• Cephalopod, not fish — clean mollusc profile, no "fishy" odour.

• Flat-opened cut — faster, more even cooking than closed tube rings; no rolling in the pan.

• IQF portion control — pieces stay separate, easy to weigh and plate.

• Versatile specs — ring diameter, thickness and skin-on/off adjustable to buyer requirement.

• Wild-caught & MSC-capable — sourced from managed fisheries (MSC where the fishery is certified).

• Long frozen shelf life — stable at -18 °C for up to 24 months.

• Stir-fry (Chinese / Asian wok dishes).

• Hot pot and shabu-shabu.

• Deep-frying and tempura-style coating.

• Seafood pasta, salads and rice bowls.

• Foodservice and retail frozen packs.

• Food safety: HACCP, BRC, ISO 22000, HALAL, EU Reg. (EC) 853/2004.

• Sustainability (source-matched): Squid are wild-captured → MSC applies where the source fishery is certified. ASC / BAP do NOT apply — those are aquaculture (farmed) schemes and are incorrectly attached to wild squid.

• (No allergen statement per current copy standard.)

• Store at -18 °C or below. Shelf life 24 months from production.

• Packaging: poly-lined cartons; IQF 10 kg bulk or retail re-packs.

• MOQ: 1 × 20' FCL (≈ 10–12 MT) or per agreed pack schedule.

Q1. Is squid a fish or a crustacean? What species is used? A. Squid is a cephalopod mollusc — neither fish nor crustacean nor bivalve. The flat rings are cut from squid mantle; the representative species is Loligo spp., with Todarodes pacificus, Illex argentinus and Dosidicus gigas also supplied by region. Fix the exact Latin name and origin on the PO to prevent species substitution.

Q2. Is this wild-caught or farmed, and which sustainability certificate is correct? A. Squid are wild-caught, not farmed. The correct scheme is MSC (where the fishery is certified). ASC and BAP are for farmed aquaculture and do NOT apply to wild squid — beware suppliers who label wild squid with ASC/BAP.

Q3. What is the difference between a flat squid ring and a normal squid ring? A. A normal squid ring is a closed tube cross-section; a flat squid ring is the same ring opened/flattened into a "C". The flat form spreads heat evenly, prevents rolling during cooking, and portions more consistently — preferred for stir-fry, hot pot and frying. It is distinct from frozen-squid-ring-skin-on (which keeps the skin and closed shape).

Q4. What HS code should I declare for flat squid rings? A. Raw frozen squid rings are declared under HS 0307.43 (frozen cuttle fish and squid). If the product is cooked, battered or otherwise prepared, it moves to HS 1605.40 (prepared/preserved molluscs). Declare by the actual processing state.

Q5. How should flat squid rings be cooked? A. They are quick-cooking: 30–90 seconds in a hot wok or brief blanch in hot pot. Squid toughens if overcooked, so add them last. Because they are flat-opened, they sear and heat through faster than tube rings.

Q6. IQF or block frozen — which should I choose? A. IQF (individual quick frozen) keeps each ring separate for accurate portioning in foodservice and retail. Block frozen is a solid slab, better value for further processing. Both are the same flat-cut product, fully frozen at -18 °C.