FAQ

Ocean Road Abalone is a pioneer in land-based abalone farming, with our farm located near the beautiful coastal town of Port Fairy, Victoria. Established in 1996, our farm was one of the very first abalone farms in Australia – and we’re proud of that history. We produce a hybrid of the two favourite Australian abalone the Blacklip and Greenlip abalone for a product that has the best of both species. We’re committed to producing some of the highest-quality abalone in Australia in a sustainable way that ensures seafood can be enjoyed for future generations to come.

Abalone is not equal. Different abalone species have different shell and meat colour. Some abalone has black flesh such as Paua from New Zealand; some abalone have red shells such as Red abalone from California. The abalone species we cultivate has a jade colour shell. The flesh is a natural pearl white. The advantage of pearl white flesh allows us to produce a natural product without adding any bleaching agent.

Abalone packed in retort pouches are a shelf stable food if they have received a process that renders it commercially sterile and is contained in a pouch that protects the product from both chemical and light oxidation. This is the case with our product.

The process involves the following:

· Using specifically designed pouches.

· Filling the vacuum packs with the product,

· evacuating the air from the pouches,

· sealing the pouches,

· heat treating the pouches in a pressurized retort for a specific period to destroy naturally occurring microorganisms and to inactivate all enzymatic activity.

The hermetic seal on the pouch then prevents further contamination, so the pouched product may be held for long periods of time at ambient temperatures.

Retort pouches are typically constructed of multiple laminates designed to provide strength, sealing (hermetic seal) and protection from both chemical and light oxidation.

All of these factors result in a product that has a shelf life of at least 3 years when handled correctly.