Production
Products forms and processing methods
It is difficult to generalize any typical forms of squid products
in the world market because they vary by consumer consumption
patterns, eating habits and preferences.
Cephalopods eaten in restaurants or at
home may undergo only primary processing (such as cleaning,
gutting, removal of skin and wings) or further processing
(such as drying, salting, freezing, packaging, canning, preparation
as frozen ready meals).
Most products undergo at least primary
processing, and squid may also be prepared as tubes or rings
and cuttlefish as fillets. Cephalopods in frozen catering
or retail packs only account for a small proportion of sales,
but in some countries this segment of the market is expanding
rapidly.
Cephalopods are generally sold in two
forms: frozen or as processed products. The bulk of imports
are block frozen, since most catches are frozen on board ship.
Catches frozen ashore may be either block frozen or individually
quick frozen (IQF).
The main forms in which frozen cephalopods
are sold are:
- Whole, cleaned or uncleaned
- Tube (Squid)
- Fillets (cuttlefish)
- Rings
- Tentacles |
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