Quality chain management in fish processing industry
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The purpose of this page is to give some background information to the quality chain management, which here refers to all the steps from fishing vessels for fresh fish to the final step fish being offered for sail at retailers, markets or marketplaces. Table according to Frederiksen (2002) below enlightens these steps together with their relative processes in the chain - mostly only done once in the chain but listed here for all the steps where they can be done. However, noteworthy, there can be not only one but even several steps of either fishing vessels for fresh fish or wholesalers/processors, or both, in a fish supply chain.
Table. Processes in fresh fish transporting and processing chains today.
| Step in the chain | Processes in the chain |
| Fishing vessels for fresh fish | Catch, gut, bleed, wash, sort in spieces, size grade, weight, icepack, store and unload |
| Collectors | size grade, weight, icepack, store and bring to auction |
| Auctions | Store and auction (sell) |
| Wholesalers/processors | Size grade, process, weight, icepack, store and sell |
| Transport companies | Load, store and unload |
| Retailers/markets | Process, weight, icepack, store and sell |
Quality chain management includes issues such as maintaining the cold chain, self-life of (frozen) fish, addition of cryoprotectants to preserve texture (controlling the ice crystal structure in muscle fibres), product traceability, and mediation of financial world trade on fish quality at sail to mention a few. For instance, cod is being transported from the Barents and Atlantic Sea through Suez Canal to China on account of cheap processing and packaging costs, and eventually all the way back to Northern sales area. Freezing at sea can cause problems. Hedges (2002) highlights that if the fillets are frozen before the energy stores are depleted (prior reloading to the long-distance freighter), and additionally in a litter of fillets, a phenomenon called thaw rigor (during the thawing and cooking process) will take place deteriorating both muscle texture and flavour.
At the moment, every single step in the chain commonly competes with other steps in the chain in order to survive (Frederiksen, 2002). This state of affairs, together with various chain ownership constellations being commonly present, barely is likely to reduce any time-consuming or extra-steps in the quality chain, and thus improve fish quality brought to the market.
Literature
- Frederiksen M. 2002. Quality Chain Management in Fish Processing. In: Safety and Quality Issues in Fish Processing. Bremner AH (ed.), Woodhead Publishing Ltd., CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.
- Hedges N. 2002. Maintaining the Quality of Frozen Fish. In: Safety and Quality Issues in Fish Processing. Bremner AH (ed.), Woodhead Publishing Ltd., CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL.