Overview
Gamba is a premium crustacean in Antartic Seafood's export portfolio. Caught by our own fleet, the product undergoes manual processing at our Coquimbo plant — from reception through cooking, peeling and IQF freezing.
Each production step is controlled under HACCP critical control points and aligned with FSSC 22000 v6 food safety standards. SERNAPESCA inspects landing and discharge operations.
Gamba ships to retail and food service buyers in North America, Europe and Asia with full traceability documentation.
Applications & formats
Retail
IQF gamba in consumer-ready bags for supermarket frozen sections.
Food service
Bulk cartons for restaurants, hotels and catering.
Ready meals
Peeled gamba as an ingredient for prepared food manufacturers.
Available formats
| Shell-on | Frozen in the shell, cooked or raw to specification. The shell protects texture during freezing and transport, and is preferred where the shell is part of the presentation. |
|---|---|
| Peeled / tail meat | Shell removed, leaving ready-to-use meat. Removes labour from the buyer's kitchen and is the usual format for ready meals and ingredient supply. |
Freezing & cold chain
IQF — individually quick frozen — Each piece is frozen separately, so the pack pours freely and the buyer can weigh out any quantity without thawing the rest. Preferred for retail packs and portion-controlled food service.
Product is held at −18 °C or below from the freezer through cold storage, container stuffing and transit, with continuous temperature monitoring. Reefer containers are pre-cooled before loading and a temperature recorder travels with the shipment so the buyer can verify the chain on arrival.
Packing & export documentation
Glaze percentage, inner-bag format, carton weight and pallet configuration are agreed in the purchase specification before the first production run. Every shipment travels with a commercial invoice, packing list, bill of lading, health certificate and certificate of origin; catch certificates and any destination-specific attestation are issued where the importing market requires them.
Every line runs under the same programmes: MSC fishery certification (MSC-F-31264) and MSC Chain of Custody (MSC-C-55732), FSSC 22000 v6, ISO 9001, a validated HACCP plan and US FDA registration. Certificate copies are released during supplier qualification.
Related reading
Red vs yellow langostino: what actually changes for the buyer
Pleuroncodes monodon and Cervimunida johni are both sold as langostino. How they differ in yield, colour, texture and best end use, and what to write in your spec.
SourcingCold-water crustaceans: what the Humboldt Current changes
Why cold-water crustaceans differ from warm-water farmed shrimp in texture, colour, protein and traceability — and what a buyer should verify before switching.
FormatsShell-on or peeled: costing the crustacean format decision
How to decide between shell-on and peeled crustacean formats using cost per usable kilo, labour, waste handling and retail presentation — not headline price per kilo.
Frequently asked questions
What is gamba?
Gamba refers to wild-caught prawns processed and IQF-frozen at our Coquimbo plant for export.
Is gamba available year-round?
Production follows the fishing season and fleet landing schedule. Contact us for current availability and shipment windows.
Which certifications apply?
Our plant is HACCP-validated, FSSC 22000 certified and FDA registered. The fishery holds MSC certification.
Related products: Langostino · Nylon Shrimp · Crustacean Meal
Quote gamba for export
Send us your format, volume and destination requirements.