Effects of processing on levels of hazards in cephalopod molluscs
Octopus, squid and other cephalopods eat a diet of crustacea, fish and other molluscs. The marine environments from which they are harvested are largely free of significant levels of pollution. Endogenous hazards which may be present at point of harvest are broadly similar to those associated with other molluscan species, although there is no evidence for the accumulation of algal biotoxins in the cephalopods. Conversely, squid is known to be an intermediate host for anisakid parasites [2].
Squid and octopus are usually landed live and sold as chilled or frozen product. Squid are imported in many forms, including whole dried; dried and shredded; dried shredded and smoked; canned; frozen hoods; and frozen rings. Octopus are imported dried, salted, smoked and marinated.
In Australia, processing of octopus is minimal, involving washing, brining to evert the octopus, removal of teeth and organs, and subsequent chilling or freezing. Squid, calamari and cuttlefish are similarly minimally processed. The internal organs, skeleton and the skin are removed, the product washed, and cleaned tubes and/or bodies are stored chilled or frozen. Post-harvest handling introduces the risk of contamination by pathogenic micro-organisms, and handling and transport introduce the possibility for outgrowth of bacterial pathogens if temperature is not adequately controlled.
Table 1.3: Summary of potential hazards along the cephalopod mollusc supply chain
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