Industrial Freezing Techniques and Their Effect on the Quality Parameters of Octopus Enteroctopus megalocyathus Product

This study evaluated freezing methods [air-blast (AF), plate (PF), and domestic (DF)] for Enteroctopus megalocyathus, an important artisanal fishery species in Argentina and Chile. Industrial methods (AF/PF) showed higher energy removal rates (3.47 Js−1/3.25 Js−1) versus DF (0.48 Js−1), minimizing tissue damage. AF maintained stable quality and sensory parameters during storage. PF exhibited high initial drip loss (15% ± 1.83%) and a tendency to blue, while DF showed progressive drip loss (2.82% to 7.87% over 6 months) with bluish discoloration and sensory deterioration. Industrial freezing enhances final product quality and could be adapted for other small-scale octopus fisheries.