| Fish Receiving |
Fish are delivered to processing facilities on
ice or in refrigerated brine. Quality evaluations are
performed during unloading, which include monitoring the
temperature and condition of the fish and conducting sensory
evaluations. Fish found unacceptable are rejected. Fish
are sorted by species and size. |
| Cold Storage |
Fish are either processed immediately or held iced or refrigerated until ready for processing.
|
| Butchering |
During the butchering operation,
the head, tails, fins, eggs and viscera are removed. All
fish are thoroughly washed. Each fish is evaluated by
trained staff for physical characteristics associated
with decomposition or contamination, and any found unacceptable
are rejected. |
| Can Filling |
Cleaned salmon are fed into filling machines where prescribed amounts of fish are placed into cans. Via a separate system, empty cans are conveyed to filling machines after having been inverted and flushed with air jets and/or water sprays.
|
| Ingredient Addition |
Cans are conveyed past points where prescribed amounts of salt (as needed) are added.
|
| Can Sealing |
Filled cans are conveyed to sealing machines
where lids are put in place and the cans hermetically
sealed. Each can or lid is affixed with a permanent production
code that identifies plant, product, date packed and other
pertinent information. The integrity of the hermetic seal
is evaluated at frequent intervals during processing to
ensure product safety. |
| Thermal Processing |
Sealed cans are retorted (cooked) under pressure utilizing process time and temperature schedules designed by processing experts to render the product commercially sterile. All aspects of thermal processing are strictly monitored and controlled.
|
| Finished Product Evaluation |
Samples of each finished production code receive qualitative (e.g., color, odor, flavor, texture and workmanship) and quantitative evaluations prior to being released for labeling.
|
| Labeling & Casing |
Product lots meeting finished product evaluation criteria are delivered to labeling lines where they are labeled and cased. Cased products are appropriately marked with information necessary to facilitate product tracing.
|
| Warehousing & Shipping |
Cased products are shipped or are staged in warehouses for later shipment.
|
Salmon
Processing
