stating the agreed Incoterms rule (for example, FOB or CIF under Incoterms 2020) and the parties' details, and a packing list whose stated weights and item counts match the cargo exactly. Buyers who have handled customs clearance before flag mismatched weights between the packing list and the physical load, and an expired phytosanitary certificate, as two of the most common reasons a shipment gets held at the border — avoidable with the same care applied to sorting the fruit itself.
Packaging is chosen by product sensitivity, the target market's shelf format, and transport mode; our product pages list typical packaging and caliber for every item. Private label cartons can be prepared to buyer specification.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between Extra Class and Class II produce?
Extra Class allows the least surface-defect tolerance, commonly around 5%, while Class II allows more visible defects, up to around 10%, while still meeting minimum marketable quality.
What packaging is typically used for strawberries and cherries?
Strawberries and cherries typically ship in punnets — 250-500 g clear retail containers, usually packed 8-10 to a carton.