Across the globe, fish is an essential component of the human diet. There are huge varieties of consumer products containing fish. These include canned fish, dried and cured products, fish oils and extracts, fillets, frozen portions, etc.
A major concern in the seafood industry is the maintenance of quality and food safety. Among these, fishery products are at the forefront. The quality of fish starts deteriorating from the moment it is caught. It further happens due to poor slaughter process, inefficient raw material handling and post-harvest periods.
This makes it important to maintain the freshness of this seafood. Cold chain plays a crucial role in guaranteeing the overall quality and freshness.
How does the cold chain work for fish storage?
After the raw processing, the fish is stored at a temperature of around -23℃. This is done to ensure the longevity and shelf life of fish. A large part of the fresh fish is water. Since the fish contains many dissolved substances, it does freeze completely at the freezing point similar to pure water.
If the fish is held at a temperature below -40℃, then you can easily store it for an indefinite period. However, there are very few commercial freezers capable of doing this.
Technical requirement for a cold storage site
It is important to consider certain factors before deciding on a cold storage site. These include:
- It should be near the processing centre.
- No interruptions in the power supply.
- Raw material should be easily accessible.
- Sufficient fresh water supply.
- Labour availability.
Benefits of cold storage and monitoring for fisheries
The development of fish cold storage infrastructure serves various benefits of fisheries. Some of them on the list are:
- It enhances the nutritional status. Alongside, it increases food security through the augmentation of fish production.
- Improvement of fish quality to acceptable standards.
- Makes the fish available throughout the year.
- Increment in foreign exchange earnings by selling fish products.
- Development of higher profit margins for producers.
Along with the infrastructure, it is important to keep a track of the entire supply chain. But, manual monitoring isn’t a feasible way. At Thingsup Track, we provide an IoT platform that helps in closely monitoring and controlling the whole process and supply chain. Cold chain monitoring serves various benefits for fisheries. These include:
- End to end supply chain visibility
- Cold assets like Chillers, Cold storage rooms, refer vans monitoring
- Retails points remote monitoring
- Increase in Temperature compliance and Quality
- Better ROIs save operations cost
- Reduction in supply chain wastages
Conclusion:
Cold chain monitoring fills the gap between production centres and end supply. This further helps in improved efficiency and tapping the potential market easily. Consult with us to know more.
