Pan-ready
A fish that has been headed, gutted, scaled and had its fins clipped.
Pasteurize
To heat product sufficiently to kill most bacteria, but not enough to cook the meat.
PDI
Peeled, deveined and individually frozen shrimp.
Peritoneum
Membrane lining a fish’s belly cavity.
Pinbones
A strip of small bones found along the midline of many fillets; can be removed with “V” or “J” cuts.
Plate Freezing
Freezing by use of a refrigerant flowing through hollow metal plates that are in direct contact with prepacked seafood. Typically the plates are moveable to sandwich the product between two chilled surfaces, compressing it to ensure uniform contact and freezing.
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
PCBs are a group of synthetic organic chemicals commonly used as coolants and lubricants in electronics until 1977. They do not biodegrade readily and appear in soil, air and water and in animal fat. PCBs are found at various levels in many foods, including seafood.
Polylined Carton
A package lined with plastic on the inside to protect seafood products. “Polybagged” and “polywrapped” are similar forms of plastic packaging.
Portion
Usually a square or rectangle, cut from a block of frozen fish. Weights vary from 1 1/2 to about 6 ounces. May be plain or breaded, raw or precooked.