• Wild-caught cuttlefish fillets / mantle tubes — Sepia spp. (commonly Sepia pharaonis), marine cephalopod
• Head, viscera and cuttlebone removed — clean, meaty tube ready for further cutting
• Skin-on or skin-off and wing trim to spec — flexible for stuffing, rings or strips
• Graded 500–700 / 700–1000 g per piece
• Block-frozen (BQF), 10 kg blocks; IQF available on request; glaze 0–20% to spec
• White, firm, elastic flesh; mild cephalopod flavor for versatile prep
• Wild supply — MSC-applicable; ASC / BAP / GLOBALG.A.P. NOT applicable
• Strong frozen shelf life when held at unbroken −18 °C
• Target markets: global B2B importers, Asian and European processing and foodservice (HALAL available)

• Processing into cuttlefish tubes, rings, strips and stuffed rolls
• Foodservice: grilled or braised whole tube, stir-fries, salads
• Asian cuisine: braised cuttlefish, hotpot, noodle and rice toppings
• European / Mediterranean: stuffed cuttlefish (Sepia ripiena), risotto, pasta
• Further processing into cuttlefish-ball / cake lines and prepared packs

• MSC — applicable (cuttlefish are wild-caught; confirm the specific fishery certificate for the batch)
• ASC / BAP / GLOBALG.A.P. — NOT applicable (these are aquaculture standards; cuttlefish are not farmed at commercial scale)
• HACCP / BRC / IFS / ISO 22000 — food-safety management systems for processing
• HALAL / KOSHER — available on request
• FDA registration and EU approval available on request

Store at −18 °C or below under an unbroken cold chain. Typical frozen shelf life 18–24 months for a glazed block-frozen cephalopod held continuously frozen (shorter if unglazed or if temperature fluctuates). Keep frozen until use; thaw under refrigeration and cook thoroughly. Do not refreeze after thawing.

Q1. Is this a squid or octopus, and how do I avoid species substitution? A. This is cuttlefish — genus Sepia (order Sepiida, family Sepiidae), identifiable by the broad internal cuttlebone. It is not squid (order Teuthida — longer body, thin feather-shaped shell, e.g. Uroteuthis, Loligo) and not octopus (order Octopoda — eight arms, no shell). Cuttlefish and squid both fall under HS 0307.43, but they are different genera with different meat texture and price; fix the Latin name Sepia spp. on the PO and packing list to avoid substitution.

Q2. What HS code applies to frozen cuttlefish fillets? A. HS 0307.43 (frozen squid and cuttlefish) at the 6-digit level; the China 10-digit for frozen cuttlefish is 0307431000. Note: 0307.42 is scallops, not cuttlefish — do not confuse the two. If the cuttlefish fillet is breaded or pre-cooked, it moves to prepared-product codes such as 1605.54. Declare the Latin genus on the customs paperwork.

Q3. Is this farmed or wild, and which sustainability label applies? A. Cuttlefish are wild-caught (aquaculture is not commercial at scale), so the relevant certification is MSC (wild-capture fishery) — confirm the specific fishery certificate for the batch. ASC / BAP / GLOBALG.A.P. do not apply because they are farming standards. State the certification you require on the specification.

Q4. What does "cuttlefish fillet" mean here, and how is it processed? A. In trade, "cuttlefish fillet" most often refers to the mantle / tube cut: the body with head, viscera and the internal cuttlebone removed, presented as a clean tube (wings may be attached or trimmed; skin on or off to spec). It is a different cut from the head (separate SKU ES-CH-001) and from squid mantle (different genus, thinner and longer). The cuttlefish fillet / tube is the premium, meaty portion used for stuffing, rings, strips or whole-tube presentations. Confirm skin-on vs skin-off and wing trim on the specification.

Q5. What quality should I expect on arrival and after thawing? A. On arrival the blocks should be solid-frozen with the declared glaze. After thawing, expect: consistent coloration across pieces, intact tube form with no missing parts, firm, elastic flesh (not mushy or watery), clean surface with no visible foreign matter, and no off-odor. The raw material should show good freshness and white flesh. Any sour, ammonia or chemical note is a rejection trigger — request chill-at-landing records and a COA if in doubt.