The organization of the technical part of the enterprise engaged in fish processing is a complex and responsible task. It would seem that this can be said of any similar department, whose work is related to food products. However, in the case of seafood, there are many nuances that require a special technological approach in ensuring production processes and related operations. As a rule, the fish processing workshop is a room provided with a wide range of specialized equipment. This complex includes both machines for receiving products, and power units for its direct movement, as well as devices for cleaning and further processing. It may seem that for the successful operation of such an enterprise it is enough to purchase a set of the necessary technical equipment. This is true, but the selection process itself is impossible without an understanding of technological processes. To understand them, it is necessary to consider the stages of processing performed at different sites of production.
Technological stages of processing
The seafood industry is quite extensive and includes enterprises of various kinds. An average fish processing plant involves several stages, but small organizations are also common, whose activities are focused on individual operations. So, among the most common types of processing, the following are noted:
- Canning.
- Drying and smoking.
- Cutting and slicing.
- Ambassador.
- Cold treatment.
- Cooking minced meat and other products.
- Collection and processing of fish waste.
Far from always, each of these operations becomes the last before launching products on the market. In particular, the fish processing workshop by cutting and slicing can only act as a preparatory stage before salting the product. This approach is convenient for the manufacturers themselves, as it allows them to integrate into long technological chains without investing much effort in organizing full-fledged costly production. Now it’s worth moving on to the organization of key sites in industries that allow us to produce high-quality processed fish.
Live fish harvesting workshop
Live fish needs to provide fairly complex processes for organizing its transportation and storage. With proper compliance with the requirements, it is possible to obtain high-quality raw materials for the further development of an frozen or chilled product. Typically, fish processing enterprises are equipped with special cages and storage tanks for seafood. The most important thing at this stage is to ensure a strict separation of fish by species and to observe the necessary conditions for its life. That is, predatory species, pricking, with the presence of sharp bugs, are sorted separately. Storage of chilled and fresh fish is carried out in workshops where a temperature of 0 ° C is provided.
Given the transportation time, which is usually about 3 days, the content of the product at the enterprise should not be more than 2 days. Based on this, the fish processing workshop should have unloading devices that are suitable for power and pace of work.
Cooling and freezing
There are various approaches to freezing and cooling the product. For example, freezing is provided by continuous and cyclic apparatuses. In the first case, these are continuously freezing devices (tunnels) that operate in a continuous mode. Cyclical devices include cameras with the possibility of stopping work to perform intermediate unloading or loading. Refrigeration equipment for fish processing at Russian enterprises is usually assembled according to the principle of a continuous technological chain. That is, the product from the time of initial harvesting to direct sale to the consumer is in conditions of constant exposure to cold. This is one of the most important aspects in the production of fish, since only its observance allows to obtain high-quality food products.
Defrosting and butchering equipment
Again, there are many different defrosting technologies, but advanced enterprises use special machines with a capacity of about 1,000 kg of fish per hour. There are also defrosting methods using electric current. But, despite their effectiveness, disadvantages in the form of a complex design and settings nevertheless limit the range of applications of such installations. The resulting raw material is called defrosted and goes to a cutting shop for processing fish and other seafood. The list of obligatory equipment for such sites includes a conveyor or a table on which to cut. When performing such operations, the entrails, head, tail, and fins are removed from the fish. Abdominal surfaces are also cleaned with kidney and blood removed. To perform cutting use band saws, special units for cutting heads and skinning machines.
Making minced meat, fillet and salting
The most common fish food is fillet and minced meat. For the manufacture of fillets, the primary raw material is thawed, washed, separated from ice and fed for processing. Next, gutting, removing the scales, pruning and salt treatment with the necessary additives. Industrial equipment for processing fish and seafood for the subsequent receipt of minced meat is presented on the market by meat and bone separators. These are the so-called neopresses, due to which the muscle tissue is pressed through the smallest holes located in the working device of the unit. For salting use dispensers in which a mixture was previously formed for processing the product. The fish is placed in special cans in which easy pressing and sealing takes place. As a rule, the period of salting in this form is about a month.
What is a feature of the mini-processing workshop?
Organization of production with a full cycle can afford only a few entrepreneurs. Therefore, many focus on working in a specific specialized format. This is how the average mini-fish processing workshop functions, allowing serving 1,000 kg of products. At the same time, the range of processing directions is not limited - small fish enterprises are engaged in the initial preparation of raw materials, the production of semi-finished products, salting and smoking. Actually, in terms of functionality, the equipment used in the mini-workshops does not differ from analogues from the middle level, but it undoubtedly loses in performance.
What is a modular workshop?
To save the advantages of mini-factories and at the same time not to reduce the degree of productivity, a modular fish processing workshop will allow, the price of which on average varies from 1 to 3 million rubles. These are equipped complexes and facilities that are ready to support drying, rolling, cutting, smoking processes, etc. As you can see, they are distinguished by their multifunctionality, but at the same time they are compact workshops with thoughtful communication support. The cost of modular plants is usually determined by the volume of loading. For example, models per 100 kg cost an average of 1 million rubles, and options over 300 kg are estimated at more than 2 million rubles.
Conclusion
Technical support for fish production involves not only the preparation, storage, manufacture and implementation of other operations directly related to the products. These are auxiliary devices, containers, tools and assemblies involved in the operation and maintenance of the enterprise. For example, fish processing equipment requires regular cleaning and timely delivery of raw materials. For these activities, appropriate inventory and packaging are used. Separately, it is worth noting the packaging workshops. Such branches are not directly related to the processing processes, but they have a great responsibility. After all, do not forget that fish is a perishable product, which means that everything that is connected with its content before entering the counter can be attributed to technologically important processes.