Food · Fermented foods

Itayagai (Itaya Scallop)

いたやがい (Itayagai)

Also known as: Itayagai, Itaya scallop, Pecten albicans, 板屋貝, イタヤガイ

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At a glance

Category	Food
Japanese labeling name	いたやがい
Common Japanese notations	いたやがい, 板屋貝, イタヤガイ
Origin	Itaya scallop (Pecten albicans / Mimachlamys nobilis-related Pectinidae); smaller scallop relative; principal historic regions Aichi (Mikawa Bay), Mie, Wakayama; wild-only, no commercial aquaculture; less common than hotategai (Yesso scallop) which dominates the Japanese scallop category; regional specialty rather than nationwide-supplied
Typical functions	Sashimi / sushi nigiri (regional specialty), Butter-yaki preparation, Foodservice regional supply
Regulatory status in Japan	Standard food labeling. Origin disclosure. Mollusk JAS-recommended-disclosure allergen.

Itayagai (いたやがい / 板屋貝) — itaya scallop (Pecten albicans family) — is a smaller wild-only scallop relative. Mikawa Bay regional specialty. Less common than hotategai. Niche regional sashimi/butter-yaki.

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Classification

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Product applications

Functions

Flavoring486

Regulatory tags

Culinary ingredient512

Origin

Animal-derived87

Common OEM product categories

Finished-product categories where Japanese OEM manufacturers commonly formulate with this ingredient.

Live/fresh itayagai regional retail (Mikawa Bay specialty)
Frozen B2B (limited supply)

Ingredient profile

Pecten albicans-family itaya scallop (smaller scallop relative).

OEM applications

Sashimi / sushi nigiri regional specialty.

Butter-yaki.

Foodservice regional supply.

For OEM: regional retail, limited frozen B2B.

Regulatory classification in Japan

Standard food labeling. **Mollusk JAS-recommended-disclosure allergen.**

Regulatory classification in other markets

EU	Mollusks EU-mandatory allergen. Niche specialty.
USA	Mollusk allergen disclosure. Niche specialty.
China	Niche specialty.
Korea	Niche specialty.

Market reference formulations

Example finished products will be added after verification.

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Alternative ingredients

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Hotategai

Quick answers

What is Itayagai (Itaya Scallop)?: Itayagai (いたやがい / 板屋貝) — itaya scallop (Pecten albicans family) — is a smaller wild-only scallop relative. Mikawa Bay regional specialty. Less common than hotategai. Niche regional sashimi/butter-yaki.
What is the regulatory status of Itayagai (Itaya Scallop) in Japan?: Standard food labeling. **Origin disclosure.** **Mollusk JAS-recommended-disclosure allergen.**
What products typically use Itayagai (Itaya Scallop)?: Live/fresh itayagai regional retail (Mikawa Bay specialty) / Frozen B2B (limited supply)
Where does Itayagai (Itaya Scallop) come from?: Itaya scallop (Pecten albicans / Mimachlamys nobilis-related Pectinidae); smaller scallop relative; principal historic regions Aichi (Mikawa Bay), Mie, Wakayama; **wild-only, no commercial aquaculture**; less common than hotategai (Yesso scallop) which dominates the Japanese scallop category; **regional specialty rather than nationwide-supplied**
What is the INCI / JSCI labeling name for Itayagai (Itaya Scallop)?: JSCI: いたやがい

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MEXT 食品成分DB（検索） ↗

References

文部科学省 (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology) Standard Tables of Food Composition — いたやがい

Last updated: 2026-04-28. Ingredient entries are reviewed at least annually against current regulatory listings.