An abalone processor performs all the activities and procedures to keep this seafood hygienic. It is mandatory to provide fresh or ready-to-eat abalone for human consumption. As seafood, it is compulsory to follow food standard codes and general requirements for food processing. An abalone processor handles the shellfish from cutting and cleaning to cooking and storing.
What is an Abalone?
Abalone is a sea animal (gastropod mollusk) living in coastal saltwater. It is famous seafood and one of the most popular among food lovers. At one time, overfishing led to the extinction of this delicious seafood. But later on, due to careful management and strict harvesting regulations, this particular seafood returned. Farmed abalone compensates the demand sufficiently.
Qualification and Training
For abalone processing, there is no formal food safety qualification. However, each person and food handler must have a sound knowledge of food safety skills to perform these activities.
Skills Involved
- Active Listening and Coordination: Processing seafood is a dangerous procedure involving knives, cutters, and trimmers. So, it is a must to listen to what other people are saying, take time to understand the main points, ask for help if required, and do not disturb other coworkers.
- Machine knowledge: Watching dials, gauges, or other indicators to ensure a machine’s proper working.
- Food Production: Knowledge of harvesting abalone for its consumption and handling.
Job details
An abalone processor has to complete the following tasks:
- Processing including skinning, gilling and gutting, shucking, filtering, smoking, cooking, preserving, or canning
- Storing
- Dispatching
- Transferring in a vehicle from which the seafood is sold by retail
Hygiene and handling
Any equipment that comes into contact with food should be clean.
Here is a list of do’s by an abalone processor:
- Wearing neat and clean clothes at the start of each day.
- If they are suffering from any illness, for example, diarrhea or vomiting, they must not handle the food.
- Use of waterproof bandages to cover the open wounds.
- Washing their hands whenever they are contaminated, for example, after using the toilet or after meal breaks.
- Avoid smoking around food products anytime.
Salary
On average, an abalone processor makes $30,117, equating to $2509. That is smart money for a worker with no strictly professional degree. An individual filer in this tax bracket would have to pay an average of 12% tax. So, after the federal tax rate of 12% is deducted, an abalone processor can expect a take-home pay of approximately $26,693 per year. On monthly terms, this equals $1,779.
Final word
Like most other kinds of seafood, abalone is also farmed and eaten worldwide. They are particularly popular in Asian countries. The abalone processor does everything from fishing abalone to presenting it to the eating table. A job not much appreciated, but a respectful one.
