Rongcheng Port, with the salty sea breeze carrying the smell of the ocean, sees batches of fresh squid coming ashore. Driven by consumer upgrades and healthy eating trends, squid, with its high protein and low-fat characteristics, has become a highlight of consumer growth. As the "Hometown of Squid in China," Rongcheng, through its strategy of "source control + technological innovation + full industrial chain layout," has written a microcosm of the Chinese squid industry's journey from the ocean to the table.

Special Fishing, Laying the Foundation Stone for Quality Control

In early August, Pacific flying squid migrate to the fishing grounds around Rongcheng. Having been nurtured in the pure cold waters of 37 degrees north latitude and tempered by the waves during their migration, the squid boasts Q-elastic and delicious meat. However, August falls within the fishing moratorium of the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea. If the fishing moratorium ends, fishermen will miss the best fishing season for squid. To this end, starting in 2021, Shandong Province has opened a special channel for squid fishing and implemented special squid fishing during the fishing moratorium. The 15-day squid fishing season, with a daily catch of nearly 10,000 catties, has brought joy to the Rongcheng fishermen.

Image Source: Ocean Channel

High-quality products stem from strict source control. The caught squid must undergo a rigorous screening process; only those with full bodies, tender meat, and meeting quality standards can enter the subsequent processing stages. Source control measures not only guarantee the freshness of squid raw materials but also lay a solid foundation for the high quality of subsequent processed products.

Workshop Revolution: Achieving Intelligent Processing

The squid processing workshop of Shandong Lanrun Group uses a carbon dioxide freezing system, introduces a complete set of advanced original Japanese processing equipment, a complete assembly line processing technology, a fully automatic packaging system, and advanced drying equipment and cold storage. In the squid processing process, it strictly adheres to food safety standards, precisely controls temperature and humidity, and strictly regulates the processing procedures.

Modern processing equipment and the skilled handling techniques of workers blend together, jointly performing the "magic" of squid delicacies. In the processing, the squid is carefully handled, its innards removed, and skinned, ensuring that each piece is clean and hygienic. Then, according to different product needs, the squid embarks on a diverse "transformation" journey, becoming uniform squid rings, frozen squid fillets, dried squid products, and squid strips.

In the processing workshop, every process is carefully designed and optimized. The squid's toughness and deliciousness are perfectly blended, making it a "star product" among seafood delicacies, deeply popular in the domestic market and exported overseas, becoming a shining business card.

Image Source: China Rongcheng

Breaking Through on the Table: Constructing a Diverse Product Matrix

In the face of increasingly diverse consumer tastes, the squid industry has branched out into various categories. Common types include spicy squid tentacles, spicy squid strips, and wasabi squid slices as ready-to-eat snacks, teppanyaki squid tentacles, squid rings, and squid flowers as pre-made dishes and deep-processed products, as well as dried squid, frozen squid tubes, and squid skewers as dried and frozen products.

Relying on advanced technology, squid has broken through the limitations of the dining table. Squid tissues, organs, and metabolic products are developed into high-value-added products, widely used in medicine, materials, and cosmetics. For example, squid ink melanin can be made into anti-cancer drugs or health products with anti-tumor and antioxidant effects; collagen is extracted for use in wrinkle-resistant and moisturizing skin care products; proteases extracted from viscera are used in amino acid seasoning processed foods and detergents to break down stains; fluorescent proteins are used in bioluminescent labeling and cancer cell tracking; inspired by the squid's color-changing mechanism, color-changing smart materials are developed for camouflage or smart packaging.

Squid bio-products achieve high-value utilization of resources through biotechnology, especially with significant potential in the medical, material, and environmental protection fields. In the future, it will expand towards precision medicine and intelligent materials, promoting the sustainable development of marine resources.

Rongcheng has become an important squid distribution center nationwide and the largest squid processing base in China and even Asia. The squid industry is embracing the world with a brand-new posture. From source control to modern processing, from strict standards to innovative flavors, countless details constitute the texture of the squid industry—it is not just a cold industrial chain, but also a picture of people's livelihood woven with professionalism and passion. When we savor the sweetness of squid meat at the table, we should remember that behind every delicious bite is the day and night journey above the deep blue. (Sun Yan)