Increased shelf life of seafood products benefits everyone — from fisherman to consumer — raising profitability up the value chain and prolonging quality, leading to healthier consumption and minimized waste.
FoodInnov Group, a French food and nutrition research company, has announced that it is honing a technology that could significantly extend the shelf life of seafood products, IntraFish correspondent John Evans wrote in an article last week.
The company believes it might be close to a solution to scientifically measure the state of fish degradation, a metric that would ultimately benefit the entire supply chain — from suppliers to processors and fishmongers.
“If you notice that the loss of freshness of the fish occurs at some point in the process, such as at the auction or at the fishmonger’s, it is possible to react by modifying the procedures, for example by adding more ice or by limiting this particular processing time.” Arnaud Orger-Turbin, scientific and R&D project manager at FoodInnov Group, told IntraFish.
Skaginn 3X’s founder and chief executive Ingólfur Árnason shares in this view that the key to a more sustainable and profitable industry lies in preserving freshness and quality via technology and innovation. And his answer, SUB-CHILLING™, is a solution that is proven not only to increase shelf life by up to seven days, but also to eliminate the need for ice completely, greatly reducing transport costs and the relevant carbon footprint.
“The reason that quality is of critical importance to the seafood category has everything to do with the raw materials themselves and their propensity to spoil at quicker rates than many other centerplate proteins,” Árnason tells the Navigator. “This may be the trade-off for being one of the most diverse and versatile food groups available to us.”
The SUB-CHILLING™ system is unique in its approach to sustaining freshness. “In quickly chilling whole fish down to below the freezing point of water without actually putting the product into a frozen state, you’re extending an already considerable number of product shelf lives by up to seven days,” Árnason explains. “Essentially, it locks in all of the freshness, flavor and nutrients of the fish as quickly as possible, thereby optimizing end-product quality and maximizing revenue potential.”
Thorough and rapid chilling is one of the most important factors in preserving fish products and maintaining high quality. From the moment the fish is brought onboard or harvested, rapid chilling and preserving the cold environment are vital to securing the quality and freshness of the product.
For more information on the innovative Skaginn 3X chilling technologies, please visit the solutions page for chilling.
