| Fish
Receiving |
Fish are delivered to canneries
frozen or refrigerated. Quality evaluations are performed
during unloading, which include monitoring the temperature
and condition of the fish and collecting samples for histamine
and salt analysis. Lots found unacceptable are rejected. |
| Cold Storage |
Fish are maintained at temperatures
near 0° until processing. |
| Pre-Processing
Evaluation |
Prior to being scheduled for processing,
representative samples from each lot are test-packed and samples are evaluated
before and after canning to assess quality. Test-pack results are used
to determine acceptability and process requirements of fish remaining
in each lot. |
| Thawing |
When lots are scheduled for processing
in our canneries, fish are brought out of cold storage and thawed to backbone
temperatures sufficient to facilitate evisceration and sensory evaluation. |
| Evisceration & Evaluation |
Viscera are removed and each fish is evaluated
by trained staff for physical characteristics associated with decomposition
or contamination. Any fish exhibiting unacceptable characteristics is
rejected. |
| Pre-cooking |
Acceptable fish are placed on racks
and transferred to large ovens, where they are cooked
sufficiently to facilitate cleaning of the fish. |
| Cleaning |
Each fish is manually cleaned and inspected
for quality attributes. The cleaning operation consists of removing the
head, tail, skin, bones and dark flesh known as red meat. |
| Can Filling |
Cleaned tuna loins 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 leaving the filling machine are conveyed
past points where prescribed amounts of spring water or canola oil and
other ingredients 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, batch 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 cleaning)
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. |
Tuna Processing
