Vacuum packaging of fish is a guarantee of its long-term preservation

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Modern food packaging is multifunctional. Its main purpose is to create an aesthetic appearance in order to attract the attention of potential buyers. But there are other reasons to pay attention to packaging, such as making products easier to transport and extending shelf life. The latter quality is especially important, since unsold goods are subject to destruction, which entails direct losses.

Vacuum packaging of fish is one of the most popular methods for solving all of these problems. It does not require significant capital investments and large production areas, therefore it is available even for small enterprises.

Depending on the volume of production, either high-performance lines or semi-automatic machines are used, which have become the most mass-produced device for packing fish.

Manufacture different vacuum packaging machines: one-, two-chamber, floor (on wheels) and desktop. The sizes and shapes of the chambers are also different. Fish packaging is usually done in machines with an oblongstainless steel chamber, as aluminum does not tolerate the acidic environment characteristic of this type of product.

The principle of any vacuum sealer is quite simple, its design necessarily includes a compressor that pumps air out of the chamber, and a welder that creates a seam on a polymer bag. In addition, a circuit for controlling and monitoring parameters during system operation is required, including a pressure gauge.

The product, in this case fish, is placed in vacuum bags, which should be considered. They are made from a barrier polymer film having a multilayer structure. The requirements for bags are quite serious: they must have optical properties that allow visually assessing the quality of the product, the specified thickness measured in microns (for example, 60, 100, 120 or 150), and the dimensions required by the customer enterprise, and they can be non-standard. In addition, one of the sides is opaque in order to make the fish look prettier. Colors are chosen based on the type of product being packaged, for example, red varieties look great against a golden background. Packaging for fish is usually oblong, while for meat products, square bags are more common.

Welders inside the chamber may also differ, they are linear and angular. The latter are used to close on both sides in cases where the fish is long and difficult to put into the bag through its narrow side.

Vacuum packaging of fish can significantly extend shelf lifein the event that it is carried out with preliminary displacement of air from the chamber by special gas mixtures prepared for each product. The fact is that in nature there are anaerobic bacteria, which the absence of air does not prevent from multiplying and harming packaged fish. The so-called "pre-gassing", which precedes the usual cycle of the packer, reliably protects against them.

The operation of vacuum sealers is quite simple and does not require special skills. It is necessary to monitor the condition of the Teflon fabric, which covers the heating elements of the welders, and control the condition of the oil in the compressor through a special glass window. If its color has turned beige, foam is visible, then it needs to be changed.