Product Standards of Dried Scallop | Dried Seafood

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Dried Seafood
Product Standards of Dried Scallop

Official Certification by HFFCA

The dried scallops harvested in Hokkaido are certified by the Hokkaido Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations, under a rigorous system of inspection and quality grading based on stipulated product standards. The dried scallops that Daiichi handles are all authentic products, certified as compliant with grading standards.

Official Certification by HFFCA

Dried scallops made in China are not produced according to this standard and many products are inferior in quality. For example, the dried scallops genuinely originating from Japan have to comply with a moisture content of no more than 16%.
However, many of those from China have a higher moisture content than 16%. Higher moisture content means less flavor and worse taste, and the products are more likely for powdering/mold and discoloration (browning) to occur quickly.

The genuine dried scallops from Japan are processed to have an actual moisture content of 12% to 15%, complying with the standard of no more than 16%. The difference in quality is very clear.

Packaging of Fully Certified Graded Dried Scallop

outer packaging

inner case

Cushioning in inner case

Contents of inner case

Net weight 20kg (10kg x 2) Tied with blue PP band in 2 positions/2 x side + 1 x length using grading color-coded PP rope

Grading Card

A Grading Card is always inserted into the carton. This is to guarantee that the product has been inspected and graded by the Hokkaido Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations.

The safety certificate ; product has been removed of uro

The product safety certificate on the outer packaging is a certification by the Hokkaido Federation of Fisheries Cooperative Associations that the product has been removed of uro, which is potentially harmful if eaten.

*Caution: Some fake cartons made in China have been found recently, counterfeiting the outer packaging.

Product Grading of Dried Hokkaido Scallops

① Size

Category	Weight/pc	No of pcs/600 g
GL	16g≦	≦38 pcs
LL	12g≦, ＜16g	39～50 pcs
L	8.6g≦, ＜12g	51～70 pcs
M	6.7g≦, ＜8.6g	71～90 pcs
S	5g≦, ＜6.7g	91～120 pcs

Category	Weight/pc	No of pcs/600 g
SA	3g≦, ＜5g	121～200 pcs
SAS	2.4g≦, ＜3g *See Note	201～250 pcs
4S	＜2.4g	251 pcs≦
CC	5g≦	Broken
B	＜5g	Broken

*Note: If no more than 250 pcs per 600 g, pcs of up to 2 g can be mixed in.

② Grading

Grade 1

Grade 1
Grade 1 outer packaging

Grade 2

Grade 2
Grade 2 outer packaging

Grade 3

Grade 3
Grade 3 outer packaging

Grade	1	2	3	4
Rope Color Code	Blue	Red	Purple	Yellow
Meat Quality	Firm Containing no stone, aged, candy or blooming scallop	Slightly loose Containing no stone, aged, candy or blooming scallop	Loose Containing very few stone, aged, candy or blooming scallop	Very loose but intact shape Containing not too many stone, aged or candy scallop
Luster	Gold or reddish brown with distinctive luster No surface powdering No contaminant	Yellowish or reddish brown with luster No surface powdering No contaminant	Dark brown or better color Very little powdering on surface No contaminant	Dark or deep dark brown Heavy powdering on surface (if remarkable, considered "substandard") Not much contaminant
Taste and Flavor	Distinctive taste and flavor Moderately salty	Some smell of charring but without losing distinctive flavor Not too salty	Slight unusual smell but without losing distinctive flavor Salty	Not much smell of charring, mold, sweating and other unusual smell
Mold	None	None	None	None
Shape	Good	Good	Not very good, with trim mark
Uniformity of size	Uniform	Uniform	Uniform	Uniform
Dryness	Moisture content no more than 16%	Moisture content no more than 16%	Moisture content no more than 16%	Moisture content no more than 16%
Impurity	None	None	None	None

*Scallops that cannot be classed into any of the grading categories above are considered “substandard.”

Stone scallop: Dried scallop that has hardened considerably due to overboiling in cloudy water, caused by too much salt in the water or insufficient water replacement
Aged scallop: Dried scallop which has hardened considerably and whose edge has become sharp because its growth has slowed due to age and its fibers have become dense
Candy scallop: Dried scallop with slight change in texture of the center of the adductor muscle causing meat fibers to soften due to insufficient boiling or poor drying process; Dried scallop whose meat fibers have softened due to glycogen escape caused by glycogen overload
Blooming scallop: Dried scallop which has “bloomed” with its surface splitting in many places due to overboiling

Grading of Broken Dried Scallops

Grade	1	2	3
Rope Color Code	Blue	Red	Purple
Meat Quality	Firm	Slightly loose	Loose
Luster	Gold or reddish brown with distinctive gloss No surface powdering	Yellowish or reddish brown with gloss No surface powdering No contaminant	Dark brown or dark grey Heavy powdering on surface (if remarkable, considered "substandard")
Taste & Flavor	Distinctive taste and flavor Moderately salty	Some smell of charring and slightly unusual smell but without losing distinctive flavor Not too salty	Not much musty or sweaty smell or other unusual smell
Weight	2.5g≦, ＜5g	Each pc between 5mm square and under 2.5 g	Each pc with 2 or more fibers and up to 5 mm square
Dryness	Moisture content no more than 16%	Moisture content no more than 16%	Moisture content no more than 16%
Impurity	None	None	None

*Scallops that cannot be classed into any of the grading categories above are considered “substandard.”
[Source: Essential Guidebook for Scallop Processing]