The cadmium, silver, lead, copper, zinc, manganese, iron and mercury levels in the edible and inedible tissues of raw and tinnedLoligo patagonicasquid were determined using flame atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS) for Cd, Ag, Pb, Cu, Zn, Mn and Fe and cold‐vapour AAS for Hg. The mean values obtained relative to the wet‐weight (mg/kg) for the edible parts (skinless mantle, arms and crone and fin) of the raw and tinned (mantle) squid, and in whole raw and tinned squid, were: 0.32, 0.32, 0.31, 4.3, 3.2 and 3.0 for Cd, 1.0, 0.34, 0.77, 0.27, 0.59 and 0.44 for Pb, 7.8, 5.5, 11, 33, 22 and 26 for Cu, 12, 13, 12, 19, 16 and 17 for Zn, 0.38, 0.45, 0.48, 0.75, 0.48 and 0.73 for Mn and 2.7 2.3, 3.4, 3.4, 2.2 and 9.4 for Fe, respectively. The content of silver and mercury in the mantle of the tinned squid were 0–18 and 0–012 mg/kg, respectively. As a consequence of whole squid processing, highly elevated levels of cadmium, and also somewhat higher levels of some of the other trace metals, were found in the edible parts of the tinned squid. The content of cadmium in the edible parts of the squid in all instances exceed, and for edible parts of the tinned whole squid considerably exceed, the proposed tolerance limit for cadmium in fishery products (0.05 mg/kg).