STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390,...

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PO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM AND PRODUCT TRACEABILITY IN A FISH PROCESSING COMPANY María Rita Hernández Palacios Provincial Fish Inspection Office Havana, Cuba [email protected] Supervisors: Gudrún Ólafsdóttir, Icelandic Fisheries Laboratories (IFL) [email protected]; Páll Gunnar Pálsson (IFL) [email protected]; Rósa Jónsdóttir (IFL) [email protected] ABSTRACT A field study of the quality system and product traceability was conducted at ÚA, a fish processing company focusing on processing operations and quality control for redfish (Sebastes marinus/mentella). The traceability system from catch until transport to the shipping company was followed and studied, including how the information is recorded and registered in each link. Evaluation of raw material and fillets was carried out, based on data and information collected and on sensory evaluation applying the QIM method. High quality and safe products are the result of an effective quality system. The quality system at ÚA ensures product traceability. It was confirmed that it is possible to trace back and forward the history of the products, when it is well supported by a recording system to register the information in each step of the chain. The QIM is a fast and convenient sensory method for determining the freshness of raw fish.

Transcript of STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390,...

Page 1: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

PO Box 1390 Skulagata 4120 Reykjavik Iceland Final Project 2001

STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM ANDPRODUCT TRACEABILITY IN A FISH PROCESSING

COMPANY

Mariacutea Rita Hernaacutendez Palacios

Provincial Fish Inspection OfficeHavana Cuba

esteronipfishnavyinfcu

Supervisors Gudruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir Icelandic Fisheries Laboratories (IFL) gudrunrfisPaacutell Gunnar Paacutelsson (IFL) pallprfis Roacutesa Joacutensdoacutettir (IFL) rosarfis

ABSTRACT

A field study of the quality system and product traceability wasconducted at UacuteA a fish processing company focusing on processingoperations and quality control for redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella)The traceability system from catch until transport to the shippingcompany was followed and studied including how the information isrecorded and registered in each link Evaluation of raw material andfillets was carried out based on data and information collected and onsensory evaluation applying the QIM method High quality and safeproducts are the result of an effective quality system The qualitysystem at UacuteA ensures product traceability It was confirmed that it ispossible to trace back and forward the history of the products when it iswell supported by a recording system to register the information in eachstep of the chain The QIM is a fast and convenient sensory method fordetermining the freshness of raw fish

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TABLE OF CONTENT

1 INTRODUCTION3

2 LITERATURE REVIEW 521 HACCP based quality system522 Traceability in the fish industry 623 Quality factors8231 Freshness parameters 9232 Defects 924 Methods to evaluate fish freshness 10241 Microbiological methods 10242 Biochemical and chemical methods10243 Physical methods 10244 Sensory methods 11

3 FIELD STUDY AT UacuteTGERETHARFEacuteLAG AKUREYRAR (UacuteA) 1131 The structure of the company and main products 1232 The quality system at UacuteA 1333 Redfish processing 13331 Flow chart and description of redfish fillets production1534 HACCP (own check) system of the company 1735 Labelling and traceability in the fish processing plant 17351 Example of the chain for frozen redfish fillets blocks 20

4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH2141 Introduction2142 Materials and Methods21421 Evaluation of raw material21422 Evaluation of fillets21423 Quality Index Method 2243 Results and Discussion 22431 Raw material 22432 Fillets after trimming 23433 Quality Index Method 24

5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS26

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 26

LIST OF REFERENCES27

APPENDIX 1 Own check of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999) iAPPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)ivAPPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999) ixAPPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the receptionix

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1 INTRODUCTION

A well structured quality management system should be implemented in allcompanies processing seafood in vessels where processing is done and at fishauctions to fulfil all requirements regarding quality and safety It is also known thatlegislation and inspection authorities recommend or require adopting the HazardAnalysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system in production and include it as partof the quality system The need for HACCP in seafood industries is due to growingawareness of consumers and the fear of food illnesses This has lead to enforcedhygienic and sanitary regulations to ensure wholesome and safe food products Thegrowing trend in international trade for worldwide equivalence of food products isalso to be considered for all producers and sellers

To guarantee safe and wholesome fishery products a seafood processing companymust have an appropriate quality system operating effectively The quality systemincludes Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Standard Sanitation OperationalProcedures (SSOP) and a well documented HACCP plan The HACCP system is thebasis of the regulations on fish inspection adopted by the European EconomicCommunity (EEC) USA Canada and a number of developing countries (Huss 1994)

The quality system based on HACCP is widely used and internationally recognized byCodex Alimentarius which recommends its adoption (Codex 1997) The Food andDrug Administration (FDA) regulations require fish processors to implement HACCPsystems (FDA 1995) The European Union (EU) recommends the same in its CouncilDirective 91493 (EEC 1991)

The maintenance of the HACCP system is as important as its implementationVerification procedures and record keeping are strong elements of those activities Itis unlikely that the products produced the process the environment likely hazards orthe people in the plant will remain unchanged over time (Mortimore 2001) Recordingall the parameters concerning catching handling processing and quality is anessential tool to verify how the system is working Record keeping also offers producttraceability in the whole chain from catch until the final product is delivered to theconsumer so procedures for product identification and traceability during all stagesshould be established (Huss 1994) Traceability is becoming an important issue forproducers and sellers in all countries not only in the EU

In Iceland the Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) through its Surveillance Department isthe competent authority responsible for enforcing laws and regulations regardinghandling processing and distribution of marine products It focuses on ensuring thatfishery products are processed under satisfactory hygienic conditions and thatconsumers can rely on their wholesomeness and safety The department issuesprocessing licenses to processors of fishery products and operating permits to fishmarkets and fishing vessels provided that they meet the requirements concerningappropriate facilities equipment sanitation procedures and a documented checksystem based on HACCP The Surveillance Department issues health certificates forexported fishery products (DOF 2001)

Developing countries are playing an important role worldwide by exporting theirproducts to Europe and other markets characterised by increasing demand both on

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quantity and high quality products To be competitive these countries also need toadopt and implement quality management systems based on HACCP and in the nearfuture be able to have an effective system for traceability of the products they areexporting

In the last decades Cuba has been exporting seafood products to different countries inEurope Asia and Canada Main products are processed lobster and shrimp withprofits from exports in 1999 contributing nearly USD 200 million to the countryseconomy (MIP 2000) Forty fishery establishments are engaged in fish and shellfishprocessing of which 14 are certified for export (Hernaacutendez-Torres 2000)

In 1992 the Cuban fisheries industry began HACCP implementation to meet therequirements of its major export markets and to put inspection and quality controlactivities in line with those taking place worldwide (Hernaacutendez-Torres 2000)According to Resolution No 3441996 of the Minister of Fisheries Industry it ismandatory for seafood processors and trading companies to put a quality systembased on HACCP into operation (Hernaacutendez-Torres 2000) All the factories producingfor export and most of those producing for the domestic market in Cuba have anappropriate quality system However problems have been observed when assessingHACCP They include different approaches to identifying Critical Control Points(CCP) defining critical limits and badly documented monitoring procedures Lack offloor staff training in applying corrective actions in case of deviations of critical limitshas also been observed as well as corrective actions that are not appropriate toeliminate causes giving rise to deviations

A field study to investigate the quality system the traceability of products and qualitymonitoring in an Icelandic company is a practical experience which will be helpful infuture work in Cuba This experience will be valuable and useful to promote theimprovement of quality systems in the fisheries sector in Cuba and especially inproduct traceability issues

The main objectives are

diams Study the quality system of the fish processing company UacuteA for redfish (Sebastesmarinusmentella) focusing on processing operations and quality control

diams Study traceability throughout the process from catch until final productDefinition and labelling of batches in the whole chain

The field study in UacuteA fish processing plant gives an opportunity to study sensoryevaluation of fish First it is important because it is a way to check in practice thiscritical aspect in the own check system and secondly to improve and acquire newskills especially in applying a new sensory method the Quality Index Method(QIM) From the above mentioned comes the third objectivediams Sensory evaluation of raw material and final product to compare and see how this

is related to processing and quality parameters recorded in the quality system

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2 LITERATURE REVIEW

21 HACCP based quality system

HACCP is a management system in which food safety is addressed through theanalysis and control of biological chemical and physical hazards from the rawmaterial to processing distribution and consumption of the finished product(NACMCF 1997) It was developed nearly 30 years ago by the Pillsbury Companyworking together with the National Atmospheric and Space Agency (NASA) in USAwith the objective of finding a method to provide safe food for astronauts The systemfocuses on preventing hazards that could cause food-borne illnesses by applyingcontrols to the production line from raw material to the finished products (FDA2001)

HACCP is a tool to assess hazards and establish control systems that focus onprevention rather than relying on end-product testing Implementation of HACCPenhances food safety and promotes trade by increasing confidence in safe foods(Codex 1997)

Before the application of HACCP principles (EEC 1994 FDA 2001) the followingtasks should be carried out

bull Assembling of the HACCP team involving experts from production qualityassurance engineering and product development areas It could also be useful to haverepresentatives from other areasbull Product description and intended use Includes principal raw materials processtechnologies used storage conditions and shelf life This is particularly important ifthe product is intended for especially vulnerable groups of the population such asinfants or ill peoplebull Process flow diagram It should cover all the steps in the process from rawmaterial through to distribution Such flow chart is the basis of the hazard analysisbull On-site verification of the flow diagram The HACCP team should check theoperation against the flow diagram during all stages and hours of operation and makethe amendments where appropriate

The seven principles of HACCP are the following (EEC 1994 Huss 1994 FDA1995)1 Conduct a hazard analysis Potential hazards associated with food and preventive

measures to control those hazards2 Identify Critical Control Points (CCP) A CCP is an operation (practice

procedure process or location) at which a preventive or control measure willeliminate prevent or minimise one or several hazards

3 Establish critical limits for each preventive measure at a CCP4 Establish CCP monitoring procedures Include what is to be checked when how

and by whom5 Establish what corrective actions are to be taken when monitoring shows that a

critical limit has been exceeded6 Establish verification procedures to verify that the HACCP system is working

correctly7 Establish an effective record keeping system to document the HACCP system

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Records need to be kept as evidence that the system has been working correctly (Huss1994) They are useful for trend analysis which can be used for monitoring andmaking the system more effective

HACCP is not a system that stands alone it is supported by other programmes knownas prerequisites (NACMCF 1997) such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) andStandard Sanitation Operational Procedures (SSOP) Prerequisite programmesprovide the basic environmental and operating conditions that are necessary for theproduction of safe wholesome food The Codex Alimentarius General Principles ofFood Hygiene describe the basic conditions and practices expected for food intendedfor international trade In addition to the requirements specified in regulationsindustry often adopts procedures specific to their operations Prerequisite programmesmay include facilities supplier control specifications of raw materials ingredientspackaging materials and products equipment cleaning and sanitation personalhygiene training traceability and recall procedures pest control etc (NACMCF1997)

22 Traceability in the fish industry

According to ISO 90002000 traceability is defined as the ability to trace the historyapplication or location of that which is under consideration In terms of products itrelates to the origin of materials and parts the processing history and the distributionof the product after delivery (ISO 2000) In other words traceability means the abilityto trace and follow a food through all stages of production and distribution (Tall2001)

Two types of traceability can be identified internal and chain traceability Internal iswithin one company and relates to data about raw materials and processes to the finalproduct before it is delivered Chain traceability is focused on the information aboutthe product from one link in the chain to the next it describes what data aretransmitted and received and how (Tracefish 2001) Chain traceability is betweencompanies and countries and depends on the presence of internal traceability in eachlink (Olsen 2001)

The public confidence in food safety has been damaged by recent food scaresassociated with beef because of mouth and foot disease and BSE - mad cow diseasein cattle dioxin in fish meal and other This is driving the industry and governmentagencies to improve controls at all stages in the food chain (Tall 2001) Traceability isthen needed to meet food safety requirements especially in case of product recall forcommercial reasons to ensure supply chain standards and because it is required bylegislation relating to labelling animal health and welfare fish marketing fisheriescontrol and product liability and safety (Denton 2001)

The EU Fisheries Control Regulations demand a specific traceability system from thefishing grounds to the processors The EU Fish Marketing Regulations demand thatfrom 2002 much of the fish at retail sale (including wet fish) will have to be labelledwith its area of origin The proposed revision of the EU General Product SafetyDirective requires full traceability by 2003 including product recall systems The EUFood Law which is now under revision requires full traceability by 2004 (FQLM2001) The proposed new Regulation on the General Principles and Requirements of

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Food Law lays down the general food safety requirements Regarding traceability itestablishes the need for traceability at all stages of production and distribution It isproposed that food and feed business operators must identify their raw materialsuppliers and identify to whom they supply products (one up one down traceability)They must have systems to provide those data to the competent authorities label oridentify products to ensure traceability and withdraw and recall unsafe food from themarket (Tracefish 2001)

The fish industry trades globally in a vast range of species and products and is diversein comparison to other protein sources There are hundreds of different species of fishcaptured with different methods of catching handling and food safety requirements Awide range of live chilled frozen and value added fishery products are produced andtraded within the various distribution chains which also have their specialised foodhandling and food safety requirements There is a huge and complex internationaltrade in the raw materials and in primary and secondary processed products (Tracefish2001)

Although there are major structural differences between the chains for different typesof fish products and countries there is also a degree of commonality in informationrequirements These information requirements can be categorised as (Tracefish 2001)bull Fundamental to traceability Each food business has to collect and keep

information and make it available to the competent authorities and to other foodbusiness operators for the purpose of product withdrawal or recall

bull Specifically required information on the nature of the food and the operationsinvolved This is information required by law for particular purposes and must bemade available to the appropriate authorities

bull Commercially desirable information on the nature of the food and the operationsThis information can be requested by food business for different reasons such asethical environmental GMP quality assurance records raw material or productstandards and specifications etc

At present a lot of information is being recorded in the product information system ofthe processing and distribution chains Some of that information passes from one linkin the chain to the next either on the label or in the documents the rest is held by theproducer or the distributor To properly implement traceability it is necessary todefine the physical unit and batch A physical unit can be an individual large fish abox or a tub of fish a package case or pallet of products a freight container Thebatch can be a catching day production date a shipment etc The informationattached to the unit is to be the key to traceability ie the product number (code)production date and producers number makes it possible to trace the product to theproducer and look up the required information

Figure 1 is an example of the chain from catch to the consumer with the multiple linksand information flow If the information is available with all the data and a uniqueidentifier to label the batch at each link then the product can be traced

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Figure 1 Example of the chain and information flow for redfish caught and processedinto frozen fillets in Iceland and sold to Germany (Paacutelsson and Oacutelafsdoacutettir 2001)

A product can be traced either backward or forward Backward leads to the origin andhistory everything that went to a batch and depends on all links mappingidentification (ID) of output batches to ID of input batches Forward trace explainswhat happened to a certain batch all the processes and output batches that the batch inquestion went into Keeping track of batches and their properties is the key toimplementing chain traceability It means that we must record what batches we usewe must have the ability to access to their properties and we must relate input batchesand properties to the batches we make (Olsen 2001)

A step forward in the implementation of traceability will be the development of astandard for electronic transmission of data and information Because of increasinginformation demands from buyers and consumers it is no longer practical to transmitall the data physically along with the product A more sensible approach is to markeach package with a unique identifier and then transmit or extract all the relevantinformation electronically (Paacutelsson et al 2000) But so far it is common to use otherways like telephone e-mail and fax for communication between the links

23 Quality factors

Definitions of quality as applied to food products vary according to the authorDifferent qualities with respect to seafood include safety nutritional qualityavailability convenience and integrity and freshness quality (Bisogni et al 1987Botta 1995 Bremner 2000) The most important is seafood safety

Seafood quality is usually influenced by freshness or degree of spoilage of the rawmaterial or the product Freshness is considered as one of the most important factorsdetermining quality of fish (Soslashrensen 1992 Sakaguchi and Koike 1992 Botta 1995Oacutelafsdoacutettir 1997) Handling processing and storage techniques can also affect thequality of fish and fishery products as they can result in the occurrence of defects suchas bruises bloodstains trimming imperfections etc (Soslashrensen 1992 Valdimarsson1992)

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Many studies have been done on spoilage processes of fish stored in ice and frozenstorage considering a whole range of influencing factors which can affect the fishquality Among others these factors are related to fish species size and seasonalcondition fishing method handling processing technology time and temperaturedevelopment

231 Freshness parameters

Fish is a perishable commodity Upon death a series of natural changes start leadingto spoilage affecting the shelf life of the fish Freshness or the extent of spoilageduring storage under chilled conditions is the key determinant of the quality of fishand fishery products (Whittle et al 1990 Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) Shelf life of fish isdefined as the length of time it is fit for human consumption (Martinsdoacutettir et al2001) Spoilage due to microbial activity is the main limitation of the shelf life of icedor refrigerated fish

Off-odours and off-flavours slime formation gas production discoloration andchanges in texture are obvious signs of spoilage (Huss 1994) The development ofthese spoilage conditions in fish and fishery products is due to a combination ofchemical autolytic and microbiological changes but the spoilage rate can be reducedby taking preventive measures like icing or keeping a low temperature during storageAccording to Bonnell (1994) controlling the temperature of fish is perhaps the mostimportant element in the preservation of fresh fish The proper cooling of fish has anumber of advantages Firstly bacterial activity depends very much on temperaturethe closer it is to 0degC the slower the rate of bacterial spoilage Likewise enzymeactivity also decreases as temperature falls so the rate of autolytic spoilage issignificantly slowed Chemical spoilage or development of rancidity can be preventedby rapid handling onboard and storage of products under anaerobic conditions

A rise in product temperature accelerates deterioration and reduces quality If the rateof deterioration is known it should be possible to determine the quality at any time bycontinuously monitoring the time and temperature history of fish post mortem(Whittle et al 1990) A number of authors have attempted to derive simplemathematical relationships that provide an acceptable measure of deterioration in fishwith a known timetemperature history These relationships have been used inconjunction with timetemperature recording devices to monitor the deterioration ofquality in batches of fish Post mortem changes in electrical properties of fish skin andflesh are also used in determining the potential shelf life of whole fish but it is notuseful for frozen products (Whittle et al 1990 Huss 1995)

232 Defects

Sensory inspection of processed fish is used in fish industry to find defects that haveoccurred during handling and processing (Oehlenschlager 1997) These defects arewell described in the technical specifications for the products

Defects can be related to the condition of the fish flesh appearance which includescolour defects (bruises bloodspots) and dehydration workmanship defects such asimproper packaging and cutting and trimming imperfections scales bones foreign

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matters skin and black membrane and the size of fillets (USDC 1990) Evaluation ofdefects is widely used in control of processes and to grade fish for selling or buyingpurposes

24 Methods to evaluate fish freshness

Huss (1995) and Bonnell (1994) discuss the methods applied to evaluate the freshnessof fish which are divided in two categories sensory and instrumental techniquesInstrumental methods include biochemical and chemical microbiological andphysical Each of these methods measure different spoilage indicators in fish andfishery products Only through a combination of instrumental and sensory analysiscan optimal information on the product be obtained

241 Microbiological methods

The activity of microorganisms is the main factor limiting the shelf life of fresh fishThe aim of microbiological examinations is to evaluate the possible presence ofbacteria or organisms of public health significance and to give an impression of thehygienic quality of the fish This includes temperature abuse and hygiene duringhandling and processing (Huss 1995) An estimation of the total viable count (TVC) isused as an index in standards guidelines and specifications Specific spoilageorganisms (SSO) capable of producing hydrogen sulphide or reducing trimethylamineoxide (TMAO) are considered more useful to estimate spoilage and the remainingshelf life of fish and fishery products (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997)

242 Biochemical and chemical methods

Classical chemical methods for the analysis of total volatile bases (TVB) andtrimethylamine (TMA) are used for the determination of fish freshness (Oacutelafsdoacutettir etal 1997) TVB only reflect later stages of spoilage so it is not reliable for the firstdays of chilled storage of fish (Huss 1995) Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is anotherindicator of fish freshness The extent of ATP degradation is expressed as the K valuewhich is defined as the ratio of the sum of inosine and hypoxanthine concentrations tothe total concentration of ATP metabolites (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) There are othermethods related to lipid oxidation such as determination of peroxide thiobarbituricacid and iodine values

243 Physical methods

Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al (1997) describe physical methods based on changes in the electricproperties of the fish muscle Different devices are available to measure electricalproperties the Torrymeter the Fish tester and the RT-Freshness Grader but they canonly be used for fresh fish Changes of structure and colour also occur in the fishflesh Texturometers are used to measure the structural changes

Time-temperature indicators (TTI) are based on using some biological chemical orphysical processes that depend on time and temperature and can give informationabout the time-temperature history of the food All methods mentioned above provideinformation on parameters related to fish freshness but none of them alone is capableto determine whether a fish is fresh or not

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244 Sensory methods

Sensory evaluation is the most important method for assessing freshness and qualityof fish and fish products (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) Sensory methods offer a rapidand accurate measurement of perceived attributes providing information about foodSensory evaluation is defined as the scientific discipline used to evoke measureanalyse and interpret characteristics of food as perceived by the senses of sight smelltaste touch and hearing (Huss 1995 Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) Sensory tests can bedivided into three groups discriminative descriptive and affective The first two areanalytical tests in which a trained panel is used while the third are subjectiveconsumer tests based on a measure of preference or acceptance The most commonlyused descriptive tests are structured scaling for quality assessment and profiling for adetailed description of one or more attributes Sensory evaluation is currently the mostimportant method used for freshness evaluation in the fish sector

The most common sensory method used in Europe is the EU scheme (Oacutelafsdoacutettir etal 1997 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) in which three grades of freshness are establishedE A and B corresponding to various stages of spoilage Extra is the highest qualitywhile B is the level where fish is considered unfit for human consumption Thisscheme does not take into account differences between species because only generalparameters are used The Torry scheme a ten score system for the evaluation ofcooked fish is another method used for sensory evaluation of fish freshness

The Quality Index Method (QIM) is based on characteristic changes in raw fish thatoccur in the appearance of eyes skin and gills and odour and texture and a scoresystem from 0 to 3 demerit points (Bremner 1985 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) Thescores for all the attributes are summarised to give an overall sensory score theQuality Index which is then compared to a QIM calibration curve to establish therelative freshness in terms of storage (predicted) days in ice and to predict theremaining storage life (shelf life) The description of each score for each parameter islisted in the QIM scheme (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) The QIMand the schemes have been developed for several fish species eg cod haddockredfish herring saithe and shrimp In this study the QIM method is used in theevaluation of redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella)

3 FIELD STUDY AT UacuteTGERETHARFEacuteLAG AKUREYRAR (UacuteA)

The UacuteA Seafood Group in Akureyri was visited for a two weeks period fromNovember 18th to the 30th This company and in particular the parent company waschosen for the study knowing the fact that UacuteA Seafood Group is one of the leadingcompanies in Iceland operating fishing vessels and processing plants The companysrole is catching processing and selling a variety of high quality safe seafoodproducts

During the field study at UacuteA the documentation of the quality system was accessedand carefully studied The production and quality managers explained in situ theprocessing flow for the different products made from redfish and cod as well eventhough cod was not a part of this study The processing line was visited daily for abetter understanding of the process and the quality control

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It was studied how the information about the process and products is generated howthis information is transmitted along the chain and how it is recorded and stored forthe purposes of traceability This means that information is available to attendcustomer claims recall of products and also to verify the quality and handling of theproducts Data and information were collected from evaluations conducted and fromthe records stored in the companys system This will be presented in chapter 4

31 The structure of the company and main products

The group consists of the parent company and four subsidiaries Laugafiskur ltdspecialising in drying fish Joumlkull ltd concentrating on the processing of whole-frozen pelagic fish Hoacutelmadrangur ltd for shrimp processing and GPG Saltfish ltdspecialising in the production of splitted salted fish The parent company operatestrawlers and processes demersal fish either on shore or on board factory trawlers (UacuteA2001a) The main species harvested are cod (Gadus morhua) redfish (Smarinusmentella) Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) and prawns(Pandalus borealis) In 2000 the total catch of company vessels was 22689 tons (UacuteA2001c)

The main products of the group are frozen seafood and dried fish products The totalproduction of the company in 2000 was more than 17000 tons with a value of ISK53 billion Table 1 shows the production by speciesproduct

UacuteA operates a sales and marketing department which is responsible for the groupsales of fresh and frozen products The access to fresh fish allows the company tooffer high quality products supported by a quality assurance system based onHACCP which ensures product safety The biggest markets for the group are in theUSA and UK Other important markets are Germany Nigeria Japan and TaiwanFrance and Denmark (UacuteA 2001a)

Table 1 Volume of production of UacuteA Seafood Group in 2000 (UacuteA 2001b)

ProductSpecies tonsCod 6086Redfish 2833Haddock 287Saithe 177Greenland halibut 1232Capelin roe 248Shrimp in the shell 3224Cooked and peeled shrimp 1255Total frozen products 15342Stockfish 2215Total 17557

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The UacuteA parent company operates five fishing vessels and two land-based processingplants Three of the vessels are fresh fish trawlers supplying the factories in Akureyriand Greniviacutek one vessel is a freezing trawler for demersal fish and the fifth vessel isa shrimp-freezing trawler The fresh fish trawlers concentrate on the catching of cod(G morhua) haddock (Melanogammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) andsaithe (Pollachius virens) while the freezing trawlers focus on Greenland halibut (Rhippoglossoides) redfish (S marinusmentella) and shrimp (P borealis) (UacuteA 2001a)The UacuteA plant in Akureyri is one of the largest of its kind in the North Atlantic andspecialises in the processing of cod and redfish The plant in Greniviacutek is smaller andprocesses haddock saithe and cod

32 The quality system at UacuteA

The UacuteA Seafood company quality system was studied especially for redfish (Smarinusmentella) Data and information from the processing line was gatheredincluding information on the traceability system For effective quality and processcontrol the plant has implemented a quality system based on HACCP which isproperly described in the companys Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The handbookconsists of 19 sections The sections are listed in Table 2 and comments given onthose sections which are of particular relevance to the present study

33 Redfish processing

The redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella) is a temperate marine species inhabiting theNorth Atlantic ocean waters along the European and American coasts The twospecies of redfish ocean perch (S marinus) and deepwater redfish (S mentella) aredifficult to distinguish Ocean perch (S marinus) has a bright red skin and a chubbyshape it can attain a maximum length of 100 cm and weight up to 15 kg (Hureau andLitvinenko 1986) while deepwater redfish attains a maximum size of 55 cm Redfishis utilised fresh and frozen It is a good table fish with a firm and tasty flesh (Bykov1983) As a result of different storage studies it has been estimated that redfish kept inice at 0degC has a shelf life of 18 days granted that the fish was handled under goodmanufacturing practices on board the vessels (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001)

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Table 2 Sections of the quality handbook of the UacuteA fish processing company withcomments on some of them according to its relevance to the study

Section Comments1 Organogram of thecompany2 Managementresponsibilities3 Flow charts See Figure 1 and a description of the process4 HACCP (own check)system specified in theHACCP handbook

See Appendix 1

5 Preventive measures Includes training of the staff in personal hygiene and operating procedures6 Cleaning andsanitising

Includes all the procedures for cleaning and sanitation of equipment andfacilities and the checklist

7 Quality policy The aim of UacuteA is to produce products of high quality and to be a leadingcompany in quality issues in the market

71 Description of finalproduct

Frozen and fresh products from cod (Gadus morhua) haddock(Melanogrammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) and otherspecies The fish is either whole or fillets skin-on or skin-less trimmedAll products are processed according to specifications required by thebuyers packed for retail or catering or for further processing (blocks) Allthe products should be cooked before consumption

8 Records Most of the data are recorded in computers using software from NavisionFinancial and Marel Every record or form should be filled accurately withall the information required and must have the date and signature of theperson responsible

9 Verification of thesystem

It can be by daily inspection on a regular basis or by audit The audit iscarried out 4 times a year Once per year the Directorate of Fisheriesperforms a verification

10 Marking andtraceability

All individual packages should be labelled with plant number andproduction date according to the rules of day coding as stated in theQuality Handbook Detailed information about marking master cases andpallets is in the Quality Handbook To trace the product it has to be labelledwith processing number (plant number) origin lot number EU plantnumber Also information about catch production and stock should beavailable

11 Recall system In case of something going wrong and a product has to be withdrawn orrecalled the Production Manager should take the appropriate actions andinform the inspection authority who decides what to do with the product

12 Claims andcomplaints13 Record keeping All records including those of traceability are stored for a minimum of two

years14 Sanitary andorhealth certification ofwater ice fishemployees

For certification samples should be taken and sent for analysis Frequencyfor water - once a year ice - once per month fish - 5 or 6 samples weekly

15 Personal hygiene All the employees and persons who enter the processing plant shouldfollow the rules set for personal hygiene The Quality Manager isresponsible to look after this

16 Microbiologicalguidelines

Good Defective RejectTPC 30degC 150 000 150 000 - 350 000 gt350 000Coliforms MPNg lt100 100 - 200 gt200E Coli MPNg 03 03 - 04 gt04Listeria in 25 g Negative Positive

17 Calibration18 Forms used19 Layout

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331 Flow chart and description of redfish fillets production

Frozen redfish fillets are produced following the operations presented in Figure 2 Theraw material entering the process can be whole ungutted fresh fish or frozen at sea(FAS) fillets

whole ungutted redfishReceiving raw material

Cooler

Washing

FilletingSkinning

Trimming Trimming Cooler tanks Flowline Express line

fillets (FAS)Frozen storage Weighing

PackingUnpacking Breading

Plate freezers IQF freezer Size gradingSize grading

Glazing Glazing Batter and breading

Weighing Size grading IQF freezer

Packing Metal detector Weighing PackingWeighing

Packing Casing Labelling

Palletising

Frozen storage

Shipping

Figure 2 Flow chart for frozen redfish fillets processing modified from the flow chartfor fish processing in the Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The shaded boxes in the chartrepresent the CCPs the symbol indicates the CPs along the processing line

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Receiving raw materialCooler From the fresh fish trawlers fish is received wholeungutted washed properly and iced in plastic tubs 460 litres capacity labelled withthe catching day Temperature in the cooler is kept at 0 to 4degCFrozen at sea (FAS) fillets are received and kept in frozen storage at ndash20 to ndash24degC

Washing The plastic tubs with fish are emptied into a hopper with sloping steelconveyor belt with fresh iced water The fish is washed there before grading intosizes There is a steady overflow of fresh water in the hopperAll fish entering to process in the same day is considered a batch A batch usuallyincludes several catching days from one vessel and rarely from different vessels

Filleting and skinning After grading the fish is filleted and skinned in the Baadermachines

Trimming The fillets enter the so-called express line where the quantity depends onthe infection rate by the copepod parasite Sphyrion lumpi If the fillets are free of thisparasite then the fillets go through a faster trimming process If the fillets need morecareful trimming for example because of parasite infection or because the filletshould be free of pin bones they are sent directly to the traditional trimming flow lineAfter trimming the fillets can go directly to the Individually Quick Frozen (IQF)freezer they can be pumped to cooler tanks where the fillets are iced properly forstorage at temperature around 05degC or they can be sent to produce fillet blocks

Weighing and packing Blocks Fillets blocks are packed directly into carton boxesThe cartons are labelled according to specifications with production date plantnumber product number and origin The packed products are placed into freezingpans or block frames The freezing pans are placed into racks

Plate freezers and depanning The freezing pans are taken from the racks and putinto the plate freezers Freezing time is usually 25-3 hours or until the coretemperature has reached ndash24degC at minimum After freezing the cartons are depanned

IQF fillets IQF freezerglazingFillets are placed on in-feed conveyor belt for the IQF freezer The core temperaturemust reach at least ndash24degC After leaving the IQF freezer the fillets are sprayed withpotable water to reach desirable glaze percentage if required

Breading A part of the redfish fillets either frozen at sea (FAS) or IQF frozen in theplant are breaded in a special batter and breading line The fillets are arranged on anin-feed conveyor belt where they are covered with batter that is continuously renewedand then the battered fillets are automatically covered with breadcrumbs Then thebreaded fillets enter an IQF freezer From there the fillets are transferred to thepacking area

IQF size gradingWeighingPacking Size grading is automatic Weighing can beeither automatic or manual The retail bags are closed by heat sealing codedaccording to specifications and passed through a metal detector Other IQF productsare put into plastic bag inside of a master case and closed with a tape

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Casing labelling and palletising The cartons are packed in master cases taped orclosed with plastic straps and labelled according to specifications Master cases arestacked on pallets and strapped with plastic and labelled IQF products other thanretail packs are already in master cases and are therefore only labelled and palletisedat this stage

Frozen storage Palletised products are placed immediately into frozen storage at amaximum temperature of ndash24degC

Shipping Palletised product is taken directly from frozen storage to freezercontainers at ndash24degC

Specific operational procedures for each product are detailed on productspecifications

34 HACCP (own check) system of the company

The HACCP system also called own check system is fully described in the HACCPhandbook (UacuteA 1999) A scheme of the system is presented in Appendix 1 TheHACCP analysis and the HACCP plan are shown in Appendices 2 and 3 respectively

Control points are established to monitor both product and process in the own checksystem of the plant These points are located in the reception area after trimmingfreezing in casinglabellingpalletising after battering and breading for breadedproducts and finally in weighingpacking operation in IQF products At each controlpoint samples are taken and evaluated according to the specifications and proceduresQuality and processing parameters controlled are well described in Appendix 1

Temperature is monitored in every step of the process including frozen storage offinal products All the information generated is recorded electronically or in thecorresponding form for each operation or product

35 Labelling and traceability in the fish processing plant

From the moment the fish is brought on board the vessel information is generated andrecorded until the product reaches the end customer Part of the information will betransmitted from one link to the next attached to the unit The rest will remain in thelink for internal use and will be accessible if necessary Most of the informationoriginates in the catching and processing links

Redfish fillets blocks were chosen in our study as an example to illustrate theinformation recorded during each step of the processing and distribution chain First itis necessary to identify batches and units within the chain (See Table 3)

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Table 3 Identification of batches and units in the processing and distribution chain forfrozen redfish fillets blocks exported to Europe

Step Batch UnitsCatching Catching day TubProduction Production day Cartons palletTransport to carrier Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerStorage at carrier (Eimskip) Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerTransport at sea (Eimskip) Shipment Pallet container kg or tonExport company (IFPC SIF) An order or shipment Pallet container kg or tonCustoms Shipment Kg tonDirectorate of Fisheries Catch - Fishing trip

Export - ShipmentPallet container kg or ton

Note IFPC is the abbreviation of Icelandic Freezing Plants Corporation

Figure 3 is a simple illustration of the chain for frozen redfish fillets blocks producedat UacuteA fish processing company and exported to Europe Major export companies forUacuteA fish products are IFPC and the SIF Group The shipping company is EIMSKIPwhich stores the product in frozen storage and freights it to Europe

Directorate of Fisheries Export company Customs

UacuteA Transport Shipping BuyerCatch Production company company

Figure 3 Scheme of production and distribution chain for frozen redfish fillets blocksexported to Europe showing the entities involved and the transmission ofinformation

UacuteA receives the raw material to be processed in the plant from its own fishing vesselsThe information about the catch and finished products sent for export is given to theDirectorate of Fisheries Information is transmitted between UacuteA and the exportcompany about the fish products available for export At the request of UacuteA thetransport company freights the product to frozen storage at the carrier (EIMSKIP)The export company interacts with the shipping company and the buyer in Europeregarding shipments The export company also provides the information requested bycustoms about shipment of products The information registered in each step ispresented in Figure 4

Part of the information is printed out on a label attached to the unit and transmitted tothe next link in the production and distribution chain This information variesaccording to the product type and packaging Table 4 shows this information forfrozen redfish fillets blocks

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Catching ProcessingVessel name Information from catch Information from productionFishing trip number Vessel name Name of productTime of catch Fishing trip number Origin of raw materialFishing area Fishing area Plant numberFishing gear Fish species EU authorisation numberQuantity in a haul Units per catching day Product numbercodeHauling time Condition of fish Production datelot numberFish species Weight of fish Best before dateQuantity of fish (tubs) Icefish ratio WeightOther parameters Other parameters Temperature

Quality and processingparametersSensory evaluation resultsMicrobiological results

Transport and storage Export companyProducers name Product name andCarrier name numberExporter name EU author numberProduct name andnumber

Producers name andnumber

Pallet number Origin of the productTemperature during Order numbertransport and storage Shipment numberContainer number Invoice numberDates and places when Customs id numberreceived and delivered Name of buyer

Addresses

Customs Directorate of FisheriesFish species Information about catch Information about exportsProduct name and Species Speciesdescription Vessel name and Product name andOrigin of the product number descriptionDestination Date and place of Producers name

landing Country of destinationQuantity Carrier name

Departure dateQuantity

Figure 4 Information registered at each step in the chain for frozen redfish filletsblocks

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Table 4 Information provided in the label for frozen redfish fillets blocks exported toEuropeStep Unit Information attachedCatch Tub Catching dayProduction Case

Pallet

Production datelot numberPlant numberOriginEU authorisation numberPallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOrigin

Transport and storage Pallet container Pallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOriginContainer number

351 Example of the chain (Catch-Processing-Transport) for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Using the information collected during the field study an example of how the productcan be traced back and forward is illustrated in Figure 5 Starting with the catch rawmaterial from 6 catching days went to a new batch fishing trip 23 from the fishingtrawler Hardbakur The fish from this batch was processed in three differentproduction days or batches corresponding to September 26 27 and 28 productiondates as shown in the figure Product processed on September 26 was palletised inthree pallets that were finally transported as units of a new batch to storage at theshipping company to be exported to Europe Once the fish has entered to theprocessing line it is not longer possible to identify the catching day

BATCH BATCH BATCH BATCHCatching days Fishing trip Production date Pallet number Container number

72583

2609 72633110

726356 catching days Hardbakur 23 2709

Vessel 72672

2809 72704

Figure 5 Example of catch-production-transport links for frozen redfish filletsprocessed in UacuteA showing the different batches identifiers in each step

Catch Production Transport

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4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH

41 Introduction

Quality evaluation of fish is one of the most important aspects to be considered in thequality system of a fish processing plant The field study carried out at UacuteA provided agood opportunity to perform evaluations using the information available in the plantand taking samples to conduct the analysis thus gaining skills and experience

42 Materials and methods

Evaluation of raw material and fillets were carried out based on the quality system ofthe company Moreover sensory evaluation of the raw material using the QIM wasdone on samples from one fishing trip (November 21-27) of the vessel Arbakur

421 Evaluation of raw material

At UacuteA every batch of fish is evaluated at the moment of landing and reception in theplant A batch in this case is the fish of the same species from all the catch of onefishing trip The samples are taken randomly from different catching days andevaluated using the form shown in Table 5 This form includes the vessels name thenumber of the fishing trip and date of evaluation Once the evaluation has been carriedout a new form is filled with the final scores given to the parameters checked Theseresults are valid for the whole fishing trip (batch) A five score scheme is used Fishwith score 2 or less is unsuitable for processing

Information about the redfish received from the vessels for a period one month fromSeptember 23rd to October 24th was accessed and analysed Whole ungutted redfishfrom 8 batches was evaluated looking at the handling on board weight of fish and icewashing how the fish was aligned in the tub and icing ie fish-ice layers and icefishratio The data was recorded (Appendix 4) and analysed using the principalcomponent analysis technique (PCA) in Unscrambler (Camo Norway)

Table 5 Form for the evaluation of raw material (redfish) in the reception area

Ice

Cat

chin

g da

y

Spec

ies

Top

Mid

dle

Bot

tom

Ave

rage

Alig

nmen

t of

fishe

s in

tub

Was

hing

Oth

er sp

ecie

s

No

of f

ishe

s in

sam

ple

No

of d

efec

ts

Net

to k

g

Ice

kg

Bru

tto k

g

Ice

Fish

Con

tam

inat

ion

422 Evaluation of fillets

After trimming a random sample of fish fillets are checked for defects in appearance(bones parasites bloodspots bruises black membrane) Colour and smell are

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evaluated on a scale from 2 to 5 In this study data collection and evaluation werecarried out for redfish fillets after trimming

Data from the quality system on evaluation of fish fillets after trimming were studiedInformation was collected from ten processing days starting from September 26th toOctober 18th The raw material came from eight fishing trips of the three vessels thatthe company owns The data were recorded as shown in Table 7

423 Quality Index Method

Sensory evaluation of raw material using the QIM method was conducted underprocessing conditions as part of this study A batch consisting of three catching daysfrom one vessels fishing trip was sampled taking five samples from each catchingday The fishing trip in this case was 6 days long The samples came from the secondfourth and sixth catching days it means that they had been in ice for six four and twodays respectively (Table 8) The scores for each parameter were determined byconsensus of the two untrained assessors evaluating fish the author of this report andthe inspector in the reception area in the plant

43 Results and discussion431 Raw material

The current evaluation of raw material (redfish) mainly focuses on handlingparameters as shown in the form in Table 5 and in Appendix 4

PCA was done to study the main trend in the data set from evaluation of raw materialin the reception area This technique allows the analysis of different variables at thesame time In this evaluation the useful information is icing icefish ratio andcatching day Figure 6 shows two main grouping of the data which mean that sampleswith parameters of similar values are correlated PC1 explains 75 of the variation inthe data and is mainly giving information about the amount of icing which appears tobe related to the catching days Samples located on the right side of the plot aremainly from catching days 6 7 and 8 while those on the left side are from days 1 2and 3 The position of the samples with missing catching day on the plot gives an ideaof their catching day because they have similar values as those samples located closeto them One outlier (Arb 26-1) is observed at the bottom left side of the figureLooking in Appendix 4 we find that it corresponded to a tub of fish with a score of 1for icing This tub was overloaded with fish so the quantity of ice was insufficient tocool the fish properly Another outlier (Kaldb 23-2) is on the top right side of thefigure In this case the quantity of ice was more than the necessary

Current evaluation of redfish in the plant is focused on handling parameters There isno regular evaluation of freshness attributes of fish There may be two main reasonsfor this one is that the raw material is received from their own vessels The otherreason is that each tub of fish is labelled with the catching day which means that thedays fish has been in ice are known so the freshness of fish and the remaining shelflife can be determined

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-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

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trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

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Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

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5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

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Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme i

APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

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ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 2: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 2

TABLE OF CONTENT

1 INTRODUCTION3

2 LITERATURE REVIEW 521 HACCP based quality system522 Traceability in the fish industry 623 Quality factors8231 Freshness parameters 9232 Defects 924 Methods to evaluate fish freshness 10241 Microbiological methods 10242 Biochemical and chemical methods10243 Physical methods 10244 Sensory methods 11

3 FIELD STUDY AT UacuteTGERETHARFEacuteLAG AKUREYRAR (UacuteA) 1131 The structure of the company and main products 1232 The quality system at UacuteA 1333 Redfish processing 13331 Flow chart and description of redfish fillets production1534 HACCP (own check) system of the company 1735 Labelling and traceability in the fish processing plant 17351 Example of the chain for frozen redfish fillets blocks 20

4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH2141 Introduction2142 Materials and Methods21421 Evaluation of raw material21422 Evaluation of fillets21423 Quality Index Method 2243 Results and Discussion 22431 Raw material 22432 Fillets after trimming 23433 Quality Index Method 24

5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS26

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 26

LIST OF REFERENCES27

APPENDIX 1 Own check of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999) iAPPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)ivAPPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999) ixAPPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the receptionix

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 3

1 INTRODUCTION

A well structured quality management system should be implemented in allcompanies processing seafood in vessels where processing is done and at fishauctions to fulfil all requirements regarding quality and safety It is also known thatlegislation and inspection authorities recommend or require adopting the HazardAnalysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system in production and include it as partof the quality system The need for HACCP in seafood industries is due to growingawareness of consumers and the fear of food illnesses This has lead to enforcedhygienic and sanitary regulations to ensure wholesome and safe food products Thegrowing trend in international trade for worldwide equivalence of food products isalso to be considered for all producers and sellers

To guarantee safe and wholesome fishery products a seafood processing companymust have an appropriate quality system operating effectively The quality systemincludes Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Standard Sanitation OperationalProcedures (SSOP) and a well documented HACCP plan The HACCP system is thebasis of the regulations on fish inspection adopted by the European EconomicCommunity (EEC) USA Canada and a number of developing countries (Huss 1994)

The quality system based on HACCP is widely used and internationally recognized byCodex Alimentarius which recommends its adoption (Codex 1997) The Food andDrug Administration (FDA) regulations require fish processors to implement HACCPsystems (FDA 1995) The European Union (EU) recommends the same in its CouncilDirective 91493 (EEC 1991)

The maintenance of the HACCP system is as important as its implementationVerification procedures and record keeping are strong elements of those activities Itis unlikely that the products produced the process the environment likely hazards orthe people in the plant will remain unchanged over time (Mortimore 2001) Recordingall the parameters concerning catching handling processing and quality is anessential tool to verify how the system is working Record keeping also offers producttraceability in the whole chain from catch until the final product is delivered to theconsumer so procedures for product identification and traceability during all stagesshould be established (Huss 1994) Traceability is becoming an important issue forproducers and sellers in all countries not only in the EU

In Iceland the Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) through its Surveillance Department isthe competent authority responsible for enforcing laws and regulations regardinghandling processing and distribution of marine products It focuses on ensuring thatfishery products are processed under satisfactory hygienic conditions and thatconsumers can rely on their wholesomeness and safety The department issuesprocessing licenses to processors of fishery products and operating permits to fishmarkets and fishing vessels provided that they meet the requirements concerningappropriate facilities equipment sanitation procedures and a documented checksystem based on HACCP The Surveillance Department issues health certificates forexported fishery products (DOF 2001)

Developing countries are playing an important role worldwide by exporting theirproducts to Europe and other markets characterised by increasing demand both on

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 4

quantity and high quality products To be competitive these countries also need toadopt and implement quality management systems based on HACCP and in the nearfuture be able to have an effective system for traceability of the products they areexporting

In the last decades Cuba has been exporting seafood products to different countries inEurope Asia and Canada Main products are processed lobster and shrimp withprofits from exports in 1999 contributing nearly USD 200 million to the countryseconomy (MIP 2000) Forty fishery establishments are engaged in fish and shellfishprocessing of which 14 are certified for export (Hernaacutendez-Torres 2000)

In 1992 the Cuban fisheries industry began HACCP implementation to meet therequirements of its major export markets and to put inspection and quality controlactivities in line with those taking place worldwide (Hernaacutendez-Torres 2000)According to Resolution No 3441996 of the Minister of Fisheries Industry it ismandatory for seafood processors and trading companies to put a quality systembased on HACCP into operation (Hernaacutendez-Torres 2000) All the factories producingfor export and most of those producing for the domestic market in Cuba have anappropriate quality system However problems have been observed when assessingHACCP They include different approaches to identifying Critical Control Points(CCP) defining critical limits and badly documented monitoring procedures Lack offloor staff training in applying corrective actions in case of deviations of critical limitshas also been observed as well as corrective actions that are not appropriate toeliminate causes giving rise to deviations

A field study to investigate the quality system the traceability of products and qualitymonitoring in an Icelandic company is a practical experience which will be helpful infuture work in Cuba This experience will be valuable and useful to promote theimprovement of quality systems in the fisheries sector in Cuba and especially inproduct traceability issues

The main objectives are

diams Study the quality system of the fish processing company UacuteA for redfish (Sebastesmarinusmentella) focusing on processing operations and quality control

diams Study traceability throughout the process from catch until final productDefinition and labelling of batches in the whole chain

The field study in UacuteA fish processing plant gives an opportunity to study sensoryevaluation of fish First it is important because it is a way to check in practice thiscritical aspect in the own check system and secondly to improve and acquire newskills especially in applying a new sensory method the Quality Index Method(QIM) From the above mentioned comes the third objectivediams Sensory evaluation of raw material and final product to compare and see how this

is related to processing and quality parameters recorded in the quality system

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 5

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

21 HACCP based quality system

HACCP is a management system in which food safety is addressed through theanalysis and control of biological chemical and physical hazards from the rawmaterial to processing distribution and consumption of the finished product(NACMCF 1997) It was developed nearly 30 years ago by the Pillsbury Companyworking together with the National Atmospheric and Space Agency (NASA) in USAwith the objective of finding a method to provide safe food for astronauts The systemfocuses on preventing hazards that could cause food-borne illnesses by applyingcontrols to the production line from raw material to the finished products (FDA2001)

HACCP is a tool to assess hazards and establish control systems that focus onprevention rather than relying on end-product testing Implementation of HACCPenhances food safety and promotes trade by increasing confidence in safe foods(Codex 1997)

Before the application of HACCP principles (EEC 1994 FDA 2001) the followingtasks should be carried out

bull Assembling of the HACCP team involving experts from production qualityassurance engineering and product development areas It could also be useful to haverepresentatives from other areasbull Product description and intended use Includes principal raw materials processtechnologies used storage conditions and shelf life This is particularly important ifthe product is intended for especially vulnerable groups of the population such asinfants or ill peoplebull Process flow diagram It should cover all the steps in the process from rawmaterial through to distribution Such flow chart is the basis of the hazard analysisbull On-site verification of the flow diagram The HACCP team should check theoperation against the flow diagram during all stages and hours of operation and makethe amendments where appropriate

The seven principles of HACCP are the following (EEC 1994 Huss 1994 FDA1995)1 Conduct a hazard analysis Potential hazards associated with food and preventive

measures to control those hazards2 Identify Critical Control Points (CCP) A CCP is an operation (practice

procedure process or location) at which a preventive or control measure willeliminate prevent or minimise one or several hazards

3 Establish critical limits for each preventive measure at a CCP4 Establish CCP monitoring procedures Include what is to be checked when how

and by whom5 Establish what corrective actions are to be taken when monitoring shows that a

critical limit has been exceeded6 Establish verification procedures to verify that the HACCP system is working

correctly7 Establish an effective record keeping system to document the HACCP system

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 6

Records need to be kept as evidence that the system has been working correctly (Huss1994) They are useful for trend analysis which can be used for monitoring andmaking the system more effective

HACCP is not a system that stands alone it is supported by other programmes knownas prerequisites (NACMCF 1997) such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) andStandard Sanitation Operational Procedures (SSOP) Prerequisite programmesprovide the basic environmental and operating conditions that are necessary for theproduction of safe wholesome food The Codex Alimentarius General Principles ofFood Hygiene describe the basic conditions and practices expected for food intendedfor international trade In addition to the requirements specified in regulationsindustry often adopts procedures specific to their operations Prerequisite programmesmay include facilities supplier control specifications of raw materials ingredientspackaging materials and products equipment cleaning and sanitation personalhygiene training traceability and recall procedures pest control etc (NACMCF1997)

22 Traceability in the fish industry

According to ISO 90002000 traceability is defined as the ability to trace the historyapplication or location of that which is under consideration In terms of products itrelates to the origin of materials and parts the processing history and the distributionof the product after delivery (ISO 2000) In other words traceability means the abilityto trace and follow a food through all stages of production and distribution (Tall2001)

Two types of traceability can be identified internal and chain traceability Internal iswithin one company and relates to data about raw materials and processes to the finalproduct before it is delivered Chain traceability is focused on the information aboutthe product from one link in the chain to the next it describes what data aretransmitted and received and how (Tracefish 2001) Chain traceability is betweencompanies and countries and depends on the presence of internal traceability in eachlink (Olsen 2001)

The public confidence in food safety has been damaged by recent food scaresassociated with beef because of mouth and foot disease and BSE - mad cow diseasein cattle dioxin in fish meal and other This is driving the industry and governmentagencies to improve controls at all stages in the food chain (Tall 2001) Traceability isthen needed to meet food safety requirements especially in case of product recall forcommercial reasons to ensure supply chain standards and because it is required bylegislation relating to labelling animal health and welfare fish marketing fisheriescontrol and product liability and safety (Denton 2001)

The EU Fisheries Control Regulations demand a specific traceability system from thefishing grounds to the processors The EU Fish Marketing Regulations demand thatfrom 2002 much of the fish at retail sale (including wet fish) will have to be labelledwith its area of origin The proposed revision of the EU General Product SafetyDirective requires full traceability by 2003 including product recall systems The EUFood Law which is now under revision requires full traceability by 2004 (FQLM2001) The proposed new Regulation on the General Principles and Requirements of

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 7

Food Law lays down the general food safety requirements Regarding traceability itestablishes the need for traceability at all stages of production and distribution It isproposed that food and feed business operators must identify their raw materialsuppliers and identify to whom they supply products (one up one down traceability)They must have systems to provide those data to the competent authorities label oridentify products to ensure traceability and withdraw and recall unsafe food from themarket (Tracefish 2001)

The fish industry trades globally in a vast range of species and products and is diversein comparison to other protein sources There are hundreds of different species of fishcaptured with different methods of catching handling and food safety requirements Awide range of live chilled frozen and value added fishery products are produced andtraded within the various distribution chains which also have their specialised foodhandling and food safety requirements There is a huge and complex internationaltrade in the raw materials and in primary and secondary processed products (Tracefish2001)

Although there are major structural differences between the chains for different typesof fish products and countries there is also a degree of commonality in informationrequirements These information requirements can be categorised as (Tracefish 2001)bull Fundamental to traceability Each food business has to collect and keep

information and make it available to the competent authorities and to other foodbusiness operators for the purpose of product withdrawal or recall

bull Specifically required information on the nature of the food and the operationsinvolved This is information required by law for particular purposes and must bemade available to the appropriate authorities

bull Commercially desirable information on the nature of the food and the operationsThis information can be requested by food business for different reasons such asethical environmental GMP quality assurance records raw material or productstandards and specifications etc

At present a lot of information is being recorded in the product information system ofthe processing and distribution chains Some of that information passes from one linkin the chain to the next either on the label or in the documents the rest is held by theproducer or the distributor To properly implement traceability it is necessary todefine the physical unit and batch A physical unit can be an individual large fish abox or a tub of fish a package case or pallet of products a freight container Thebatch can be a catching day production date a shipment etc The informationattached to the unit is to be the key to traceability ie the product number (code)production date and producers number makes it possible to trace the product to theproducer and look up the required information

Figure 1 is an example of the chain from catch to the consumer with the multiple linksand information flow If the information is available with all the data and a uniqueidentifier to label the batch at each link then the product can be traced

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Figure 1 Example of the chain and information flow for redfish caught and processedinto frozen fillets in Iceland and sold to Germany (Paacutelsson and Oacutelafsdoacutettir 2001)

A product can be traced either backward or forward Backward leads to the origin andhistory everything that went to a batch and depends on all links mappingidentification (ID) of output batches to ID of input batches Forward trace explainswhat happened to a certain batch all the processes and output batches that the batch inquestion went into Keeping track of batches and their properties is the key toimplementing chain traceability It means that we must record what batches we usewe must have the ability to access to their properties and we must relate input batchesand properties to the batches we make (Olsen 2001)

A step forward in the implementation of traceability will be the development of astandard for electronic transmission of data and information Because of increasinginformation demands from buyers and consumers it is no longer practical to transmitall the data physically along with the product A more sensible approach is to markeach package with a unique identifier and then transmit or extract all the relevantinformation electronically (Paacutelsson et al 2000) But so far it is common to use otherways like telephone e-mail and fax for communication between the links

23 Quality factors

Definitions of quality as applied to food products vary according to the authorDifferent qualities with respect to seafood include safety nutritional qualityavailability convenience and integrity and freshness quality (Bisogni et al 1987Botta 1995 Bremner 2000) The most important is seafood safety

Seafood quality is usually influenced by freshness or degree of spoilage of the rawmaterial or the product Freshness is considered as one of the most important factorsdetermining quality of fish (Soslashrensen 1992 Sakaguchi and Koike 1992 Botta 1995Oacutelafsdoacutettir 1997) Handling processing and storage techniques can also affect thequality of fish and fishery products as they can result in the occurrence of defects suchas bruises bloodstains trimming imperfections etc (Soslashrensen 1992 Valdimarsson1992)

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Many studies have been done on spoilage processes of fish stored in ice and frozenstorage considering a whole range of influencing factors which can affect the fishquality Among others these factors are related to fish species size and seasonalcondition fishing method handling processing technology time and temperaturedevelopment

231 Freshness parameters

Fish is a perishable commodity Upon death a series of natural changes start leadingto spoilage affecting the shelf life of the fish Freshness or the extent of spoilageduring storage under chilled conditions is the key determinant of the quality of fishand fishery products (Whittle et al 1990 Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) Shelf life of fish isdefined as the length of time it is fit for human consumption (Martinsdoacutettir et al2001) Spoilage due to microbial activity is the main limitation of the shelf life of icedor refrigerated fish

Off-odours and off-flavours slime formation gas production discoloration andchanges in texture are obvious signs of spoilage (Huss 1994) The development ofthese spoilage conditions in fish and fishery products is due to a combination ofchemical autolytic and microbiological changes but the spoilage rate can be reducedby taking preventive measures like icing or keeping a low temperature during storageAccording to Bonnell (1994) controlling the temperature of fish is perhaps the mostimportant element in the preservation of fresh fish The proper cooling of fish has anumber of advantages Firstly bacterial activity depends very much on temperaturethe closer it is to 0degC the slower the rate of bacterial spoilage Likewise enzymeactivity also decreases as temperature falls so the rate of autolytic spoilage issignificantly slowed Chemical spoilage or development of rancidity can be preventedby rapid handling onboard and storage of products under anaerobic conditions

A rise in product temperature accelerates deterioration and reduces quality If the rateof deterioration is known it should be possible to determine the quality at any time bycontinuously monitoring the time and temperature history of fish post mortem(Whittle et al 1990) A number of authors have attempted to derive simplemathematical relationships that provide an acceptable measure of deterioration in fishwith a known timetemperature history These relationships have been used inconjunction with timetemperature recording devices to monitor the deterioration ofquality in batches of fish Post mortem changes in electrical properties of fish skin andflesh are also used in determining the potential shelf life of whole fish but it is notuseful for frozen products (Whittle et al 1990 Huss 1995)

232 Defects

Sensory inspection of processed fish is used in fish industry to find defects that haveoccurred during handling and processing (Oehlenschlager 1997) These defects arewell described in the technical specifications for the products

Defects can be related to the condition of the fish flesh appearance which includescolour defects (bruises bloodspots) and dehydration workmanship defects such asimproper packaging and cutting and trimming imperfections scales bones foreign

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matters skin and black membrane and the size of fillets (USDC 1990) Evaluation ofdefects is widely used in control of processes and to grade fish for selling or buyingpurposes

24 Methods to evaluate fish freshness

Huss (1995) and Bonnell (1994) discuss the methods applied to evaluate the freshnessof fish which are divided in two categories sensory and instrumental techniquesInstrumental methods include biochemical and chemical microbiological andphysical Each of these methods measure different spoilage indicators in fish andfishery products Only through a combination of instrumental and sensory analysiscan optimal information on the product be obtained

241 Microbiological methods

The activity of microorganisms is the main factor limiting the shelf life of fresh fishThe aim of microbiological examinations is to evaluate the possible presence ofbacteria or organisms of public health significance and to give an impression of thehygienic quality of the fish This includes temperature abuse and hygiene duringhandling and processing (Huss 1995) An estimation of the total viable count (TVC) isused as an index in standards guidelines and specifications Specific spoilageorganisms (SSO) capable of producing hydrogen sulphide or reducing trimethylamineoxide (TMAO) are considered more useful to estimate spoilage and the remainingshelf life of fish and fishery products (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997)

242 Biochemical and chemical methods

Classical chemical methods for the analysis of total volatile bases (TVB) andtrimethylamine (TMA) are used for the determination of fish freshness (Oacutelafsdoacutettir etal 1997) TVB only reflect later stages of spoilage so it is not reliable for the firstdays of chilled storage of fish (Huss 1995) Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is anotherindicator of fish freshness The extent of ATP degradation is expressed as the K valuewhich is defined as the ratio of the sum of inosine and hypoxanthine concentrations tothe total concentration of ATP metabolites (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) There are othermethods related to lipid oxidation such as determination of peroxide thiobarbituricacid and iodine values

243 Physical methods

Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al (1997) describe physical methods based on changes in the electricproperties of the fish muscle Different devices are available to measure electricalproperties the Torrymeter the Fish tester and the RT-Freshness Grader but they canonly be used for fresh fish Changes of structure and colour also occur in the fishflesh Texturometers are used to measure the structural changes

Time-temperature indicators (TTI) are based on using some biological chemical orphysical processes that depend on time and temperature and can give informationabout the time-temperature history of the food All methods mentioned above provideinformation on parameters related to fish freshness but none of them alone is capableto determine whether a fish is fresh or not

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244 Sensory methods

Sensory evaluation is the most important method for assessing freshness and qualityof fish and fish products (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) Sensory methods offer a rapidand accurate measurement of perceived attributes providing information about foodSensory evaluation is defined as the scientific discipline used to evoke measureanalyse and interpret characteristics of food as perceived by the senses of sight smelltaste touch and hearing (Huss 1995 Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) Sensory tests can bedivided into three groups discriminative descriptive and affective The first two areanalytical tests in which a trained panel is used while the third are subjectiveconsumer tests based on a measure of preference or acceptance The most commonlyused descriptive tests are structured scaling for quality assessment and profiling for adetailed description of one or more attributes Sensory evaluation is currently the mostimportant method used for freshness evaluation in the fish sector

The most common sensory method used in Europe is the EU scheme (Oacutelafsdoacutettir etal 1997 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) in which three grades of freshness are establishedE A and B corresponding to various stages of spoilage Extra is the highest qualitywhile B is the level where fish is considered unfit for human consumption Thisscheme does not take into account differences between species because only generalparameters are used The Torry scheme a ten score system for the evaluation ofcooked fish is another method used for sensory evaluation of fish freshness

The Quality Index Method (QIM) is based on characteristic changes in raw fish thatoccur in the appearance of eyes skin and gills and odour and texture and a scoresystem from 0 to 3 demerit points (Bremner 1985 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) Thescores for all the attributes are summarised to give an overall sensory score theQuality Index which is then compared to a QIM calibration curve to establish therelative freshness in terms of storage (predicted) days in ice and to predict theremaining storage life (shelf life) The description of each score for each parameter islisted in the QIM scheme (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) The QIMand the schemes have been developed for several fish species eg cod haddockredfish herring saithe and shrimp In this study the QIM method is used in theevaluation of redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella)

3 FIELD STUDY AT UacuteTGERETHARFEacuteLAG AKUREYRAR (UacuteA)

The UacuteA Seafood Group in Akureyri was visited for a two weeks period fromNovember 18th to the 30th This company and in particular the parent company waschosen for the study knowing the fact that UacuteA Seafood Group is one of the leadingcompanies in Iceland operating fishing vessels and processing plants The companysrole is catching processing and selling a variety of high quality safe seafoodproducts

During the field study at UacuteA the documentation of the quality system was accessedand carefully studied The production and quality managers explained in situ theprocessing flow for the different products made from redfish and cod as well eventhough cod was not a part of this study The processing line was visited daily for abetter understanding of the process and the quality control

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It was studied how the information about the process and products is generated howthis information is transmitted along the chain and how it is recorded and stored forthe purposes of traceability This means that information is available to attendcustomer claims recall of products and also to verify the quality and handling of theproducts Data and information were collected from evaluations conducted and fromthe records stored in the companys system This will be presented in chapter 4

31 The structure of the company and main products

The group consists of the parent company and four subsidiaries Laugafiskur ltdspecialising in drying fish Joumlkull ltd concentrating on the processing of whole-frozen pelagic fish Hoacutelmadrangur ltd for shrimp processing and GPG Saltfish ltdspecialising in the production of splitted salted fish The parent company operatestrawlers and processes demersal fish either on shore or on board factory trawlers (UacuteA2001a) The main species harvested are cod (Gadus morhua) redfish (Smarinusmentella) Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) and prawns(Pandalus borealis) In 2000 the total catch of company vessels was 22689 tons (UacuteA2001c)

The main products of the group are frozen seafood and dried fish products The totalproduction of the company in 2000 was more than 17000 tons with a value of ISK53 billion Table 1 shows the production by speciesproduct

UacuteA operates a sales and marketing department which is responsible for the groupsales of fresh and frozen products The access to fresh fish allows the company tooffer high quality products supported by a quality assurance system based onHACCP which ensures product safety The biggest markets for the group are in theUSA and UK Other important markets are Germany Nigeria Japan and TaiwanFrance and Denmark (UacuteA 2001a)

Table 1 Volume of production of UacuteA Seafood Group in 2000 (UacuteA 2001b)

ProductSpecies tonsCod 6086Redfish 2833Haddock 287Saithe 177Greenland halibut 1232Capelin roe 248Shrimp in the shell 3224Cooked and peeled shrimp 1255Total frozen products 15342Stockfish 2215Total 17557

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The UacuteA parent company operates five fishing vessels and two land-based processingplants Three of the vessels are fresh fish trawlers supplying the factories in Akureyriand Greniviacutek one vessel is a freezing trawler for demersal fish and the fifth vessel isa shrimp-freezing trawler The fresh fish trawlers concentrate on the catching of cod(G morhua) haddock (Melanogammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) andsaithe (Pollachius virens) while the freezing trawlers focus on Greenland halibut (Rhippoglossoides) redfish (S marinusmentella) and shrimp (P borealis) (UacuteA 2001a)The UacuteA plant in Akureyri is one of the largest of its kind in the North Atlantic andspecialises in the processing of cod and redfish The plant in Greniviacutek is smaller andprocesses haddock saithe and cod

32 The quality system at UacuteA

The UacuteA Seafood company quality system was studied especially for redfish (Smarinusmentella) Data and information from the processing line was gatheredincluding information on the traceability system For effective quality and processcontrol the plant has implemented a quality system based on HACCP which isproperly described in the companys Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The handbookconsists of 19 sections The sections are listed in Table 2 and comments given onthose sections which are of particular relevance to the present study

33 Redfish processing

The redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella) is a temperate marine species inhabiting theNorth Atlantic ocean waters along the European and American coasts The twospecies of redfish ocean perch (S marinus) and deepwater redfish (S mentella) aredifficult to distinguish Ocean perch (S marinus) has a bright red skin and a chubbyshape it can attain a maximum length of 100 cm and weight up to 15 kg (Hureau andLitvinenko 1986) while deepwater redfish attains a maximum size of 55 cm Redfishis utilised fresh and frozen It is a good table fish with a firm and tasty flesh (Bykov1983) As a result of different storage studies it has been estimated that redfish kept inice at 0degC has a shelf life of 18 days granted that the fish was handled under goodmanufacturing practices on board the vessels (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001)

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Table 2 Sections of the quality handbook of the UacuteA fish processing company withcomments on some of them according to its relevance to the study

Section Comments1 Organogram of thecompany2 Managementresponsibilities3 Flow charts See Figure 1 and a description of the process4 HACCP (own check)system specified in theHACCP handbook

See Appendix 1

5 Preventive measures Includes training of the staff in personal hygiene and operating procedures6 Cleaning andsanitising

Includes all the procedures for cleaning and sanitation of equipment andfacilities and the checklist

7 Quality policy The aim of UacuteA is to produce products of high quality and to be a leadingcompany in quality issues in the market

71 Description of finalproduct

Frozen and fresh products from cod (Gadus morhua) haddock(Melanogrammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) and otherspecies The fish is either whole or fillets skin-on or skin-less trimmedAll products are processed according to specifications required by thebuyers packed for retail or catering or for further processing (blocks) Allthe products should be cooked before consumption

8 Records Most of the data are recorded in computers using software from NavisionFinancial and Marel Every record or form should be filled accurately withall the information required and must have the date and signature of theperson responsible

9 Verification of thesystem

It can be by daily inspection on a regular basis or by audit The audit iscarried out 4 times a year Once per year the Directorate of Fisheriesperforms a verification

10 Marking andtraceability

All individual packages should be labelled with plant number andproduction date according to the rules of day coding as stated in theQuality Handbook Detailed information about marking master cases andpallets is in the Quality Handbook To trace the product it has to be labelledwith processing number (plant number) origin lot number EU plantnumber Also information about catch production and stock should beavailable

11 Recall system In case of something going wrong and a product has to be withdrawn orrecalled the Production Manager should take the appropriate actions andinform the inspection authority who decides what to do with the product

12 Claims andcomplaints13 Record keeping All records including those of traceability are stored for a minimum of two

years14 Sanitary andorhealth certification ofwater ice fishemployees

For certification samples should be taken and sent for analysis Frequencyfor water - once a year ice - once per month fish - 5 or 6 samples weekly

15 Personal hygiene All the employees and persons who enter the processing plant shouldfollow the rules set for personal hygiene The Quality Manager isresponsible to look after this

16 Microbiologicalguidelines

Good Defective RejectTPC 30degC 150 000 150 000 - 350 000 gt350 000Coliforms MPNg lt100 100 - 200 gt200E Coli MPNg 03 03 - 04 gt04Listeria in 25 g Negative Positive

17 Calibration18 Forms used19 Layout

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331 Flow chart and description of redfish fillets production

Frozen redfish fillets are produced following the operations presented in Figure 2 Theraw material entering the process can be whole ungutted fresh fish or frozen at sea(FAS) fillets

whole ungutted redfishReceiving raw material

Cooler

Washing

FilletingSkinning

Trimming Trimming Cooler tanks Flowline Express line

fillets (FAS)Frozen storage Weighing

PackingUnpacking Breading

Plate freezers IQF freezer Size gradingSize grading

Glazing Glazing Batter and breading

Weighing Size grading IQF freezer

Packing Metal detector Weighing PackingWeighing

Packing Casing Labelling

Palletising

Frozen storage

Shipping

Figure 2 Flow chart for frozen redfish fillets processing modified from the flow chartfor fish processing in the Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The shaded boxes in the chartrepresent the CCPs the symbol indicates the CPs along the processing line

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Receiving raw materialCooler From the fresh fish trawlers fish is received wholeungutted washed properly and iced in plastic tubs 460 litres capacity labelled withthe catching day Temperature in the cooler is kept at 0 to 4degCFrozen at sea (FAS) fillets are received and kept in frozen storage at ndash20 to ndash24degC

Washing The plastic tubs with fish are emptied into a hopper with sloping steelconveyor belt with fresh iced water The fish is washed there before grading intosizes There is a steady overflow of fresh water in the hopperAll fish entering to process in the same day is considered a batch A batch usuallyincludes several catching days from one vessel and rarely from different vessels

Filleting and skinning After grading the fish is filleted and skinned in the Baadermachines

Trimming The fillets enter the so-called express line where the quantity depends onthe infection rate by the copepod parasite Sphyrion lumpi If the fillets are free of thisparasite then the fillets go through a faster trimming process If the fillets need morecareful trimming for example because of parasite infection or because the filletshould be free of pin bones they are sent directly to the traditional trimming flow lineAfter trimming the fillets can go directly to the Individually Quick Frozen (IQF)freezer they can be pumped to cooler tanks where the fillets are iced properly forstorage at temperature around 05degC or they can be sent to produce fillet blocks

Weighing and packing Blocks Fillets blocks are packed directly into carton boxesThe cartons are labelled according to specifications with production date plantnumber product number and origin The packed products are placed into freezingpans or block frames The freezing pans are placed into racks

Plate freezers and depanning The freezing pans are taken from the racks and putinto the plate freezers Freezing time is usually 25-3 hours or until the coretemperature has reached ndash24degC at minimum After freezing the cartons are depanned

IQF fillets IQF freezerglazingFillets are placed on in-feed conveyor belt for the IQF freezer The core temperaturemust reach at least ndash24degC After leaving the IQF freezer the fillets are sprayed withpotable water to reach desirable glaze percentage if required

Breading A part of the redfish fillets either frozen at sea (FAS) or IQF frozen in theplant are breaded in a special batter and breading line The fillets are arranged on anin-feed conveyor belt where they are covered with batter that is continuously renewedand then the battered fillets are automatically covered with breadcrumbs Then thebreaded fillets enter an IQF freezer From there the fillets are transferred to thepacking area

IQF size gradingWeighingPacking Size grading is automatic Weighing can beeither automatic or manual The retail bags are closed by heat sealing codedaccording to specifications and passed through a metal detector Other IQF productsare put into plastic bag inside of a master case and closed with a tape

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Casing labelling and palletising The cartons are packed in master cases taped orclosed with plastic straps and labelled according to specifications Master cases arestacked on pallets and strapped with plastic and labelled IQF products other thanretail packs are already in master cases and are therefore only labelled and palletisedat this stage

Frozen storage Palletised products are placed immediately into frozen storage at amaximum temperature of ndash24degC

Shipping Palletised product is taken directly from frozen storage to freezercontainers at ndash24degC

Specific operational procedures for each product are detailed on productspecifications

34 HACCP (own check) system of the company

The HACCP system also called own check system is fully described in the HACCPhandbook (UacuteA 1999) A scheme of the system is presented in Appendix 1 TheHACCP analysis and the HACCP plan are shown in Appendices 2 and 3 respectively

Control points are established to monitor both product and process in the own checksystem of the plant These points are located in the reception area after trimmingfreezing in casinglabellingpalletising after battering and breading for breadedproducts and finally in weighingpacking operation in IQF products At each controlpoint samples are taken and evaluated according to the specifications and proceduresQuality and processing parameters controlled are well described in Appendix 1

Temperature is monitored in every step of the process including frozen storage offinal products All the information generated is recorded electronically or in thecorresponding form for each operation or product

35 Labelling and traceability in the fish processing plant

From the moment the fish is brought on board the vessel information is generated andrecorded until the product reaches the end customer Part of the information will betransmitted from one link to the next attached to the unit The rest will remain in thelink for internal use and will be accessible if necessary Most of the informationoriginates in the catching and processing links

Redfish fillets blocks were chosen in our study as an example to illustrate theinformation recorded during each step of the processing and distribution chain First itis necessary to identify batches and units within the chain (See Table 3)

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Table 3 Identification of batches and units in the processing and distribution chain forfrozen redfish fillets blocks exported to Europe

Step Batch UnitsCatching Catching day TubProduction Production day Cartons palletTransport to carrier Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerStorage at carrier (Eimskip) Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerTransport at sea (Eimskip) Shipment Pallet container kg or tonExport company (IFPC SIF) An order or shipment Pallet container kg or tonCustoms Shipment Kg tonDirectorate of Fisheries Catch - Fishing trip

Export - ShipmentPallet container kg or ton

Note IFPC is the abbreviation of Icelandic Freezing Plants Corporation

Figure 3 is a simple illustration of the chain for frozen redfish fillets blocks producedat UacuteA fish processing company and exported to Europe Major export companies forUacuteA fish products are IFPC and the SIF Group The shipping company is EIMSKIPwhich stores the product in frozen storage and freights it to Europe

Directorate of Fisheries Export company Customs

UacuteA Transport Shipping BuyerCatch Production company company

Figure 3 Scheme of production and distribution chain for frozen redfish fillets blocksexported to Europe showing the entities involved and the transmission ofinformation

UacuteA receives the raw material to be processed in the plant from its own fishing vesselsThe information about the catch and finished products sent for export is given to theDirectorate of Fisheries Information is transmitted between UacuteA and the exportcompany about the fish products available for export At the request of UacuteA thetransport company freights the product to frozen storage at the carrier (EIMSKIP)The export company interacts with the shipping company and the buyer in Europeregarding shipments The export company also provides the information requested bycustoms about shipment of products The information registered in each step ispresented in Figure 4

Part of the information is printed out on a label attached to the unit and transmitted tothe next link in the production and distribution chain This information variesaccording to the product type and packaging Table 4 shows this information forfrozen redfish fillets blocks

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Catching ProcessingVessel name Information from catch Information from productionFishing trip number Vessel name Name of productTime of catch Fishing trip number Origin of raw materialFishing area Fishing area Plant numberFishing gear Fish species EU authorisation numberQuantity in a haul Units per catching day Product numbercodeHauling time Condition of fish Production datelot numberFish species Weight of fish Best before dateQuantity of fish (tubs) Icefish ratio WeightOther parameters Other parameters Temperature

Quality and processingparametersSensory evaluation resultsMicrobiological results

Transport and storage Export companyProducers name Product name andCarrier name numberExporter name EU author numberProduct name andnumber

Producers name andnumber

Pallet number Origin of the productTemperature during Order numbertransport and storage Shipment numberContainer number Invoice numberDates and places when Customs id numberreceived and delivered Name of buyer

Addresses

Customs Directorate of FisheriesFish species Information about catch Information about exportsProduct name and Species Speciesdescription Vessel name and Product name andOrigin of the product number descriptionDestination Date and place of Producers name

landing Country of destinationQuantity Carrier name

Departure dateQuantity

Figure 4 Information registered at each step in the chain for frozen redfish filletsblocks

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Table 4 Information provided in the label for frozen redfish fillets blocks exported toEuropeStep Unit Information attachedCatch Tub Catching dayProduction Case

Pallet

Production datelot numberPlant numberOriginEU authorisation numberPallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOrigin

Transport and storage Pallet container Pallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOriginContainer number

351 Example of the chain (Catch-Processing-Transport) for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Using the information collected during the field study an example of how the productcan be traced back and forward is illustrated in Figure 5 Starting with the catch rawmaterial from 6 catching days went to a new batch fishing trip 23 from the fishingtrawler Hardbakur The fish from this batch was processed in three differentproduction days or batches corresponding to September 26 27 and 28 productiondates as shown in the figure Product processed on September 26 was palletised inthree pallets that were finally transported as units of a new batch to storage at theshipping company to be exported to Europe Once the fish has entered to theprocessing line it is not longer possible to identify the catching day

BATCH BATCH BATCH BATCHCatching days Fishing trip Production date Pallet number Container number

72583

2609 72633110

726356 catching days Hardbakur 23 2709

Vessel 72672

2809 72704

Figure 5 Example of catch-production-transport links for frozen redfish filletsprocessed in UacuteA showing the different batches identifiers in each step

Catch Production Transport

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4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH

41 Introduction

Quality evaluation of fish is one of the most important aspects to be considered in thequality system of a fish processing plant The field study carried out at UacuteA provided agood opportunity to perform evaluations using the information available in the plantand taking samples to conduct the analysis thus gaining skills and experience

42 Materials and methods

Evaluation of raw material and fillets were carried out based on the quality system ofthe company Moreover sensory evaluation of the raw material using the QIM wasdone on samples from one fishing trip (November 21-27) of the vessel Arbakur

421 Evaluation of raw material

At UacuteA every batch of fish is evaluated at the moment of landing and reception in theplant A batch in this case is the fish of the same species from all the catch of onefishing trip The samples are taken randomly from different catching days andevaluated using the form shown in Table 5 This form includes the vessels name thenumber of the fishing trip and date of evaluation Once the evaluation has been carriedout a new form is filled with the final scores given to the parameters checked Theseresults are valid for the whole fishing trip (batch) A five score scheme is used Fishwith score 2 or less is unsuitable for processing

Information about the redfish received from the vessels for a period one month fromSeptember 23rd to October 24th was accessed and analysed Whole ungutted redfishfrom 8 batches was evaluated looking at the handling on board weight of fish and icewashing how the fish was aligned in the tub and icing ie fish-ice layers and icefishratio The data was recorded (Appendix 4) and analysed using the principalcomponent analysis technique (PCA) in Unscrambler (Camo Norway)

Table 5 Form for the evaluation of raw material (redfish) in the reception area

Ice

Cat

chin

g da

y

Spec

ies

Top

Mid

dle

Bot

tom

Ave

rage

Alig

nmen

t of

fishe

s in

tub

Was

hing

Oth

er sp

ecie

s

No

of f

ishe

s in

sam

ple

No

of d

efec

ts

Net

to k

g

Ice

kg

Bru

tto k

g

Ice

Fish

Con

tam

inat

ion

422 Evaluation of fillets

After trimming a random sample of fish fillets are checked for defects in appearance(bones parasites bloodspots bruises black membrane) Colour and smell are

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evaluated on a scale from 2 to 5 In this study data collection and evaluation werecarried out for redfish fillets after trimming

Data from the quality system on evaluation of fish fillets after trimming were studiedInformation was collected from ten processing days starting from September 26th toOctober 18th The raw material came from eight fishing trips of the three vessels thatthe company owns The data were recorded as shown in Table 7

423 Quality Index Method

Sensory evaluation of raw material using the QIM method was conducted underprocessing conditions as part of this study A batch consisting of three catching daysfrom one vessels fishing trip was sampled taking five samples from each catchingday The fishing trip in this case was 6 days long The samples came from the secondfourth and sixth catching days it means that they had been in ice for six four and twodays respectively (Table 8) The scores for each parameter were determined byconsensus of the two untrained assessors evaluating fish the author of this report andthe inspector in the reception area in the plant

43 Results and discussion431 Raw material

The current evaluation of raw material (redfish) mainly focuses on handlingparameters as shown in the form in Table 5 and in Appendix 4

PCA was done to study the main trend in the data set from evaluation of raw materialin the reception area This technique allows the analysis of different variables at thesame time In this evaluation the useful information is icing icefish ratio andcatching day Figure 6 shows two main grouping of the data which mean that sampleswith parameters of similar values are correlated PC1 explains 75 of the variation inthe data and is mainly giving information about the amount of icing which appears tobe related to the catching days Samples located on the right side of the plot aremainly from catching days 6 7 and 8 while those on the left side are from days 1 2and 3 The position of the samples with missing catching day on the plot gives an ideaof their catching day because they have similar values as those samples located closeto them One outlier (Arb 26-1) is observed at the bottom left side of the figureLooking in Appendix 4 we find that it corresponded to a tub of fish with a score of 1for icing This tub was overloaded with fish so the quantity of ice was insufficient tocool the fish properly Another outlier (Kaldb 23-2) is on the top right side of thefigure In this case the quantity of ice was more than the necessary

Current evaluation of redfish in the plant is focused on handling parameters There isno regular evaluation of freshness attributes of fish There may be two main reasonsfor this one is that the raw material is received from their own vessels The otherreason is that each tub of fish is labelled with the catching day which means that thedays fish has been in ice are known so the freshness of fish and the remaining shelflife can be determined

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-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 24

trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 25

Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 26

5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 27

REFERENCES

Bisogni C A Ryan G J and Regenstein J M 1987 What is fish quality Can weincorporate consumer perceptions In Kramer D E and Liston J eds SeafoodQuality Determination Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Bonnell A D 1994 Quality Assurance in Seafood Processing A Practical GuideNew York London Chapman amp Hall

Botta J R 1995 Evaluation of seafood freshness quality New York VCHPublishers Inc

Bremner H A 1985 A convenient easy-to-use system for estimating the quality ofchilled seafood In Scott D N and Summers C eds Proceedings of the FishProcessing Conference Nelson New Zealand 23-25 April 1985 Fish ProcessingBulletin 759-70

Bremner H A 2000 Toward Practical Definitions of Quality for Food ScienceCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 40(1)83-90

Bykov B P 1983 Marine fishes Chemical composition and processing propertiesAmerind Publishing co PVT Ltd New Delhi [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Codex Alimentarius Commission- Joint FAOWHO Food Standards Programme1997 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and guidelinesfor its application Annex to CACRCP 1-1969 Rev 3 1997

Cuba Ministry of Fishery Industry (MIP) 2000 Cuban fishing industry in 1999[21082001] httpwww2cubamarcupescaipescahtm

Denton W 2001 Introduction to the Captured Fish Standard Traceability of FishProducts (Tracefish) EC-CA QLK1-2000-00164 [24122001]httpwwwtracefishorg

European Economic Community (EEC) 1994 Commission Decision 94356EC of 20May 1994 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive91493EEC as regards own health checks on fishery products Official Journal Ndeg L156 23061994

European Economic Community (EEC) 1991 Council Directive 91493 EEC of 22 ofJuly laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on themarket of fishery products Official Journal NdegL268 240991

European Commission Concerted Action on Fish Quality Labelling and MonitoringFAIR PL 98-4174 (FQLM) 2001 The Practical Problems to be overcome in thevessels ports and auction sectors in order to provide the quality information requiredfor the marketing of fish Working document for the FQLM Workshop Amsterdam[05122001] httpwwwfqlmnl

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 28

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 1995 21 CFR Parts 123 and 124 Proceduresfor the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery ProductsFinal Rule

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2001 HACCP A State-of-the-art Approach toFood Safety [08122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagov~lrdbghaccphtml

Hernaacutendez Torres D 2000 Role of government in HACCP audit a Cubanperspective Food Control 11 (5)365-369

Hureau J-C and Litvinenko N I 1986 Scorpaenidae In Whitehead P J PBauchot M-L Hureau J-C Nielsen J and Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of theNorth-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean UNESCO Paris Vol 3 [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Huss H H 1994 Assurance of Seafood Quality FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No348 RomeFAO

Huss H H 1995 Quality and quality changes on fresh fish FAO Fisheries TechnicalPaper No 334 Rome FAO

Iceland Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) Mission - Objectives[18122001]httpwwwfiskistofaisdirfishadminqualityhtml

International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2000 International Standard ISO90002000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 29

Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme i

APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

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ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 3: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

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1 INTRODUCTION

A well structured quality management system should be implemented in allcompanies processing seafood in vessels where processing is done and at fishauctions to fulfil all requirements regarding quality and safety It is also known thatlegislation and inspection authorities recommend or require adopting the HazardAnalysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system in production and include it as partof the quality system The need for HACCP in seafood industries is due to growingawareness of consumers and the fear of food illnesses This has lead to enforcedhygienic and sanitary regulations to ensure wholesome and safe food products Thegrowing trend in international trade for worldwide equivalence of food products isalso to be considered for all producers and sellers

To guarantee safe and wholesome fishery products a seafood processing companymust have an appropriate quality system operating effectively The quality systemincludes Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) Standard Sanitation OperationalProcedures (SSOP) and a well documented HACCP plan The HACCP system is thebasis of the regulations on fish inspection adopted by the European EconomicCommunity (EEC) USA Canada and a number of developing countries (Huss 1994)

The quality system based on HACCP is widely used and internationally recognized byCodex Alimentarius which recommends its adoption (Codex 1997) The Food andDrug Administration (FDA) regulations require fish processors to implement HACCPsystems (FDA 1995) The European Union (EU) recommends the same in its CouncilDirective 91493 (EEC 1991)

The maintenance of the HACCP system is as important as its implementationVerification procedures and record keeping are strong elements of those activities Itis unlikely that the products produced the process the environment likely hazards orthe people in the plant will remain unchanged over time (Mortimore 2001) Recordingall the parameters concerning catching handling processing and quality is anessential tool to verify how the system is working Record keeping also offers producttraceability in the whole chain from catch until the final product is delivered to theconsumer so procedures for product identification and traceability during all stagesshould be established (Huss 1994) Traceability is becoming an important issue forproducers and sellers in all countries not only in the EU

In Iceland the Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) through its Surveillance Department isthe competent authority responsible for enforcing laws and regulations regardinghandling processing and distribution of marine products It focuses on ensuring thatfishery products are processed under satisfactory hygienic conditions and thatconsumers can rely on their wholesomeness and safety The department issuesprocessing licenses to processors of fishery products and operating permits to fishmarkets and fishing vessels provided that they meet the requirements concerningappropriate facilities equipment sanitation procedures and a documented checksystem based on HACCP The Surveillance Department issues health certificates forexported fishery products (DOF 2001)

Developing countries are playing an important role worldwide by exporting theirproducts to Europe and other markets characterised by increasing demand both on

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quantity and high quality products To be competitive these countries also need toadopt and implement quality management systems based on HACCP and in the nearfuture be able to have an effective system for traceability of the products they areexporting

In the last decades Cuba has been exporting seafood products to different countries inEurope Asia and Canada Main products are processed lobster and shrimp withprofits from exports in 1999 contributing nearly USD 200 million to the countryseconomy (MIP 2000) Forty fishery establishments are engaged in fish and shellfishprocessing of which 14 are certified for export (Hernaacutendez-Torres 2000)

In 1992 the Cuban fisheries industry began HACCP implementation to meet therequirements of its major export markets and to put inspection and quality controlactivities in line with those taking place worldwide (Hernaacutendez-Torres 2000)According to Resolution No 3441996 of the Minister of Fisheries Industry it ismandatory for seafood processors and trading companies to put a quality systembased on HACCP into operation (Hernaacutendez-Torres 2000) All the factories producingfor export and most of those producing for the domestic market in Cuba have anappropriate quality system However problems have been observed when assessingHACCP They include different approaches to identifying Critical Control Points(CCP) defining critical limits and badly documented monitoring procedures Lack offloor staff training in applying corrective actions in case of deviations of critical limitshas also been observed as well as corrective actions that are not appropriate toeliminate causes giving rise to deviations

A field study to investigate the quality system the traceability of products and qualitymonitoring in an Icelandic company is a practical experience which will be helpful infuture work in Cuba This experience will be valuable and useful to promote theimprovement of quality systems in the fisheries sector in Cuba and especially inproduct traceability issues

The main objectives are

diams Study the quality system of the fish processing company UacuteA for redfish (Sebastesmarinusmentella) focusing on processing operations and quality control

diams Study traceability throughout the process from catch until final productDefinition and labelling of batches in the whole chain

The field study in UacuteA fish processing plant gives an opportunity to study sensoryevaluation of fish First it is important because it is a way to check in practice thiscritical aspect in the own check system and secondly to improve and acquire newskills especially in applying a new sensory method the Quality Index Method(QIM) From the above mentioned comes the third objectivediams Sensory evaluation of raw material and final product to compare and see how this

is related to processing and quality parameters recorded in the quality system

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2 LITERATURE REVIEW

21 HACCP based quality system

HACCP is a management system in which food safety is addressed through theanalysis and control of biological chemical and physical hazards from the rawmaterial to processing distribution and consumption of the finished product(NACMCF 1997) It was developed nearly 30 years ago by the Pillsbury Companyworking together with the National Atmospheric and Space Agency (NASA) in USAwith the objective of finding a method to provide safe food for astronauts The systemfocuses on preventing hazards that could cause food-borne illnesses by applyingcontrols to the production line from raw material to the finished products (FDA2001)

HACCP is a tool to assess hazards and establish control systems that focus onprevention rather than relying on end-product testing Implementation of HACCPenhances food safety and promotes trade by increasing confidence in safe foods(Codex 1997)

Before the application of HACCP principles (EEC 1994 FDA 2001) the followingtasks should be carried out

bull Assembling of the HACCP team involving experts from production qualityassurance engineering and product development areas It could also be useful to haverepresentatives from other areasbull Product description and intended use Includes principal raw materials processtechnologies used storage conditions and shelf life This is particularly important ifthe product is intended for especially vulnerable groups of the population such asinfants or ill peoplebull Process flow diagram It should cover all the steps in the process from rawmaterial through to distribution Such flow chart is the basis of the hazard analysisbull On-site verification of the flow diagram The HACCP team should check theoperation against the flow diagram during all stages and hours of operation and makethe amendments where appropriate

The seven principles of HACCP are the following (EEC 1994 Huss 1994 FDA1995)1 Conduct a hazard analysis Potential hazards associated with food and preventive

measures to control those hazards2 Identify Critical Control Points (CCP) A CCP is an operation (practice

procedure process or location) at which a preventive or control measure willeliminate prevent or minimise one or several hazards

3 Establish critical limits for each preventive measure at a CCP4 Establish CCP monitoring procedures Include what is to be checked when how

and by whom5 Establish what corrective actions are to be taken when monitoring shows that a

critical limit has been exceeded6 Establish verification procedures to verify that the HACCP system is working

correctly7 Establish an effective record keeping system to document the HACCP system

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Records need to be kept as evidence that the system has been working correctly (Huss1994) They are useful for trend analysis which can be used for monitoring andmaking the system more effective

HACCP is not a system that stands alone it is supported by other programmes knownas prerequisites (NACMCF 1997) such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) andStandard Sanitation Operational Procedures (SSOP) Prerequisite programmesprovide the basic environmental and operating conditions that are necessary for theproduction of safe wholesome food The Codex Alimentarius General Principles ofFood Hygiene describe the basic conditions and practices expected for food intendedfor international trade In addition to the requirements specified in regulationsindustry often adopts procedures specific to their operations Prerequisite programmesmay include facilities supplier control specifications of raw materials ingredientspackaging materials and products equipment cleaning and sanitation personalhygiene training traceability and recall procedures pest control etc (NACMCF1997)

22 Traceability in the fish industry

According to ISO 90002000 traceability is defined as the ability to trace the historyapplication or location of that which is under consideration In terms of products itrelates to the origin of materials and parts the processing history and the distributionof the product after delivery (ISO 2000) In other words traceability means the abilityto trace and follow a food through all stages of production and distribution (Tall2001)

Two types of traceability can be identified internal and chain traceability Internal iswithin one company and relates to data about raw materials and processes to the finalproduct before it is delivered Chain traceability is focused on the information aboutthe product from one link in the chain to the next it describes what data aretransmitted and received and how (Tracefish 2001) Chain traceability is betweencompanies and countries and depends on the presence of internal traceability in eachlink (Olsen 2001)

The public confidence in food safety has been damaged by recent food scaresassociated with beef because of mouth and foot disease and BSE - mad cow diseasein cattle dioxin in fish meal and other This is driving the industry and governmentagencies to improve controls at all stages in the food chain (Tall 2001) Traceability isthen needed to meet food safety requirements especially in case of product recall forcommercial reasons to ensure supply chain standards and because it is required bylegislation relating to labelling animal health and welfare fish marketing fisheriescontrol and product liability and safety (Denton 2001)

The EU Fisheries Control Regulations demand a specific traceability system from thefishing grounds to the processors The EU Fish Marketing Regulations demand thatfrom 2002 much of the fish at retail sale (including wet fish) will have to be labelledwith its area of origin The proposed revision of the EU General Product SafetyDirective requires full traceability by 2003 including product recall systems The EUFood Law which is now under revision requires full traceability by 2004 (FQLM2001) The proposed new Regulation on the General Principles and Requirements of

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Food Law lays down the general food safety requirements Regarding traceability itestablishes the need for traceability at all stages of production and distribution It isproposed that food and feed business operators must identify their raw materialsuppliers and identify to whom they supply products (one up one down traceability)They must have systems to provide those data to the competent authorities label oridentify products to ensure traceability and withdraw and recall unsafe food from themarket (Tracefish 2001)

The fish industry trades globally in a vast range of species and products and is diversein comparison to other protein sources There are hundreds of different species of fishcaptured with different methods of catching handling and food safety requirements Awide range of live chilled frozen and value added fishery products are produced andtraded within the various distribution chains which also have their specialised foodhandling and food safety requirements There is a huge and complex internationaltrade in the raw materials and in primary and secondary processed products (Tracefish2001)

Although there are major structural differences between the chains for different typesof fish products and countries there is also a degree of commonality in informationrequirements These information requirements can be categorised as (Tracefish 2001)bull Fundamental to traceability Each food business has to collect and keep

information and make it available to the competent authorities and to other foodbusiness operators for the purpose of product withdrawal or recall

bull Specifically required information on the nature of the food and the operationsinvolved This is information required by law for particular purposes and must bemade available to the appropriate authorities

bull Commercially desirable information on the nature of the food and the operationsThis information can be requested by food business for different reasons such asethical environmental GMP quality assurance records raw material or productstandards and specifications etc

At present a lot of information is being recorded in the product information system ofthe processing and distribution chains Some of that information passes from one linkin the chain to the next either on the label or in the documents the rest is held by theproducer or the distributor To properly implement traceability it is necessary todefine the physical unit and batch A physical unit can be an individual large fish abox or a tub of fish a package case or pallet of products a freight container Thebatch can be a catching day production date a shipment etc The informationattached to the unit is to be the key to traceability ie the product number (code)production date and producers number makes it possible to trace the product to theproducer and look up the required information

Figure 1 is an example of the chain from catch to the consumer with the multiple linksand information flow If the information is available with all the data and a uniqueidentifier to label the batch at each link then the product can be traced

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Figure 1 Example of the chain and information flow for redfish caught and processedinto frozen fillets in Iceland and sold to Germany (Paacutelsson and Oacutelafsdoacutettir 2001)

A product can be traced either backward or forward Backward leads to the origin andhistory everything that went to a batch and depends on all links mappingidentification (ID) of output batches to ID of input batches Forward trace explainswhat happened to a certain batch all the processes and output batches that the batch inquestion went into Keeping track of batches and their properties is the key toimplementing chain traceability It means that we must record what batches we usewe must have the ability to access to their properties and we must relate input batchesand properties to the batches we make (Olsen 2001)

A step forward in the implementation of traceability will be the development of astandard for electronic transmission of data and information Because of increasinginformation demands from buyers and consumers it is no longer practical to transmitall the data physically along with the product A more sensible approach is to markeach package with a unique identifier and then transmit or extract all the relevantinformation electronically (Paacutelsson et al 2000) But so far it is common to use otherways like telephone e-mail and fax for communication between the links

23 Quality factors

Definitions of quality as applied to food products vary according to the authorDifferent qualities with respect to seafood include safety nutritional qualityavailability convenience and integrity and freshness quality (Bisogni et al 1987Botta 1995 Bremner 2000) The most important is seafood safety

Seafood quality is usually influenced by freshness or degree of spoilage of the rawmaterial or the product Freshness is considered as one of the most important factorsdetermining quality of fish (Soslashrensen 1992 Sakaguchi and Koike 1992 Botta 1995Oacutelafsdoacutettir 1997) Handling processing and storage techniques can also affect thequality of fish and fishery products as they can result in the occurrence of defects suchas bruises bloodstains trimming imperfections etc (Soslashrensen 1992 Valdimarsson1992)

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Many studies have been done on spoilage processes of fish stored in ice and frozenstorage considering a whole range of influencing factors which can affect the fishquality Among others these factors are related to fish species size and seasonalcondition fishing method handling processing technology time and temperaturedevelopment

231 Freshness parameters

Fish is a perishable commodity Upon death a series of natural changes start leadingto spoilage affecting the shelf life of the fish Freshness or the extent of spoilageduring storage under chilled conditions is the key determinant of the quality of fishand fishery products (Whittle et al 1990 Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) Shelf life of fish isdefined as the length of time it is fit for human consumption (Martinsdoacutettir et al2001) Spoilage due to microbial activity is the main limitation of the shelf life of icedor refrigerated fish

Off-odours and off-flavours slime formation gas production discoloration andchanges in texture are obvious signs of spoilage (Huss 1994) The development ofthese spoilage conditions in fish and fishery products is due to a combination ofchemical autolytic and microbiological changes but the spoilage rate can be reducedby taking preventive measures like icing or keeping a low temperature during storageAccording to Bonnell (1994) controlling the temperature of fish is perhaps the mostimportant element in the preservation of fresh fish The proper cooling of fish has anumber of advantages Firstly bacterial activity depends very much on temperaturethe closer it is to 0degC the slower the rate of bacterial spoilage Likewise enzymeactivity also decreases as temperature falls so the rate of autolytic spoilage issignificantly slowed Chemical spoilage or development of rancidity can be preventedby rapid handling onboard and storage of products under anaerobic conditions

A rise in product temperature accelerates deterioration and reduces quality If the rateof deterioration is known it should be possible to determine the quality at any time bycontinuously monitoring the time and temperature history of fish post mortem(Whittle et al 1990) A number of authors have attempted to derive simplemathematical relationships that provide an acceptable measure of deterioration in fishwith a known timetemperature history These relationships have been used inconjunction with timetemperature recording devices to monitor the deterioration ofquality in batches of fish Post mortem changes in electrical properties of fish skin andflesh are also used in determining the potential shelf life of whole fish but it is notuseful for frozen products (Whittle et al 1990 Huss 1995)

232 Defects

Sensory inspection of processed fish is used in fish industry to find defects that haveoccurred during handling and processing (Oehlenschlager 1997) These defects arewell described in the technical specifications for the products

Defects can be related to the condition of the fish flesh appearance which includescolour defects (bruises bloodspots) and dehydration workmanship defects such asimproper packaging and cutting and trimming imperfections scales bones foreign

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matters skin and black membrane and the size of fillets (USDC 1990) Evaluation ofdefects is widely used in control of processes and to grade fish for selling or buyingpurposes

24 Methods to evaluate fish freshness

Huss (1995) and Bonnell (1994) discuss the methods applied to evaluate the freshnessof fish which are divided in two categories sensory and instrumental techniquesInstrumental methods include biochemical and chemical microbiological andphysical Each of these methods measure different spoilage indicators in fish andfishery products Only through a combination of instrumental and sensory analysiscan optimal information on the product be obtained

241 Microbiological methods

The activity of microorganisms is the main factor limiting the shelf life of fresh fishThe aim of microbiological examinations is to evaluate the possible presence ofbacteria or organisms of public health significance and to give an impression of thehygienic quality of the fish This includes temperature abuse and hygiene duringhandling and processing (Huss 1995) An estimation of the total viable count (TVC) isused as an index in standards guidelines and specifications Specific spoilageorganisms (SSO) capable of producing hydrogen sulphide or reducing trimethylamineoxide (TMAO) are considered more useful to estimate spoilage and the remainingshelf life of fish and fishery products (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997)

242 Biochemical and chemical methods

Classical chemical methods for the analysis of total volatile bases (TVB) andtrimethylamine (TMA) are used for the determination of fish freshness (Oacutelafsdoacutettir etal 1997) TVB only reflect later stages of spoilage so it is not reliable for the firstdays of chilled storage of fish (Huss 1995) Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is anotherindicator of fish freshness The extent of ATP degradation is expressed as the K valuewhich is defined as the ratio of the sum of inosine and hypoxanthine concentrations tothe total concentration of ATP metabolites (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) There are othermethods related to lipid oxidation such as determination of peroxide thiobarbituricacid and iodine values

243 Physical methods

Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al (1997) describe physical methods based on changes in the electricproperties of the fish muscle Different devices are available to measure electricalproperties the Torrymeter the Fish tester and the RT-Freshness Grader but they canonly be used for fresh fish Changes of structure and colour also occur in the fishflesh Texturometers are used to measure the structural changes

Time-temperature indicators (TTI) are based on using some biological chemical orphysical processes that depend on time and temperature and can give informationabout the time-temperature history of the food All methods mentioned above provideinformation on parameters related to fish freshness but none of them alone is capableto determine whether a fish is fresh or not

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244 Sensory methods

Sensory evaluation is the most important method for assessing freshness and qualityof fish and fish products (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) Sensory methods offer a rapidand accurate measurement of perceived attributes providing information about foodSensory evaluation is defined as the scientific discipline used to evoke measureanalyse and interpret characteristics of food as perceived by the senses of sight smelltaste touch and hearing (Huss 1995 Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) Sensory tests can bedivided into three groups discriminative descriptive and affective The first two areanalytical tests in which a trained panel is used while the third are subjectiveconsumer tests based on a measure of preference or acceptance The most commonlyused descriptive tests are structured scaling for quality assessment and profiling for adetailed description of one or more attributes Sensory evaluation is currently the mostimportant method used for freshness evaluation in the fish sector

The most common sensory method used in Europe is the EU scheme (Oacutelafsdoacutettir etal 1997 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) in which three grades of freshness are establishedE A and B corresponding to various stages of spoilage Extra is the highest qualitywhile B is the level where fish is considered unfit for human consumption Thisscheme does not take into account differences between species because only generalparameters are used The Torry scheme a ten score system for the evaluation ofcooked fish is another method used for sensory evaluation of fish freshness

The Quality Index Method (QIM) is based on characteristic changes in raw fish thatoccur in the appearance of eyes skin and gills and odour and texture and a scoresystem from 0 to 3 demerit points (Bremner 1985 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) Thescores for all the attributes are summarised to give an overall sensory score theQuality Index which is then compared to a QIM calibration curve to establish therelative freshness in terms of storage (predicted) days in ice and to predict theremaining storage life (shelf life) The description of each score for each parameter islisted in the QIM scheme (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) The QIMand the schemes have been developed for several fish species eg cod haddockredfish herring saithe and shrimp In this study the QIM method is used in theevaluation of redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella)

3 FIELD STUDY AT UacuteTGERETHARFEacuteLAG AKUREYRAR (UacuteA)

The UacuteA Seafood Group in Akureyri was visited for a two weeks period fromNovember 18th to the 30th This company and in particular the parent company waschosen for the study knowing the fact that UacuteA Seafood Group is one of the leadingcompanies in Iceland operating fishing vessels and processing plants The companysrole is catching processing and selling a variety of high quality safe seafoodproducts

During the field study at UacuteA the documentation of the quality system was accessedand carefully studied The production and quality managers explained in situ theprocessing flow for the different products made from redfish and cod as well eventhough cod was not a part of this study The processing line was visited daily for abetter understanding of the process and the quality control

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It was studied how the information about the process and products is generated howthis information is transmitted along the chain and how it is recorded and stored forthe purposes of traceability This means that information is available to attendcustomer claims recall of products and also to verify the quality and handling of theproducts Data and information were collected from evaluations conducted and fromthe records stored in the companys system This will be presented in chapter 4

31 The structure of the company and main products

The group consists of the parent company and four subsidiaries Laugafiskur ltdspecialising in drying fish Joumlkull ltd concentrating on the processing of whole-frozen pelagic fish Hoacutelmadrangur ltd for shrimp processing and GPG Saltfish ltdspecialising in the production of splitted salted fish The parent company operatestrawlers and processes demersal fish either on shore or on board factory trawlers (UacuteA2001a) The main species harvested are cod (Gadus morhua) redfish (Smarinusmentella) Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) and prawns(Pandalus borealis) In 2000 the total catch of company vessels was 22689 tons (UacuteA2001c)

The main products of the group are frozen seafood and dried fish products The totalproduction of the company in 2000 was more than 17000 tons with a value of ISK53 billion Table 1 shows the production by speciesproduct

UacuteA operates a sales and marketing department which is responsible for the groupsales of fresh and frozen products The access to fresh fish allows the company tooffer high quality products supported by a quality assurance system based onHACCP which ensures product safety The biggest markets for the group are in theUSA and UK Other important markets are Germany Nigeria Japan and TaiwanFrance and Denmark (UacuteA 2001a)

Table 1 Volume of production of UacuteA Seafood Group in 2000 (UacuteA 2001b)

ProductSpecies tonsCod 6086Redfish 2833Haddock 287Saithe 177Greenland halibut 1232Capelin roe 248Shrimp in the shell 3224Cooked and peeled shrimp 1255Total frozen products 15342Stockfish 2215Total 17557

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The UacuteA parent company operates five fishing vessels and two land-based processingplants Three of the vessels are fresh fish trawlers supplying the factories in Akureyriand Greniviacutek one vessel is a freezing trawler for demersal fish and the fifth vessel isa shrimp-freezing trawler The fresh fish trawlers concentrate on the catching of cod(G morhua) haddock (Melanogammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) andsaithe (Pollachius virens) while the freezing trawlers focus on Greenland halibut (Rhippoglossoides) redfish (S marinusmentella) and shrimp (P borealis) (UacuteA 2001a)The UacuteA plant in Akureyri is one of the largest of its kind in the North Atlantic andspecialises in the processing of cod and redfish The plant in Greniviacutek is smaller andprocesses haddock saithe and cod

32 The quality system at UacuteA

The UacuteA Seafood company quality system was studied especially for redfish (Smarinusmentella) Data and information from the processing line was gatheredincluding information on the traceability system For effective quality and processcontrol the plant has implemented a quality system based on HACCP which isproperly described in the companys Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The handbookconsists of 19 sections The sections are listed in Table 2 and comments given onthose sections which are of particular relevance to the present study

33 Redfish processing

The redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella) is a temperate marine species inhabiting theNorth Atlantic ocean waters along the European and American coasts The twospecies of redfish ocean perch (S marinus) and deepwater redfish (S mentella) aredifficult to distinguish Ocean perch (S marinus) has a bright red skin and a chubbyshape it can attain a maximum length of 100 cm and weight up to 15 kg (Hureau andLitvinenko 1986) while deepwater redfish attains a maximum size of 55 cm Redfishis utilised fresh and frozen It is a good table fish with a firm and tasty flesh (Bykov1983) As a result of different storage studies it has been estimated that redfish kept inice at 0degC has a shelf life of 18 days granted that the fish was handled under goodmanufacturing practices on board the vessels (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001)

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Table 2 Sections of the quality handbook of the UacuteA fish processing company withcomments on some of them according to its relevance to the study

Section Comments1 Organogram of thecompany2 Managementresponsibilities3 Flow charts See Figure 1 and a description of the process4 HACCP (own check)system specified in theHACCP handbook

See Appendix 1

5 Preventive measures Includes training of the staff in personal hygiene and operating procedures6 Cleaning andsanitising

Includes all the procedures for cleaning and sanitation of equipment andfacilities and the checklist

7 Quality policy The aim of UacuteA is to produce products of high quality and to be a leadingcompany in quality issues in the market

71 Description of finalproduct

Frozen and fresh products from cod (Gadus morhua) haddock(Melanogrammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) and otherspecies The fish is either whole or fillets skin-on or skin-less trimmedAll products are processed according to specifications required by thebuyers packed for retail or catering or for further processing (blocks) Allthe products should be cooked before consumption

8 Records Most of the data are recorded in computers using software from NavisionFinancial and Marel Every record or form should be filled accurately withall the information required and must have the date and signature of theperson responsible

9 Verification of thesystem

It can be by daily inspection on a regular basis or by audit The audit iscarried out 4 times a year Once per year the Directorate of Fisheriesperforms a verification

10 Marking andtraceability

All individual packages should be labelled with plant number andproduction date according to the rules of day coding as stated in theQuality Handbook Detailed information about marking master cases andpallets is in the Quality Handbook To trace the product it has to be labelledwith processing number (plant number) origin lot number EU plantnumber Also information about catch production and stock should beavailable

11 Recall system In case of something going wrong and a product has to be withdrawn orrecalled the Production Manager should take the appropriate actions andinform the inspection authority who decides what to do with the product

12 Claims andcomplaints13 Record keeping All records including those of traceability are stored for a minimum of two

years14 Sanitary andorhealth certification ofwater ice fishemployees

For certification samples should be taken and sent for analysis Frequencyfor water - once a year ice - once per month fish - 5 or 6 samples weekly

15 Personal hygiene All the employees and persons who enter the processing plant shouldfollow the rules set for personal hygiene The Quality Manager isresponsible to look after this

16 Microbiologicalguidelines

Good Defective RejectTPC 30degC 150 000 150 000 - 350 000 gt350 000Coliforms MPNg lt100 100 - 200 gt200E Coli MPNg 03 03 - 04 gt04Listeria in 25 g Negative Positive

17 Calibration18 Forms used19 Layout

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331 Flow chart and description of redfish fillets production

Frozen redfish fillets are produced following the operations presented in Figure 2 Theraw material entering the process can be whole ungutted fresh fish or frozen at sea(FAS) fillets

whole ungutted redfishReceiving raw material

Cooler

Washing

FilletingSkinning

Trimming Trimming Cooler tanks Flowline Express line

fillets (FAS)Frozen storage Weighing

PackingUnpacking Breading

Plate freezers IQF freezer Size gradingSize grading

Glazing Glazing Batter and breading

Weighing Size grading IQF freezer

Packing Metal detector Weighing PackingWeighing

Packing Casing Labelling

Palletising

Frozen storage

Shipping

Figure 2 Flow chart for frozen redfish fillets processing modified from the flow chartfor fish processing in the Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The shaded boxes in the chartrepresent the CCPs the symbol indicates the CPs along the processing line

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Receiving raw materialCooler From the fresh fish trawlers fish is received wholeungutted washed properly and iced in plastic tubs 460 litres capacity labelled withthe catching day Temperature in the cooler is kept at 0 to 4degCFrozen at sea (FAS) fillets are received and kept in frozen storage at ndash20 to ndash24degC

Washing The plastic tubs with fish are emptied into a hopper with sloping steelconveyor belt with fresh iced water The fish is washed there before grading intosizes There is a steady overflow of fresh water in the hopperAll fish entering to process in the same day is considered a batch A batch usuallyincludes several catching days from one vessel and rarely from different vessels

Filleting and skinning After grading the fish is filleted and skinned in the Baadermachines

Trimming The fillets enter the so-called express line where the quantity depends onthe infection rate by the copepod parasite Sphyrion lumpi If the fillets are free of thisparasite then the fillets go through a faster trimming process If the fillets need morecareful trimming for example because of parasite infection or because the filletshould be free of pin bones they are sent directly to the traditional trimming flow lineAfter trimming the fillets can go directly to the Individually Quick Frozen (IQF)freezer they can be pumped to cooler tanks where the fillets are iced properly forstorage at temperature around 05degC or they can be sent to produce fillet blocks

Weighing and packing Blocks Fillets blocks are packed directly into carton boxesThe cartons are labelled according to specifications with production date plantnumber product number and origin The packed products are placed into freezingpans or block frames The freezing pans are placed into racks

Plate freezers and depanning The freezing pans are taken from the racks and putinto the plate freezers Freezing time is usually 25-3 hours or until the coretemperature has reached ndash24degC at minimum After freezing the cartons are depanned

IQF fillets IQF freezerglazingFillets are placed on in-feed conveyor belt for the IQF freezer The core temperaturemust reach at least ndash24degC After leaving the IQF freezer the fillets are sprayed withpotable water to reach desirable glaze percentage if required

Breading A part of the redfish fillets either frozen at sea (FAS) or IQF frozen in theplant are breaded in a special batter and breading line The fillets are arranged on anin-feed conveyor belt where they are covered with batter that is continuously renewedand then the battered fillets are automatically covered with breadcrumbs Then thebreaded fillets enter an IQF freezer From there the fillets are transferred to thepacking area

IQF size gradingWeighingPacking Size grading is automatic Weighing can beeither automatic or manual The retail bags are closed by heat sealing codedaccording to specifications and passed through a metal detector Other IQF productsare put into plastic bag inside of a master case and closed with a tape

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Casing labelling and palletising The cartons are packed in master cases taped orclosed with plastic straps and labelled according to specifications Master cases arestacked on pallets and strapped with plastic and labelled IQF products other thanretail packs are already in master cases and are therefore only labelled and palletisedat this stage

Frozen storage Palletised products are placed immediately into frozen storage at amaximum temperature of ndash24degC

Shipping Palletised product is taken directly from frozen storage to freezercontainers at ndash24degC

Specific operational procedures for each product are detailed on productspecifications

34 HACCP (own check) system of the company

The HACCP system also called own check system is fully described in the HACCPhandbook (UacuteA 1999) A scheme of the system is presented in Appendix 1 TheHACCP analysis and the HACCP plan are shown in Appendices 2 and 3 respectively

Control points are established to monitor both product and process in the own checksystem of the plant These points are located in the reception area after trimmingfreezing in casinglabellingpalletising after battering and breading for breadedproducts and finally in weighingpacking operation in IQF products At each controlpoint samples are taken and evaluated according to the specifications and proceduresQuality and processing parameters controlled are well described in Appendix 1

Temperature is monitored in every step of the process including frozen storage offinal products All the information generated is recorded electronically or in thecorresponding form for each operation or product

35 Labelling and traceability in the fish processing plant

From the moment the fish is brought on board the vessel information is generated andrecorded until the product reaches the end customer Part of the information will betransmitted from one link to the next attached to the unit The rest will remain in thelink for internal use and will be accessible if necessary Most of the informationoriginates in the catching and processing links

Redfish fillets blocks were chosen in our study as an example to illustrate theinformation recorded during each step of the processing and distribution chain First itis necessary to identify batches and units within the chain (See Table 3)

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Table 3 Identification of batches and units in the processing and distribution chain forfrozen redfish fillets blocks exported to Europe

Step Batch UnitsCatching Catching day TubProduction Production day Cartons palletTransport to carrier Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerStorage at carrier (Eimskip) Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerTransport at sea (Eimskip) Shipment Pallet container kg or tonExport company (IFPC SIF) An order or shipment Pallet container kg or tonCustoms Shipment Kg tonDirectorate of Fisheries Catch - Fishing trip

Export - ShipmentPallet container kg or ton

Note IFPC is the abbreviation of Icelandic Freezing Plants Corporation

Figure 3 is a simple illustration of the chain for frozen redfish fillets blocks producedat UacuteA fish processing company and exported to Europe Major export companies forUacuteA fish products are IFPC and the SIF Group The shipping company is EIMSKIPwhich stores the product in frozen storage and freights it to Europe

Directorate of Fisheries Export company Customs

UacuteA Transport Shipping BuyerCatch Production company company

Figure 3 Scheme of production and distribution chain for frozen redfish fillets blocksexported to Europe showing the entities involved and the transmission ofinformation

UacuteA receives the raw material to be processed in the plant from its own fishing vesselsThe information about the catch and finished products sent for export is given to theDirectorate of Fisheries Information is transmitted between UacuteA and the exportcompany about the fish products available for export At the request of UacuteA thetransport company freights the product to frozen storage at the carrier (EIMSKIP)The export company interacts with the shipping company and the buyer in Europeregarding shipments The export company also provides the information requested bycustoms about shipment of products The information registered in each step ispresented in Figure 4

Part of the information is printed out on a label attached to the unit and transmitted tothe next link in the production and distribution chain This information variesaccording to the product type and packaging Table 4 shows this information forfrozen redfish fillets blocks

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Catching ProcessingVessel name Information from catch Information from productionFishing trip number Vessel name Name of productTime of catch Fishing trip number Origin of raw materialFishing area Fishing area Plant numberFishing gear Fish species EU authorisation numberQuantity in a haul Units per catching day Product numbercodeHauling time Condition of fish Production datelot numberFish species Weight of fish Best before dateQuantity of fish (tubs) Icefish ratio WeightOther parameters Other parameters Temperature

Quality and processingparametersSensory evaluation resultsMicrobiological results

Transport and storage Export companyProducers name Product name andCarrier name numberExporter name EU author numberProduct name andnumber

Producers name andnumber

Pallet number Origin of the productTemperature during Order numbertransport and storage Shipment numberContainer number Invoice numberDates and places when Customs id numberreceived and delivered Name of buyer

Addresses

Customs Directorate of FisheriesFish species Information about catch Information about exportsProduct name and Species Speciesdescription Vessel name and Product name andOrigin of the product number descriptionDestination Date and place of Producers name

landing Country of destinationQuantity Carrier name

Departure dateQuantity

Figure 4 Information registered at each step in the chain for frozen redfish filletsblocks

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Table 4 Information provided in the label for frozen redfish fillets blocks exported toEuropeStep Unit Information attachedCatch Tub Catching dayProduction Case

Pallet

Production datelot numberPlant numberOriginEU authorisation numberPallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOrigin

Transport and storage Pallet container Pallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOriginContainer number

351 Example of the chain (Catch-Processing-Transport) for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Using the information collected during the field study an example of how the productcan be traced back and forward is illustrated in Figure 5 Starting with the catch rawmaterial from 6 catching days went to a new batch fishing trip 23 from the fishingtrawler Hardbakur The fish from this batch was processed in three differentproduction days or batches corresponding to September 26 27 and 28 productiondates as shown in the figure Product processed on September 26 was palletised inthree pallets that were finally transported as units of a new batch to storage at theshipping company to be exported to Europe Once the fish has entered to theprocessing line it is not longer possible to identify the catching day

BATCH BATCH BATCH BATCHCatching days Fishing trip Production date Pallet number Container number

72583

2609 72633110

726356 catching days Hardbakur 23 2709

Vessel 72672

2809 72704

Figure 5 Example of catch-production-transport links for frozen redfish filletsprocessed in UacuteA showing the different batches identifiers in each step

Catch Production Transport

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4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH

41 Introduction

Quality evaluation of fish is one of the most important aspects to be considered in thequality system of a fish processing plant The field study carried out at UacuteA provided agood opportunity to perform evaluations using the information available in the plantand taking samples to conduct the analysis thus gaining skills and experience

42 Materials and methods

Evaluation of raw material and fillets were carried out based on the quality system ofthe company Moreover sensory evaluation of the raw material using the QIM wasdone on samples from one fishing trip (November 21-27) of the vessel Arbakur

421 Evaluation of raw material

At UacuteA every batch of fish is evaluated at the moment of landing and reception in theplant A batch in this case is the fish of the same species from all the catch of onefishing trip The samples are taken randomly from different catching days andevaluated using the form shown in Table 5 This form includes the vessels name thenumber of the fishing trip and date of evaluation Once the evaluation has been carriedout a new form is filled with the final scores given to the parameters checked Theseresults are valid for the whole fishing trip (batch) A five score scheme is used Fishwith score 2 or less is unsuitable for processing

Information about the redfish received from the vessels for a period one month fromSeptember 23rd to October 24th was accessed and analysed Whole ungutted redfishfrom 8 batches was evaluated looking at the handling on board weight of fish and icewashing how the fish was aligned in the tub and icing ie fish-ice layers and icefishratio The data was recorded (Appendix 4) and analysed using the principalcomponent analysis technique (PCA) in Unscrambler (Camo Norway)

Table 5 Form for the evaluation of raw material (redfish) in the reception area

Ice

Cat

chin

g da

y

Spec

ies

Top

Mid

dle

Bot

tom

Ave

rage

Alig

nmen

t of

fishe

s in

tub

Was

hing

Oth

er sp

ecie

s

No

of f

ishe

s in

sam

ple

No

of d

efec

ts

Net

to k

g

Ice

kg

Bru

tto k

g

Ice

Fish

Con

tam

inat

ion

422 Evaluation of fillets

After trimming a random sample of fish fillets are checked for defects in appearance(bones parasites bloodspots bruises black membrane) Colour and smell are

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evaluated on a scale from 2 to 5 In this study data collection and evaluation werecarried out for redfish fillets after trimming

Data from the quality system on evaluation of fish fillets after trimming were studiedInformation was collected from ten processing days starting from September 26th toOctober 18th The raw material came from eight fishing trips of the three vessels thatthe company owns The data were recorded as shown in Table 7

423 Quality Index Method

Sensory evaluation of raw material using the QIM method was conducted underprocessing conditions as part of this study A batch consisting of three catching daysfrom one vessels fishing trip was sampled taking five samples from each catchingday The fishing trip in this case was 6 days long The samples came from the secondfourth and sixth catching days it means that they had been in ice for six four and twodays respectively (Table 8) The scores for each parameter were determined byconsensus of the two untrained assessors evaluating fish the author of this report andthe inspector in the reception area in the plant

43 Results and discussion431 Raw material

The current evaluation of raw material (redfish) mainly focuses on handlingparameters as shown in the form in Table 5 and in Appendix 4

PCA was done to study the main trend in the data set from evaluation of raw materialin the reception area This technique allows the analysis of different variables at thesame time In this evaluation the useful information is icing icefish ratio andcatching day Figure 6 shows two main grouping of the data which mean that sampleswith parameters of similar values are correlated PC1 explains 75 of the variation inthe data and is mainly giving information about the amount of icing which appears tobe related to the catching days Samples located on the right side of the plot aremainly from catching days 6 7 and 8 while those on the left side are from days 1 2and 3 The position of the samples with missing catching day on the plot gives an ideaof their catching day because they have similar values as those samples located closeto them One outlier (Arb 26-1) is observed at the bottom left side of the figureLooking in Appendix 4 we find that it corresponded to a tub of fish with a score of 1for icing This tub was overloaded with fish so the quantity of ice was insufficient tocool the fish properly Another outlier (Kaldb 23-2) is on the top right side of thefigure In this case the quantity of ice was more than the necessary

Current evaluation of redfish in the plant is focused on handling parameters There isno regular evaluation of freshness attributes of fish There may be two main reasonsfor this one is that the raw material is received from their own vessels The otherreason is that each tub of fish is labelled with the catching day which means that thedays fish has been in ice are known so the freshness of fish and the remaining shelflife can be determined

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-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

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trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

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Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

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5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

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Bisogni C A Ryan G J and Regenstein J M 1987 What is fish quality Can weincorporate consumer perceptions In Kramer D E and Liston J eds SeafoodQuality Determination Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Bonnell A D 1994 Quality Assurance in Seafood Processing A Practical GuideNew York London Chapman amp Hall

Botta J R 1995 Evaluation of seafood freshness quality New York VCHPublishers Inc

Bremner H A 1985 A convenient easy-to-use system for estimating the quality ofchilled seafood In Scott D N and Summers C eds Proceedings of the FishProcessing Conference Nelson New Zealand 23-25 April 1985 Fish ProcessingBulletin 759-70

Bremner H A 2000 Toward Practical Definitions of Quality for Food ScienceCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 40(1)83-90

Bykov B P 1983 Marine fishes Chemical composition and processing propertiesAmerind Publishing co PVT Ltd New Delhi [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Codex Alimentarius Commission- Joint FAOWHO Food Standards Programme1997 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and guidelinesfor its application Annex to CACRCP 1-1969 Rev 3 1997

Cuba Ministry of Fishery Industry (MIP) 2000 Cuban fishing industry in 1999[21082001] httpwww2cubamarcupescaipescahtm

Denton W 2001 Introduction to the Captured Fish Standard Traceability of FishProducts (Tracefish) EC-CA QLK1-2000-00164 [24122001]httpwwwtracefishorg

European Economic Community (EEC) 1994 Commission Decision 94356EC of 20May 1994 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive91493EEC as regards own health checks on fishery products Official Journal Ndeg L156 23061994

European Economic Community (EEC) 1991 Council Directive 91493 EEC of 22 ofJuly laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on themarket of fishery products Official Journal NdegL268 240991

European Commission Concerted Action on Fish Quality Labelling and MonitoringFAIR PL 98-4174 (FQLM) 2001 The Practical Problems to be overcome in thevessels ports and auction sectors in order to provide the quality information requiredfor the marketing of fish Working document for the FQLM Workshop Amsterdam[05122001] httpwwwfqlmnl

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Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 1995 21 CFR Parts 123 and 124 Proceduresfor the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery ProductsFinal Rule

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2001 HACCP A State-of-the-art Approach toFood Safety [08122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagov~lrdbghaccphtml

Hernaacutendez Torres D 2000 Role of government in HACCP audit a Cubanperspective Food Control 11 (5)365-369

Hureau J-C and Litvinenko N I 1986 Scorpaenidae In Whitehead P J PBauchot M-L Hureau J-C Nielsen J and Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of theNorth-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean UNESCO Paris Vol 3 [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Huss H H 1994 Assurance of Seafood Quality FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No348 RomeFAO

Huss H H 1995 Quality and quality changes on fresh fish FAO Fisheries TechnicalPaper No 334 Rome FAO

Iceland Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) Mission - Objectives[18122001]httpwwwfiskistofaisdirfishadminqualityhtml

International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2000 International Standard ISO90002000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

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Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

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APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

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ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 4: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 4

quantity and high quality products To be competitive these countries also need toadopt and implement quality management systems based on HACCP and in the nearfuture be able to have an effective system for traceability of the products they areexporting

In the last decades Cuba has been exporting seafood products to different countries inEurope Asia and Canada Main products are processed lobster and shrimp withprofits from exports in 1999 contributing nearly USD 200 million to the countryseconomy (MIP 2000) Forty fishery establishments are engaged in fish and shellfishprocessing of which 14 are certified for export (Hernaacutendez-Torres 2000)

In 1992 the Cuban fisheries industry began HACCP implementation to meet therequirements of its major export markets and to put inspection and quality controlactivities in line with those taking place worldwide (Hernaacutendez-Torres 2000)According to Resolution No 3441996 of the Minister of Fisheries Industry it ismandatory for seafood processors and trading companies to put a quality systembased on HACCP into operation (Hernaacutendez-Torres 2000) All the factories producingfor export and most of those producing for the domestic market in Cuba have anappropriate quality system However problems have been observed when assessingHACCP They include different approaches to identifying Critical Control Points(CCP) defining critical limits and badly documented monitoring procedures Lack offloor staff training in applying corrective actions in case of deviations of critical limitshas also been observed as well as corrective actions that are not appropriate toeliminate causes giving rise to deviations

A field study to investigate the quality system the traceability of products and qualitymonitoring in an Icelandic company is a practical experience which will be helpful infuture work in Cuba This experience will be valuable and useful to promote theimprovement of quality systems in the fisheries sector in Cuba and especially inproduct traceability issues

The main objectives are

diams Study the quality system of the fish processing company UacuteA for redfish (Sebastesmarinusmentella) focusing on processing operations and quality control

diams Study traceability throughout the process from catch until final productDefinition and labelling of batches in the whole chain

The field study in UacuteA fish processing plant gives an opportunity to study sensoryevaluation of fish First it is important because it is a way to check in practice thiscritical aspect in the own check system and secondly to improve and acquire newskills especially in applying a new sensory method the Quality Index Method(QIM) From the above mentioned comes the third objectivediams Sensory evaluation of raw material and final product to compare and see how this

is related to processing and quality parameters recorded in the quality system

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 5

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

21 HACCP based quality system

HACCP is a management system in which food safety is addressed through theanalysis and control of biological chemical and physical hazards from the rawmaterial to processing distribution and consumption of the finished product(NACMCF 1997) It was developed nearly 30 years ago by the Pillsbury Companyworking together with the National Atmospheric and Space Agency (NASA) in USAwith the objective of finding a method to provide safe food for astronauts The systemfocuses on preventing hazards that could cause food-borne illnesses by applyingcontrols to the production line from raw material to the finished products (FDA2001)

HACCP is a tool to assess hazards and establish control systems that focus onprevention rather than relying on end-product testing Implementation of HACCPenhances food safety and promotes trade by increasing confidence in safe foods(Codex 1997)

Before the application of HACCP principles (EEC 1994 FDA 2001) the followingtasks should be carried out

bull Assembling of the HACCP team involving experts from production qualityassurance engineering and product development areas It could also be useful to haverepresentatives from other areasbull Product description and intended use Includes principal raw materials processtechnologies used storage conditions and shelf life This is particularly important ifthe product is intended for especially vulnerable groups of the population such asinfants or ill peoplebull Process flow diagram It should cover all the steps in the process from rawmaterial through to distribution Such flow chart is the basis of the hazard analysisbull On-site verification of the flow diagram The HACCP team should check theoperation against the flow diagram during all stages and hours of operation and makethe amendments where appropriate

The seven principles of HACCP are the following (EEC 1994 Huss 1994 FDA1995)1 Conduct a hazard analysis Potential hazards associated with food and preventive

measures to control those hazards2 Identify Critical Control Points (CCP) A CCP is an operation (practice

procedure process or location) at which a preventive or control measure willeliminate prevent or minimise one or several hazards

3 Establish critical limits for each preventive measure at a CCP4 Establish CCP monitoring procedures Include what is to be checked when how

and by whom5 Establish what corrective actions are to be taken when monitoring shows that a

critical limit has been exceeded6 Establish verification procedures to verify that the HACCP system is working

correctly7 Establish an effective record keeping system to document the HACCP system

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 6

Records need to be kept as evidence that the system has been working correctly (Huss1994) They are useful for trend analysis which can be used for monitoring andmaking the system more effective

HACCP is not a system that stands alone it is supported by other programmes knownas prerequisites (NACMCF 1997) such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) andStandard Sanitation Operational Procedures (SSOP) Prerequisite programmesprovide the basic environmental and operating conditions that are necessary for theproduction of safe wholesome food The Codex Alimentarius General Principles ofFood Hygiene describe the basic conditions and practices expected for food intendedfor international trade In addition to the requirements specified in regulationsindustry often adopts procedures specific to their operations Prerequisite programmesmay include facilities supplier control specifications of raw materials ingredientspackaging materials and products equipment cleaning and sanitation personalhygiene training traceability and recall procedures pest control etc (NACMCF1997)

22 Traceability in the fish industry

According to ISO 90002000 traceability is defined as the ability to trace the historyapplication or location of that which is under consideration In terms of products itrelates to the origin of materials and parts the processing history and the distributionof the product after delivery (ISO 2000) In other words traceability means the abilityto trace and follow a food through all stages of production and distribution (Tall2001)

Two types of traceability can be identified internal and chain traceability Internal iswithin one company and relates to data about raw materials and processes to the finalproduct before it is delivered Chain traceability is focused on the information aboutthe product from one link in the chain to the next it describes what data aretransmitted and received and how (Tracefish 2001) Chain traceability is betweencompanies and countries and depends on the presence of internal traceability in eachlink (Olsen 2001)

The public confidence in food safety has been damaged by recent food scaresassociated with beef because of mouth and foot disease and BSE - mad cow diseasein cattle dioxin in fish meal and other This is driving the industry and governmentagencies to improve controls at all stages in the food chain (Tall 2001) Traceability isthen needed to meet food safety requirements especially in case of product recall forcommercial reasons to ensure supply chain standards and because it is required bylegislation relating to labelling animal health and welfare fish marketing fisheriescontrol and product liability and safety (Denton 2001)

The EU Fisheries Control Regulations demand a specific traceability system from thefishing grounds to the processors The EU Fish Marketing Regulations demand thatfrom 2002 much of the fish at retail sale (including wet fish) will have to be labelledwith its area of origin The proposed revision of the EU General Product SafetyDirective requires full traceability by 2003 including product recall systems The EUFood Law which is now under revision requires full traceability by 2004 (FQLM2001) The proposed new Regulation on the General Principles and Requirements of

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 7

Food Law lays down the general food safety requirements Regarding traceability itestablishes the need for traceability at all stages of production and distribution It isproposed that food and feed business operators must identify their raw materialsuppliers and identify to whom they supply products (one up one down traceability)They must have systems to provide those data to the competent authorities label oridentify products to ensure traceability and withdraw and recall unsafe food from themarket (Tracefish 2001)

The fish industry trades globally in a vast range of species and products and is diversein comparison to other protein sources There are hundreds of different species of fishcaptured with different methods of catching handling and food safety requirements Awide range of live chilled frozen and value added fishery products are produced andtraded within the various distribution chains which also have their specialised foodhandling and food safety requirements There is a huge and complex internationaltrade in the raw materials and in primary and secondary processed products (Tracefish2001)

Although there are major structural differences between the chains for different typesof fish products and countries there is also a degree of commonality in informationrequirements These information requirements can be categorised as (Tracefish 2001)bull Fundamental to traceability Each food business has to collect and keep

information and make it available to the competent authorities and to other foodbusiness operators for the purpose of product withdrawal or recall

bull Specifically required information on the nature of the food and the operationsinvolved This is information required by law for particular purposes and must bemade available to the appropriate authorities

bull Commercially desirable information on the nature of the food and the operationsThis information can be requested by food business for different reasons such asethical environmental GMP quality assurance records raw material or productstandards and specifications etc

At present a lot of information is being recorded in the product information system ofthe processing and distribution chains Some of that information passes from one linkin the chain to the next either on the label or in the documents the rest is held by theproducer or the distributor To properly implement traceability it is necessary todefine the physical unit and batch A physical unit can be an individual large fish abox or a tub of fish a package case or pallet of products a freight container Thebatch can be a catching day production date a shipment etc The informationattached to the unit is to be the key to traceability ie the product number (code)production date and producers number makes it possible to trace the product to theproducer and look up the required information

Figure 1 is an example of the chain from catch to the consumer with the multiple linksand information flow If the information is available with all the data and a uniqueidentifier to label the batch at each link then the product can be traced

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 8

Figure 1 Example of the chain and information flow for redfish caught and processedinto frozen fillets in Iceland and sold to Germany (Paacutelsson and Oacutelafsdoacutettir 2001)

A product can be traced either backward or forward Backward leads to the origin andhistory everything that went to a batch and depends on all links mappingidentification (ID) of output batches to ID of input batches Forward trace explainswhat happened to a certain batch all the processes and output batches that the batch inquestion went into Keeping track of batches and their properties is the key toimplementing chain traceability It means that we must record what batches we usewe must have the ability to access to their properties and we must relate input batchesand properties to the batches we make (Olsen 2001)

A step forward in the implementation of traceability will be the development of astandard for electronic transmission of data and information Because of increasinginformation demands from buyers and consumers it is no longer practical to transmitall the data physically along with the product A more sensible approach is to markeach package with a unique identifier and then transmit or extract all the relevantinformation electronically (Paacutelsson et al 2000) But so far it is common to use otherways like telephone e-mail and fax for communication between the links

23 Quality factors

Definitions of quality as applied to food products vary according to the authorDifferent qualities with respect to seafood include safety nutritional qualityavailability convenience and integrity and freshness quality (Bisogni et al 1987Botta 1995 Bremner 2000) The most important is seafood safety

Seafood quality is usually influenced by freshness or degree of spoilage of the rawmaterial or the product Freshness is considered as one of the most important factorsdetermining quality of fish (Soslashrensen 1992 Sakaguchi and Koike 1992 Botta 1995Oacutelafsdoacutettir 1997) Handling processing and storage techniques can also affect thequality of fish and fishery products as they can result in the occurrence of defects suchas bruises bloodstains trimming imperfections etc (Soslashrensen 1992 Valdimarsson1992)

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 9

Many studies have been done on spoilage processes of fish stored in ice and frozenstorage considering a whole range of influencing factors which can affect the fishquality Among others these factors are related to fish species size and seasonalcondition fishing method handling processing technology time and temperaturedevelopment

231 Freshness parameters

Fish is a perishable commodity Upon death a series of natural changes start leadingto spoilage affecting the shelf life of the fish Freshness or the extent of spoilageduring storage under chilled conditions is the key determinant of the quality of fishand fishery products (Whittle et al 1990 Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) Shelf life of fish isdefined as the length of time it is fit for human consumption (Martinsdoacutettir et al2001) Spoilage due to microbial activity is the main limitation of the shelf life of icedor refrigerated fish

Off-odours and off-flavours slime formation gas production discoloration andchanges in texture are obvious signs of spoilage (Huss 1994) The development ofthese spoilage conditions in fish and fishery products is due to a combination ofchemical autolytic and microbiological changes but the spoilage rate can be reducedby taking preventive measures like icing or keeping a low temperature during storageAccording to Bonnell (1994) controlling the temperature of fish is perhaps the mostimportant element in the preservation of fresh fish The proper cooling of fish has anumber of advantages Firstly bacterial activity depends very much on temperaturethe closer it is to 0degC the slower the rate of bacterial spoilage Likewise enzymeactivity also decreases as temperature falls so the rate of autolytic spoilage issignificantly slowed Chemical spoilage or development of rancidity can be preventedby rapid handling onboard and storage of products under anaerobic conditions

A rise in product temperature accelerates deterioration and reduces quality If the rateof deterioration is known it should be possible to determine the quality at any time bycontinuously monitoring the time and temperature history of fish post mortem(Whittle et al 1990) A number of authors have attempted to derive simplemathematical relationships that provide an acceptable measure of deterioration in fishwith a known timetemperature history These relationships have been used inconjunction with timetemperature recording devices to monitor the deterioration ofquality in batches of fish Post mortem changes in electrical properties of fish skin andflesh are also used in determining the potential shelf life of whole fish but it is notuseful for frozen products (Whittle et al 1990 Huss 1995)

232 Defects

Sensory inspection of processed fish is used in fish industry to find defects that haveoccurred during handling and processing (Oehlenschlager 1997) These defects arewell described in the technical specifications for the products

Defects can be related to the condition of the fish flesh appearance which includescolour defects (bruises bloodspots) and dehydration workmanship defects such asimproper packaging and cutting and trimming imperfections scales bones foreign

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 10

matters skin and black membrane and the size of fillets (USDC 1990) Evaluation ofdefects is widely used in control of processes and to grade fish for selling or buyingpurposes

24 Methods to evaluate fish freshness

Huss (1995) and Bonnell (1994) discuss the methods applied to evaluate the freshnessof fish which are divided in two categories sensory and instrumental techniquesInstrumental methods include biochemical and chemical microbiological andphysical Each of these methods measure different spoilage indicators in fish andfishery products Only through a combination of instrumental and sensory analysiscan optimal information on the product be obtained

241 Microbiological methods

The activity of microorganisms is the main factor limiting the shelf life of fresh fishThe aim of microbiological examinations is to evaluate the possible presence ofbacteria or organisms of public health significance and to give an impression of thehygienic quality of the fish This includes temperature abuse and hygiene duringhandling and processing (Huss 1995) An estimation of the total viable count (TVC) isused as an index in standards guidelines and specifications Specific spoilageorganisms (SSO) capable of producing hydrogen sulphide or reducing trimethylamineoxide (TMAO) are considered more useful to estimate spoilage and the remainingshelf life of fish and fishery products (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997)

242 Biochemical and chemical methods

Classical chemical methods for the analysis of total volatile bases (TVB) andtrimethylamine (TMA) are used for the determination of fish freshness (Oacutelafsdoacutettir etal 1997) TVB only reflect later stages of spoilage so it is not reliable for the firstdays of chilled storage of fish (Huss 1995) Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is anotherindicator of fish freshness The extent of ATP degradation is expressed as the K valuewhich is defined as the ratio of the sum of inosine and hypoxanthine concentrations tothe total concentration of ATP metabolites (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) There are othermethods related to lipid oxidation such as determination of peroxide thiobarbituricacid and iodine values

243 Physical methods

Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al (1997) describe physical methods based on changes in the electricproperties of the fish muscle Different devices are available to measure electricalproperties the Torrymeter the Fish tester and the RT-Freshness Grader but they canonly be used for fresh fish Changes of structure and colour also occur in the fishflesh Texturometers are used to measure the structural changes

Time-temperature indicators (TTI) are based on using some biological chemical orphysical processes that depend on time and temperature and can give informationabout the time-temperature history of the food All methods mentioned above provideinformation on parameters related to fish freshness but none of them alone is capableto determine whether a fish is fresh or not

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244 Sensory methods

Sensory evaluation is the most important method for assessing freshness and qualityof fish and fish products (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) Sensory methods offer a rapidand accurate measurement of perceived attributes providing information about foodSensory evaluation is defined as the scientific discipline used to evoke measureanalyse and interpret characteristics of food as perceived by the senses of sight smelltaste touch and hearing (Huss 1995 Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) Sensory tests can bedivided into three groups discriminative descriptive and affective The first two areanalytical tests in which a trained panel is used while the third are subjectiveconsumer tests based on a measure of preference or acceptance The most commonlyused descriptive tests are structured scaling for quality assessment and profiling for adetailed description of one or more attributes Sensory evaluation is currently the mostimportant method used for freshness evaluation in the fish sector

The most common sensory method used in Europe is the EU scheme (Oacutelafsdoacutettir etal 1997 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) in which three grades of freshness are establishedE A and B corresponding to various stages of spoilage Extra is the highest qualitywhile B is the level where fish is considered unfit for human consumption Thisscheme does not take into account differences between species because only generalparameters are used The Torry scheme a ten score system for the evaluation ofcooked fish is another method used for sensory evaluation of fish freshness

The Quality Index Method (QIM) is based on characteristic changes in raw fish thatoccur in the appearance of eyes skin and gills and odour and texture and a scoresystem from 0 to 3 demerit points (Bremner 1985 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) Thescores for all the attributes are summarised to give an overall sensory score theQuality Index which is then compared to a QIM calibration curve to establish therelative freshness in terms of storage (predicted) days in ice and to predict theremaining storage life (shelf life) The description of each score for each parameter islisted in the QIM scheme (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) The QIMand the schemes have been developed for several fish species eg cod haddockredfish herring saithe and shrimp In this study the QIM method is used in theevaluation of redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella)

3 FIELD STUDY AT UacuteTGERETHARFEacuteLAG AKUREYRAR (UacuteA)

The UacuteA Seafood Group in Akureyri was visited for a two weeks period fromNovember 18th to the 30th This company and in particular the parent company waschosen for the study knowing the fact that UacuteA Seafood Group is one of the leadingcompanies in Iceland operating fishing vessels and processing plants The companysrole is catching processing and selling a variety of high quality safe seafoodproducts

During the field study at UacuteA the documentation of the quality system was accessedand carefully studied The production and quality managers explained in situ theprocessing flow for the different products made from redfish and cod as well eventhough cod was not a part of this study The processing line was visited daily for abetter understanding of the process and the quality control

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It was studied how the information about the process and products is generated howthis information is transmitted along the chain and how it is recorded and stored forthe purposes of traceability This means that information is available to attendcustomer claims recall of products and also to verify the quality and handling of theproducts Data and information were collected from evaluations conducted and fromthe records stored in the companys system This will be presented in chapter 4

31 The structure of the company and main products

The group consists of the parent company and four subsidiaries Laugafiskur ltdspecialising in drying fish Joumlkull ltd concentrating on the processing of whole-frozen pelagic fish Hoacutelmadrangur ltd for shrimp processing and GPG Saltfish ltdspecialising in the production of splitted salted fish The parent company operatestrawlers and processes demersal fish either on shore or on board factory trawlers (UacuteA2001a) The main species harvested are cod (Gadus morhua) redfish (Smarinusmentella) Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) and prawns(Pandalus borealis) In 2000 the total catch of company vessels was 22689 tons (UacuteA2001c)

The main products of the group are frozen seafood and dried fish products The totalproduction of the company in 2000 was more than 17000 tons with a value of ISK53 billion Table 1 shows the production by speciesproduct

UacuteA operates a sales and marketing department which is responsible for the groupsales of fresh and frozen products The access to fresh fish allows the company tooffer high quality products supported by a quality assurance system based onHACCP which ensures product safety The biggest markets for the group are in theUSA and UK Other important markets are Germany Nigeria Japan and TaiwanFrance and Denmark (UacuteA 2001a)

Table 1 Volume of production of UacuteA Seafood Group in 2000 (UacuteA 2001b)

ProductSpecies tonsCod 6086Redfish 2833Haddock 287Saithe 177Greenland halibut 1232Capelin roe 248Shrimp in the shell 3224Cooked and peeled shrimp 1255Total frozen products 15342Stockfish 2215Total 17557

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The UacuteA parent company operates five fishing vessels and two land-based processingplants Three of the vessels are fresh fish trawlers supplying the factories in Akureyriand Greniviacutek one vessel is a freezing trawler for demersal fish and the fifth vessel isa shrimp-freezing trawler The fresh fish trawlers concentrate on the catching of cod(G morhua) haddock (Melanogammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) andsaithe (Pollachius virens) while the freezing trawlers focus on Greenland halibut (Rhippoglossoides) redfish (S marinusmentella) and shrimp (P borealis) (UacuteA 2001a)The UacuteA plant in Akureyri is one of the largest of its kind in the North Atlantic andspecialises in the processing of cod and redfish The plant in Greniviacutek is smaller andprocesses haddock saithe and cod

32 The quality system at UacuteA

The UacuteA Seafood company quality system was studied especially for redfish (Smarinusmentella) Data and information from the processing line was gatheredincluding information on the traceability system For effective quality and processcontrol the plant has implemented a quality system based on HACCP which isproperly described in the companys Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The handbookconsists of 19 sections The sections are listed in Table 2 and comments given onthose sections which are of particular relevance to the present study

33 Redfish processing

The redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella) is a temperate marine species inhabiting theNorth Atlantic ocean waters along the European and American coasts The twospecies of redfish ocean perch (S marinus) and deepwater redfish (S mentella) aredifficult to distinguish Ocean perch (S marinus) has a bright red skin and a chubbyshape it can attain a maximum length of 100 cm and weight up to 15 kg (Hureau andLitvinenko 1986) while deepwater redfish attains a maximum size of 55 cm Redfishis utilised fresh and frozen It is a good table fish with a firm and tasty flesh (Bykov1983) As a result of different storage studies it has been estimated that redfish kept inice at 0degC has a shelf life of 18 days granted that the fish was handled under goodmanufacturing practices on board the vessels (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001)

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Table 2 Sections of the quality handbook of the UacuteA fish processing company withcomments on some of them according to its relevance to the study

Section Comments1 Organogram of thecompany2 Managementresponsibilities3 Flow charts See Figure 1 and a description of the process4 HACCP (own check)system specified in theHACCP handbook

See Appendix 1

5 Preventive measures Includes training of the staff in personal hygiene and operating procedures6 Cleaning andsanitising

Includes all the procedures for cleaning and sanitation of equipment andfacilities and the checklist

7 Quality policy The aim of UacuteA is to produce products of high quality and to be a leadingcompany in quality issues in the market

71 Description of finalproduct

Frozen and fresh products from cod (Gadus morhua) haddock(Melanogrammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) and otherspecies The fish is either whole or fillets skin-on or skin-less trimmedAll products are processed according to specifications required by thebuyers packed for retail or catering or for further processing (blocks) Allthe products should be cooked before consumption

8 Records Most of the data are recorded in computers using software from NavisionFinancial and Marel Every record or form should be filled accurately withall the information required and must have the date and signature of theperson responsible

9 Verification of thesystem

It can be by daily inspection on a regular basis or by audit The audit iscarried out 4 times a year Once per year the Directorate of Fisheriesperforms a verification

10 Marking andtraceability

All individual packages should be labelled with plant number andproduction date according to the rules of day coding as stated in theQuality Handbook Detailed information about marking master cases andpallets is in the Quality Handbook To trace the product it has to be labelledwith processing number (plant number) origin lot number EU plantnumber Also information about catch production and stock should beavailable

11 Recall system In case of something going wrong and a product has to be withdrawn orrecalled the Production Manager should take the appropriate actions andinform the inspection authority who decides what to do with the product

12 Claims andcomplaints13 Record keeping All records including those of traceability are stored for a minimum of two

years14 Sanitary andorhealth certification ofwater ice fishemployees

For certification samples should be taken and sent for analysis Frequencyfor water - once a year ice - once per month fish - 5 or 6 samples weekly

15 Personal hygiene All the employees and persons who enter the processing plant shouldfollow the rules set for personal hygiene The Quality Manager isresponsible to look after this

16 Microbiologicalguidelines

Good Defective RejectTPC 30degC 150 000 150 000 - 350 000 gt350 000Coliforms MPNg lt100 100 - 200 gt200E Coli MPNg 03 03 - 04 gt04Listeria in 25 g Negative Positive

17 Calibration18 Forms used19 Layout

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331 Flow chart and description of redfish fillets production

Frozen redfish fillets are produced following the operations presented in Figure 2 Theraw material entering the process can be whole ungutted fresh fish or frozen at sea(FAS) fillets

whole ungutted redfishReceiving raw material

Cooler

Washing

FilletingSkinning

Trimming Trimming Cooler tanks Flowline Express line

fillets (FAS)Frozen storage Weighing

PackingUnpacking Breading

Plate freezers IQF freezer Size gradingSize grading

Glazing Glazing Batter and breading

Weighing Size grading IQF freezer

Packing Metal detector Weighing PackingWeighing

Packing Casing Labelling

Palletising

Frozen storage

Shipping

Figure 2 Flow chart for frozen redfish fillets processing modified from the flow chartfor fish processing in the Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The shaded boxes in the chartrepresent the CCPs the symbol indicates the CPs along the processing line

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Receiving raw materialCooler From the fresh fish trawlers fish is received wholeungutted washed properly and iced in plastic tubs 460 litres capacity labelled withthe catching day Temperature in the cooler is kept at 0 to 4degCFrozen at sea (FAS) fillets are received and kept in frozen storage at ndash20 to ndash24degC

Washing The plastic tubs with fish are emptied into a hopper with sloping steelconveyor belt with fresh iced water The fish is washed there before grading intosizes There is a steady overflow of fresh water in the hopperAll fish entering to process in the same day is considered a batch A batch usuallyincludes several catching days from one vessel and rarely from different vessels

Filleting and skinning After grading the fish is filleted and skinned in the Baadermachines

Trimming The fillets enter the so-called express line where the quantity depends onthe infection rate by the copepod parasite Sphyrion lumpi If the fillets are free of thisparasite then the fillets go through a faster trimming process If the fillets need morecareful trimming for example because of parasite infection or because the filletshould be free of pin bones they are sent directly to the traditional trimming flow lineAfter trimming the fillets can go directly to the Individually Quick Frozen (IQF)freezer they can be pumped to cooler tanks where the fillets are iced properly forstorage at temperature around 05degC or they can be sent to produce fillet blocks

Weighing and packing Blocks Fillets blocks are packed directly into carton boxesThe cartons are labelled according to specifications with production date plantnumber product number and origin The packed products are placed into freezingpans or block frames The freezing pans are placed into racks

Plate freezers and depanning The freezing pans are taken from the racks and putinto the plate freezers Freezing time is usually 25-3 hours or until the coretemperature has reached ndash24degC at minimum After freezing the cartons are depanned

IQF fillets IQF freezerglazingFillets are placed on in-feed conveyor belt for the IQF freezer The core temperaturemust reach at least ndash24degC After leaving the IQF freezer the fillets are sprayed withpotable water to reach desirable glaze percentage if required

Breading A part of the redfish fillets either frozen at sea (FAS) or IQF frozen in theplant are breaded in a special batter and breading line The fillets are arranged on anin-feed conveyor belt where they are covered with batter that is continuously renewedand then the battered fillets are automatically covered with breadcrumbs Then thebreaded fillets enter an IQF freezer From there the fillets are transferred to thepacking area

IQF size gradingWeighingPacking Size grading is automatic Weighing can beeither automatic or manual The retail bags are closed by heat sealing codedaccording to specifications and passed through a metal detector Other IQF productsare put into plastic bag inside of a master case and closed with a tape

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Casing labelling and palletising The cartons are packed in master cases taped orclosed with plastic straps and labelled according to specifications Master cases arestacked on pallets and strapped with plastic and labelled IQF products other thanretail packs are already in master cases and are therefore only labelled and palletisedat this stage

Frozen storage Palletised products are placed immediately into frozen storage at amaximum temperature of ndash24degC

Shipping Palletised product is taken directly from frozen storage to freezercontainers at ndash24degC

Specific operational procedures for each product are detailed on productspecifications

34 HACCP (own check) system of the company

The HACCP system also called own check system is fully described in the HACCPhandbook (UacuteA 1999) A scheme of the system is presented in Appendix 1 TheHACCP analysis and the HACCP plan are shown in Appendices 2 and 3 respectively

Control points are established to monitor both product and process in the own checksystem of the plant These points are located in the reception area after trimmingfreezing in casinglabellingpalletising after battering and breading for breadedproducts and finally in weighingpacking operation in IQF products At each controlpoint samples are taken and evaluated according to the specifications and proceduresQuality and processing parameters controlled are well described in Appendix 1

Temperature is monitored in every step of the process including frozen storage offinal products All the information generated is recorded electronically or in thecorresponding form for each operation or product

35 Labelling and traceability in the fish processing plant

From the moment the fish is brought on board the vessel information is generated andrecorded until the product reaches the end customer Part of the information will betransmitted from one link to the next attached to the unit The rest will remain in thelink for internal use and will be accessible if necessary Most of the informationoriginates in the catching and processing links

Redfish fillets blocks were chosen in our study as an example to illustrate theinformation recorded during each step of the processing and distribution chain First itis necessary to identify batches and units within the chain (See Table 3)

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Table 3 Identification of batches and units in the processing and distribution chain forfrozen redfish fillets blocks exported to Europe

Step Batch UnitsCatching Catching day TubProduction Production day Cartons palletTransport to carrier Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerStorage at carrier (Eimskip) Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerTransport at sea (Eimskip) Shipment Pallet container kg or tonExport company (IFPC SIF) An order or shipment Pallet container kg or tonCustoms Shipment Kg tonDirectorate of Fisheries Catch - Fishing trip

Export - ShipmentPallet container kg or ton

Note IFPC is the abbreviation of Icelandic Freezing Plants Corporation

Figure 3 is a simple illustration of the chain for frozen redfish fillets blocks producedat UacuteA fish processing company and exported to Europe Major export companies forUacuteA fish products are IFPC and the SIF Group The shipping company is EIMSKIPwhich stores the product in frozen storage and freights it to Europe

Directorate of Fisheries Export company Customs

UacuteA Transport Shipping BuyerCatch Production company company

Figure 3 Scheme of production and distribution chain for frozen redfish fillets blocksexported to Europe showing the entities involved and the transmission ofinformation

UacuteA receives the raw material to be processed in the plant from its own fishing vesselsThe information about the catch and finished products sent for export is given to theDirectorate of Fisheries Information is transmitted between UacuteA and the exportcompany about the fish products available for export At the request of UacuteA thetransport company freights the product to frozen storage at the carrier (EIMSKIP)The export company interacts with the shipping company and the buyer in Europeregarding shipments The export company also provides the information requested bycustoms about shipment of products The information registered in each step ispresented in Figure 4

Part of the information is printed out on a label attached to the unit and transmitted tothe next link in the production and distribution chain This information variesaccording to the product type and packaging Table 4 shows this information forfrozen redfish fillets blocks

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Catching ProcessingVessel name Information from catch Information from productionFishing trip number Vessel name Name of productTime of catch Fishing trip number Origin of raw materialFishing area Fishing area Plant numberFishing gear Fish species EU authorisation numberQuantity in a haul Units per catching day Product numbercodeHauling time Condition of fish Production datelot numberFish species Weight of fish Best before dateQuantity of fish (tubs) Icefish ratio WeightOther parameters Other parameters Temperature

Quality and processingparametersSensory evaluation resultsMicrobiological results

Transport and storage Export companyProducers name Product name andCarrier name numberExporter name EU author numberProduct name andnumber

Producers name andnumber

Pallet number Origin of the productTemperature during Order numbertransport and storage Shipment numberContainer number Invoice numberDates and places when Customs id numberreceived and delivered Name of buyer

Addresses

Customs Directorate of FisheriesFish species Information about catch Information about exportsProduct name and Species Speciesdescription Vessel name and Product name andOrigin of the product number descriptionDestination Date and place of Producers name

landing Country of destinationQuantity Carrier name

Departure dateQuantity

Figure 4 Information registered at each step in the chain for frozen redfish filletsblocks

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Table 4 Information provided in the label for frozen redfish fillets blocks exported toEuropeStep Unit Information attachedCatch Tub Catching dayProduction Case

Pallet

Production datelot numberPlant numberOriginEU authorisation numberPallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOrigin

Transport and storage Pallet container Pallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOriginContainer number

351 Example of the chain (Catch-Processing-Transport) for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Using the information collected during the field study an example of how the productcan be traced back and forward is illustrated in Figure 5 Starting with the catch rawmaterial from 6 catching days went to a new batch fishing trip 23 from the fishingtrawler Hardbakur The fish from this batch was processed in three differentproduction days or batches corresponding to September 26 27 and 28 productiondates as shown in the figure Product processed on September 26 was palletised inthree pallets that were finally transported as units of a new batch to storage at theshipping company to be exported to Europe Once the fish has entered to theprocessing line it is not longer possible to identify the catching day

BATCH BATCH BATCH BATCHCatching days Fishing trip Production date Pallet number Container number

72583

2609 72633110

726356 catching days Hardbakur 23 2709

Vessel 72672

2809 72704

Figure 5 Example of catch-production-transport links for frozen redfish filletsprocessed in UacuteA showing the different batches identifiers in each step

Catch Production Transport

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4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH

41 Introduction

Quality evaluation of fish is one of the most important aspects to be considered in thequality system of a fish processing plant The field study carried out at UacuteA provided agood opportunity to perform evaluations using the information available in the plantand taking samples to conduct the analysis thus gaining skills and experience

42 Materials and methods

Evaluation of raw material and fillets were carried out based on the quality system ofthe company Moreover sensory evaluation of the raw material using the QIM wasdone on samples from one fishing trip (November 21-27) of the vessel Arbakur

421 Evaluation of raw material

At UacuteA every batch of fish is evaluated at the moment of landing and reception in theplant A batch in this case is the fish of the same species from all the catch of onefishing trip The samples are taken randomly from different catching days andevaluated using the form shown in Table 5 This form includes the vessels name thenumber of the fishing trip and date of evaluation Once the evaluation has been carriedout a new form is filled with the final scores given to the parameters checked Theseresults are valid for the whole fishing trip (batch) A five score scheme is used Fishwith score 2 or less is unsuitable for processing

Information about the redfish received from the vessels for a period one month fromSeptember 23rd to October 24th was accessed and analysed Whole ungutted redfishfrom 8 batches was evaluated looking at the handling on board weight of fish and icewashing how the fish was aligned in the tub and icing ie fish-ice layers and icefishratio The data was recorded (Appendix 4) and analysed using the principalcomponent analysis technique (PCA) in Unscrambler (Camo Norway)

Table 5 Form for the evaluation of raw material (redfish) in the reception area

Ice

Cat

chin

g da

y

Spec

ies

Top

Mid

dle

Bot

tom

Ave

rage

Alig

nmen

t of

fishe

s in

tub

Was

hing

Oth

er sp

ecie

s

No

of f

ishe

s in

sam

ple

No

of d

efec

ts

Net

to k

g

Ice

kg

Bru

tto k

g

Ice

Fish

Con

tam

inat

ion

422 Evaluation of fillets

After trimming a random sample of fish fillets are checked for defects in appearance(bones parasites bloodspots bruises black membrane) Colour and smell are

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evaluated on a scale from 2 to 5 In this study data collection and evaluation werecarried out for redfish fillets after trimming

Data from the quality system on evaluation of fish fillets after trimming were studiedInformation was collected from ten processing days starting from September 26th toOctober 18th The raw material came from eight fishing trips of the three vessels thatthe company owns The data were recorded as shown in Table 7

423 Quality Index Method

Sensory evaluation of raw material using the QIM method was conducted underprocessing conditions as part of this study A batch consisting of three catching daysfrom one vessels fishing trip was sampled taking five samples from each catchingday The fishing trip in this case was 6 days long The samples came from the secondfourth and sixth catching days it means that they had been in ice for six four and twodays respectively (Table 8) The scores for each parameter were determined byconsensus of the two untrained assessors evaluating fish the author of this report andthe inspector in the reception area in the plant

43 Results and discussion431 Raw material

The current evaluation of raw material (redfish) mainly focuses on handlingparameters as shown in the form in Table 5 and in Appendix 4

PCA was done to study the main trend in the data set from evaluation of raw materialin the reception area This technique allows the analysis of different variables at thesame time In this evaluation the useful information is icing icefish ratio andcatching day Figure 6 shows two main grouping of the data which mean that sampleswith parameters of similar values are correlated PC1 explains 75 of the variation inthe data and is mainly giving information about the amount of icing which appears tobe related to the catching days Samples located on the right side of the plot aremainly from catching days 6 7 and 8 while those on the left side are from days 1 2and 3 The position of the samples with missing catching day on the plot gives an ideaof their catching day because they have similar values as those samples located closeto them One outlier (Arb 26-1) is observed at the bottom left side of the figureLooking in Appendix 4 we find that it corresponded to a tub of fish with a score of 1for icing This tub was overloaded with fish so the quantity of ice was insufficient tocool the fish properly Another outlier (Kaldb 23-2) is on the top right side of thefigure In this case the quantity of ice was more than the necessary

Current evaluation of redfish in the plant is focused on handling parameters There isno regular evaluation of freshness attributes of fish There may be two main reasonsfor this one is that the raw material is received from their own vessels The otherreason is that each tub of fish is labelled with the catching day which means that thedays fish has been in ice are known so the freshness of fish and the remaining shelflife can be determined

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-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

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trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

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Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 26

5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 27

REFERENCES

Bisogni C A Ryan G J and Regenstein J M 1987 What is fish quality Can weincorporate consumer perceptions In Kramer D E and Liston J eds SeafoodQuality Determination Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Bonnell A D 1994 Quality Assurance in Seafood Processing A Practical GuideNew York London Chapman amp Hall

Botta J R 1995 Evaluation of seafood freshness quality New York VCHPublishers Inc

Bremner H A 1985 A convenient easy-to-use system for estimating the quality ofchilled seafood In Scott D N and Summers C eds Proceedings of the FishProcessing Conference Nelson New Zealand 23-25 April 1985 Fish ProcessingBulletin 759-70

Bremner H A 2000 Toward Practical Definitions of Quality for Food ScienceCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 40(1)83-90

Bykov B P 1983 Marine fishes Chemical composition and processing propertiesAmerind Publishing co PVT Ltd New Delhi [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Codex Alimentarius Commission- Joint FAOWHO Food Standards Programme1997 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and guidelinesfor its application Annex to CACRCP 1-1969 Rev 3 1997

Cuba Ministry of Fishery Industry (MIP) 2000 Cuban fishing industry in 1999[21082001] httpwww2cubamarcupescaipescahtm

Denton W 2001 Introduction to the Captured Fish Standard Traceability of FishProducts (Tracefish) EC-CA QLK1-2000-00164 [24122001]httpwwwtracefishorg

European Economic Community (EEC) 1994 Commission Decision 94356EC of 20May 1994 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive91493EEC as regards own health checks on fishery products Official Journal Ndeg L156 23061994

European Economic Community (EEC) 1991 Council Directive 91493 EEC of 22 ofJuly laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on themarket of fishery products Official Journal NdegL268 240991

European Commission Concerted Action on Fish Quality Labelling and MonitoringFAIR PL 98-4174 (FQLM) 2001 The Practical Problems to be overcome in thevessels ports and auction sectors in order to provide the quality information requiredfor the marketing of fish Working document for the FQLM Workshop Amsterdam[05122001] httpwwwfqlmnl

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 28

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 1995 21 CFR Parts 123 and 124 Proceduresfor the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery ProductsFinal Rule

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2001 HACCP A State-of-the-art Approach toFood Safety [08122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagov~lrdbghaccphtml

Hernaacutendez Torres D 2000 Role of government in HACCP audit a Cubanperspective Food Control 11 (5)365-369

Hureau J-C and Litvinenko N I 1986 Scorpaenidae In Whitehead P J PBauchot M-L Hureau J-C Nielsen J and Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of theNorth-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean UNESCO Paris Vol 3 [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Huss H H 1994 Assurance of Seafood Quality FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No348 RomeFAO

Huss H H 1995 Quality and quality changes on fresh fish FAO Fisheries TechnicalPaper No 334 Rome FAO

Iceland Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) Mission - Objectives[18122001]httpwwwfiskistofaisdirfishadminqualityhtml

International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2000 International Standard ISO90002000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 29

Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme i

APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

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ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 5: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 5

2 LITERATURE REVIEW

21 HACCP based quality system

HACCP is a management system in which food safety is addressed through theanalysis and control of biological chemical and physical hazards from the rawmaterial to processing distribution and consumption of the finished product(NACMCF 1997) It was developed nearly 30 years ago by the Pillsbury Companyworking together with the National Atmospheric and Space Agency (NASA) in USAwith the objective of finding a method to provide safe food for astronauts The systemfocuses on preventing hazards that could cause food-borne illnesses by applyingcontrols to the production line from raw material to the finished products (FDA2001)

HACCP is a tool to assess hazards and establish control systems that focus onprevention rather than relying on end-product testing Implementation of HACCPenhances food safety and promotes trade by increasing confidence in safe foods(Codex 1997)

Before the application of HACCP principles (EEC 1994 FDA 2001) the followingtasks should be carried out

bull Assembling of the HACCP team involving experts from production qualityassurance engineering and product development areas It could also be useful to haverepresentatives from other areasbull Product description and intended use Includes principal raw materials processtechnologies used storage conditions and shelf life This is particularly important ifthe product is intended for especially vulnerable groups of the population such asinfants or ill peoplebull Process flow diagram It should cover all the steps in the process from rawmaterial through to distribution Such flow chart is the basis of the hazard analysisbull On-site verification of the flow diagram The HACCP team should check theoperation against the flow diagram during all stages and hours of operation and makethe amendments where appropriate

The seven principles of HACCP are the following (EEC 1994 Huss 1994 FDA1995)1 Conduct a hazard analysis Potential hazards associated with food and preventive

measures to control those hazards2 Identify Critical Control Points (CCP) A CCP is an operation (practice

procedure process or location) at which a preventive or control measure willeliminate prevent or minimise one or several hazards

3 Establish critical limits for each preventive measure at a CCP4 Establish CCP monitoring procedures Include what is to be checked when how

and by whom5 Establish what corrective actions are to be taken when monitoring shows that a

critical limit has been exceeded6 Establish verification procedures to verify that the HACCP system is working

correctly7 Establish an effective record keeping system to document the HACCP system

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 6

Records need to be kept as evidence that the system has been working correctly (Huss1994) They are useful for trend analysis which can be used for monitoring andmaking the system more effective

HACCP is not a system that stands alone it is supported by other programmes knownas prerequisites (NACMCF 1997) such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) andStandard Sanitation Operational Procedures (SSOP) Prerequisite programmesprovide the basic environmental and operating conditions that are necessary for theproduction of safe wholesome food The Codex Alimentarius General Principles ofFood Hygiene describe the basic conditions and practices expected for food intendedfor international trade In addition to the requirements specified in regulationsindustry often adopts procedures specific to their operations Prerequisite programmesmay include facilities supplier control specifications of raw materials ingredientspackaging materials and products equipment cleaning and sanitation personalhygiene training traceability and recall procedures pest control etc (NACMCF1997)

22 Traceability in the fish industry

According to ISO 90002000 traceability is defined as the ability to trace the historyapplication or location of that which is under consideration In terms of products itrelates to the origin of materials and parts the processing history and the distributionof the product after delivery (ISO 2000) In other words traceability means the abilityto trace and follow a food through all stages of production and distribution (Tall2001)

Two types of traceability can be identified internal and chain traceability Internal iswithin one company and relates to data about raw materials and processes to the finalproduct before it is delivered Chain traceability is focused on the information aboutthe product from one link in the chain to the next it describes what data aretransmitted and received and how (Tracefish 2001) Chain traceability is betweencompanies and countries and depends on the presence of internal traceability in eachlink (Olsen 2001)

The public confidence in food safety has been damaged by recent food scaresassociated with beef because of mouth and foot disease and BSE - mad cow diseasein cattle dioxin in fish meal and other This is driving the industry and governmentagencies to improve controls at all stages in the food chain (Tall 2001) Traceability isthen needed to meet food safety requirements especially in case of product recall forcommercial reasons to ensure supply chain standards and because it is required bylegislation relating to labelling animal health and welfare fish marketing fisheriescontrol and product liability and safety (Denton 2001)

The EU Fisheries Control Regulations demand a specific traceability system from thefishing grounds to the processors The EU Fish Marketing Regulations demand thatfrom 2002 much of the fish at retail sale (including wet fish) will have to be labelledwith its area of origin The proposed revision of the EU General Product SafetyDirective requires full traceability by 2003 including product recall systems The EUFood Law which is now under revision requires full traceability by 2004 (FQLM2001) The proposed new Regulation on the General Principles and Requirements of

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Food Law lays down the general food safety requirements Regarding traceability itestablishes the need for traceability at all stages of production and distribution It isproposed that food and feed business operators must identify their raw materialsuppliers and identify to whom they supply products (one up one down traceability)They must have systems to provide those data to the competent authorities label oridentify products to ensure traceability and withdraw and recall unsafe food from themarket (Tracefish 2001)

The fish industry trades globally in a vast range of species and products and is diversein comparison to other protein sources There are hundreds of different species of fishcaptured with different methods of catching handling and food safety requirements Awide range of live chilled frozen and value added fishery products are produced andtraded within the various distribution chains which also have their specialised foodhandling and food safety requirements There is a huge and complex internationaltrade in the raw materials and in primary and secondary processed products (Tracefish2001)

Although there are major structural differences between the chains for different typesof fish products and countries there is also a degree of commonality in informationrequirements These information requirements can be categorised as (Tracefish 2001)bull Fundamental to traceability Each food business has to collect and keep

information and make it available to the competent authorities and to other foodbusiness operators for the purpose of product withdrawal or recall

bull Specifically required information on the nature of the food and the operationsinvolved This is information required by law for particular purposes and must bemade available to the appropriate authorities

bull Commercially desirable information on the nature of the food and the operationsThis information can be requested by food business for different reasons such asethical environmental GMP quality assurance records raw material or productstandards and specifications etc

At present a lot of information is being recorded in the product information system ofthe processing and distribution chains Some of that information passes from one linkin the chain to the next either on the label or in the documents the rest is held by theproducer or the distributor To properly implement traceability it is necessary todefine the physical unit and batch A physical unit can be an individual large fish abox or a tub of fish a package case or pallet of products a freight container Thebatch can be a catching day production date a shipment etc The informationattached to the unit is to be the key to traceability ie the product number (code)production date and producers number makes it possible to trace the product to theproducer and look up the required information

Figure 1 is an example of the chain from catch to the consumer with the multiple linksand information flow If the information is available with all the data and a uniqueidentifier to label the batch at each link then the product can be traced

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Figure 1 Example of the chain and information flow for redfish caught and processedinto frozen fillets in Iceland and sold to Germany (Paacutelsson and Oacutelafsdoacutettir 2001)

A product can be traced either backward or forward Backward leads to the origin andhistory everything that went to a batch and depends on all links mappingidentification (ID) of output batches to ID of input batches Forward trace explainswhat happened to a certain batch all the processes and output batches that the batch inquestion went into Keeping track of batches and their properties is the key toimplementing chain traceability It means that we must record what batches we usewe must have the ability to access to their properties and we must relate input batchesand properties to the batches we make (Olsen 2001)

A step forward in the implementation of traceability will be the development of astandard for electronic transmission of data and information Because of increasinginformation demands from buyers and consumers it is no longer practical to transmitall the data physically along with the product A more sensible approach is to markeach package with a unique identifier and then transmit or extract all the relevantinformation electronically (Paacutelsson et al 2000) But so far it is common to use otherways like telephone e-mail and fax for communication between the links

23 Quality factors

Definitions of quality as applied to food products vary according to the authorDifferent qualities with respect to seafood include safety nutritional qualityavailability convenience and integrity and freshness quality (Bisogni et al 1987Botta 1995 Bremner 2000) The most important is seafood safety

Seafood quality is usually influenced by freshness or degree of spoilage of the rawmaterial or the product Freshness is considered as one of the most important factorsdetermining quality of fish (Soslashrensen 1992 Sakaguchi and Koike 1992 Botta 1995Oacutelafsdoacutettir 1997) Handling processing and storage techniques can also affect thequality of fish and fishery products as they can result in the occurrence of defects suchas bruises bloodstains trimming imperfections etc (Soslashrensen 1992 Valdimarsson1992)

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Many studies have been done on spoilage processes of fish stored in ice and frozenstorage considering a whole range of influencing factors which can affect the fishquality Among others these factors are related to fish species size and seasonalcondition fishing method handling processing technology time and temperaturedevelopment

231 Freshness parameters

Fish is a perishable commodity Upon death a series of natural changes start leadingto spoilage affecting the shelf life of the fish Freshness or the extent of spoilageduring storage under chilled conditions is the key determinant of the quality of fishand fishery products (Whittle et al 1990 Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) Shelf life of fish isdefined as the length of time it is fit for human consumption (Martinsdoacutettir et al2001) Spoilage due to microbial activity is the main limitation of the shelf life of icedor refrigerated fish

Off-odours and off-flavours slime formation gas production discoloration andchanges in texture are obvious signs of spoilage (Huss 1994) The development ofthese spoilage conditions in fish and fishery products is due to a combination ofchemical autolytic and microbiological changes but the spoilage rate can be reducedby taking preventive measures like icing or keeping a low temperature during storageAccording to Bonnell (1994) controlling the temperature of fish is perhaps the mostimportant element in the preservation of fresh fish The proper cooling of fish has anumber of advantages Firstly bacterial activity depends very much on temperaturethe closer it is to 0degC the slower the rate of bacterial spoilage Likewise enzymeactivity also decreases as temperature falls so the rate of autolytic spoilage issignificantly slowed Chemical spoilage or development of rancidity can be preventedby rapid handling onboard and storage of products under anaerobic conditions

A rise in product temperature accelerates deterioration and reduces quality If the rateof deterioration is known it should be possible to determine the quality at any time bycontinuously monitoring the time and temperature history of fish post mortem(Whittle et al 1990) A number of authors have attempted to derive simplemathematical relationships that provide an acceptable measure of deterioration in fishwith a known timetemperature history These relationships have been used inconjunction with timetemperature recording devices to monitor the deterioration ofquality in batches of fish Post mortem changes in electrical properties of fish skin andflesh are also used in determining the potential shelf life of whole fish but it is notuseful for frozen products (Whittle et al 1990 Huss 1995)

232 Defects

Sensory inspection of processed fish is used in fish industry to find defects that haveoccurred during handling and processing (Oehlenschlager 1997) These defects arewell described in the technical specifications for the products

Defects can be related to the condition of the fish flesh appearance which includescolour defects (bruises bloodspots) and dehydration workmanship defects such asimproper packaging and cutting and trimming imperfections scales bones foreign

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matters skin and black membrane and the size of fillets (USDC 1990) Evaluation ofdefects is widely used in control of processes and to grade fish for selling or buyingpurposes

24 Methods to evaluate fish freshness

Huss (1995) and Bonnell (1994) discuss the methods applied to evaluate the freshnessof fish which are divided in two categories sensory and instrumental techniquesInstrumental methods include biochemical and chemical microbiological andphysical Each of these methods measure different spoilage indicators in fish andfishery products Only through a combination of instrumental and sensory analysiscan optimal information on the product be obtained

241 Microbiological methods

The activity of microorganisms is the main factor limiting the shelf life of fresh fishThe aim of microbiological examinations is to evaluate the possible presence ofbacteria or organisms of public health significance and to give an impression of thehygienic quality of the fish This includes temperature abuse and hygiene duringhandling and processing (Huss 1995) An estimation of the total viable count (TVC) isused as an index in standards guidelines and specifications Specific spoilageorganisms (SSO) capable of producing hydrogen sulphide or reducing trimethylamineoxide (TMAO) are considered more useful to estimate spoilage and the remainingshelf life of fish and fishery products (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997)

242 Biochemical and chemical methods

Classical chemical methods for the analysis of total volatile bases (TVB) andtrimethylamine (TMA) are used for the determination of fish freshness (Oacutelafsdoacutettir etal 1997) TVB only reflect later stages of spoilage so it is not reliable for the firstdays of chilled storage of fish (Huss 1995) Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is anotherindicator of fish freshness The extent of ATP degradation is expressed as the K valuewhich is defined as the ratio of the sum of inosine and hypoxanthine concentrations tothe total concentration of ATP metabolites (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) There are othermethods related to lipid oxidation such as determination of peroxide thiobarbituricacid and iodine values

243 Physical methods

Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al (1997) describe physical methods based on changes in the electricproperties of the fish muscle Different devices are available to measure electricalproperties the Torrymeter the Fish tester and the RT-Freshness Grader but they canonly be used for fresh fish Changes of structure and colour also occur in the fishflesh Texturometers are used to measure the structural changes

Time-temperature indicators (TTI) are based on using some biological chemical orphysical processes that depend on time and temperature and can give informationabout the time-temperature history of the food All methods mentioned above provideinformation on parameters related to fish freshness but none of them alone is capableto determine whether a fish is fresh or not

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244 Sensory methods

Sensory evaluation is the most important method for assessing freshness and qualityof fish and fish products (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) Sensory methods offer a rapidand accurate measurement of perceived attributes providing information about foodSensory evaluation is defined as the scientific discipline used to evoke measureanalyse and interpret characteristics of food as perceived by the senses of sight smelltaste touch and hearing (Huss 1995 Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) Sensory tests can bedivided into three groups discriminative descriptive and affective The first two areanalytical tests in which a trained panel is used while the third are subjectiveconsumer tests based on a measure of preference or acceptance The most commonlyused descriptive tests are structured scaling for quality assessment and profiling for adetailed description of one or more attributes Sensory evaluation is currently the mostimportant method used for freshness evaluation in the fish sector

The most common sensory method used in Europe is the EU scheme (Oacutelafsdoacutettir etal 1997 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) in which three grades of freshness are establishedE A and B corresponding to various stages of spoilage Extra is the highest qualitywhile B is the level where fish is considered unfit for human consumption Thisscheme does not take into account differences between species because only generalparameters are used The Torry scheme a ten score system for the evaluation ofcooked fish is another method used for sensory evaluation of fish freshness

The Quality Index Method (QIM) is based on characteristic changes in raw fish thatoccur in the appearance of eyes skin and gills and odour and texture and a scoresystem from 0 to 3 demerit points (Bremner 1985 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) Thescores for all the attributes are summarised to give an overall sensory score theQuality Index which is then compared to a QIM calibration curve to establish therelative freshness in terms of storage (predicted) days in ice and to predict theremaining storage life (shelf life) The description of each score for each parameter islisted in the QIM scheme (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) The QIMand the schemes have been developed for several fish species eg cod haddockredfish herring saithe and shrimp In this study the QIM method is used in theevaluation of redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella)

3 FIELD STUDY AT UacuteTGERETHARFEacuteLAG AKUREYRAR (UacuteA)

The UacuteA Seafood Group in Akureyri was visited for a two weeks period fromNovember 18th to the 30th This company and in particular the parent company waschosen for the study knowing the fact that UacuteA Seafood Group is one of the leadingcompanies in Iceland operating fishing vessels and processing plants The companysrole is catching processing and selling a variety of high quality safe seafoodproducts

During the field study at UacuteA the documentation of the quality system was accessedand carefully studied The production and quality managers explained in situ theprocessing flow for the different products made from redfish and cod as well eventhough cod was not a part of this study The processing line was visited daily for abetter understanding of the process and the quality control

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It was studied how the information about the process and products is generated howthis information is transmitted along the chain and how it is recorded and stored forthe purposes of traceability This means that information is available to attendcustomer claims recall of products and also to verify the quality and handling of theproducts Data and information were collected from evaluations conducted and fromthe records stored in the companys system This will be presented in chapter 4

31 The structure of the company and main products

The group consists of the parent company and four subsidiaries Laugafiskur ltdspecialising in drying fish Joumlkull ltd concentrating on the processing of whole-frozen pelagic fish Hoacutelmadrangur ltd for shrimp processing and GPG Saltfish ltdspecialising in the production of splitted salted fish The parent company operatestrawlers and processes demersal fish either on shore or on board factory trawlers (UacuteA2001a) The main species harvested are cod (Gadus morhua) redfish (Smarinusmentella) Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) and prawns(Pandalus borealis) In 2000 the total catch of company vessels was 22689 tons (UacuteA2001c)

The main products of the group are frozen seafood and dried fish products The totalproduction of the company in 2000 was more than 17000 tons with a value of ISK53 billion Table 1 shows the production by speciesproduct

UacuteA operates a sales and marketing department which is responsible for the groupsales of fresh and frozen products The access to fresh fish allows the company tooffer high quality products supported by a quality assurance system based onHACCP which ensures product safety The biggest markets for the group are in theUSA and UK Other important markets are Germany Nigeria Japan and TaiwanFrance and Denmark (UacuteA 2001a)

Table 1 Volume of production of UacuteA Seafood Group in 2000 (UacuteA 2001b)

ProductSpecies tonsCod 6086Redfish 2833Haddock 287Saithe 177Greenland halibut 1232Capelin roe 248Shrimp in the shell 3224Cooked and peeled shrimp 1255Total frozen products 15342Stockfish 2215Total 17557

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The UacuteA parent company operates five fishing vessels and two land-based processingplants Three of the vessels are fresh fish trawlers supplying the factories in Akureyriand Greniviacutek one vessel is a freezing trawler for demersal fish and the fifth vessel isa shrimp-freezing trawler The fresh fish trawlers concentrate on the catching of cod(G morhua) haddock (Melanogammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) andsaithe (Pollachius virens) while the freezing trawlers focus on Greenland halibut (Rhippoglossoides) redfish (S marinusmentella) and shrimp (P borealis) (UacuteA 2001a)The UacuteA plant in Akureyri is one of the largest of its kind in the North Atlantic andspecialises in the processing of cod and redfish The plant in Greniviacutek is smaller andprocesses haddock saithe and cod

32 The quality system at UacuteA

The UacuteA Seafood company quality system was studied especially for redfish (Smarinusmentella) Data and information from the processing line was gatheredincluding information on the traceability system For effective quality and processcontrol the plant has implemented a quality system based on HACCP which isproperly described in the companys Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The handbookconsists of 19 sections The sections are listed in Table 2 and comments given onthose sections which are of particular relevance to the present study

33 Redfish processing

The redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella) is a temperate marine species inhabiting theNorth Atlantic ocean waters along the European and American coasts The twospecies of redfish ocean perch (S marinus) and deepwater redfish (S mentella) aredifficult to distinguish Ocean perch (S marinus) has a bright red skin and a chubbyshape it can attain a maximum length of 100 cm and weight up to 15 kg (Hureau andLitvinenko 1986) while deepwater redfish attains a maximum size of 55 cm Redfishis utilised fresh and frozen It is a good table fish with a firm and tasty flesh (Bykov1983) As a result of different storage studies it has been estimated that redfish kept inice at 0degC has a shelf life of 18 days granted that the fish was handled under goodmanufacturing practices on board the vessels (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001)

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Table 2 Sections of the quality handbook of the UacuteA fish processing company withcomments on some of them according to its relevance to the study

Section Comments1 Organogram of thecompany2 Managementresponsibilities3 Flow charts See Figure 1 and a description of the process4 HACCP (own check)system specified in theHACCP handbook

See Appendix 1

5 Preventive measures Includes training of the staff in personal hygiene and operating procedures6 Cleaning andsanitising

Includes all the procedures for cleaning and sanitation of equipment andfacilities and the checklist

7 Quality policy The aim of UacuteA is to produce products of high quality and to be a leadingcompany in quality issues in the market

71 Description of finalproduct

Frozen and fresh products from cod (Gadus morhua) haddock(Melanogrammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) and otherspecies The fish is either whole or fillets skin-on or skin-less trimmedAll products are processed according to specifications required by thebuyers packed for retail or catering or for further processing (blocks) Allthe products should be cooked before consumption

8 Records Most of the data are recorded in computers using software from NavisionFinancial and Marel Every record or form should be filled accurately withall the information required and must have the date and signature of theperson responsible

9 Verification of thesystem

It can be by daily inspection on a regular basis or by audit The audit iscarried out 4 times a year Once per year the Directorate of Fisheriesperforms a verification

10 Marking andtraceability

All individual packages should be labelled with plant number andproduction date according to the rules of day coding as stated in theQuality Handbook Detailed information about marking master cases andpallets is in the Quality Handbook To trace the product it has to be labelledwith processing number (plant number) origin lot number EU plantnumber Also information about catch production and stock should beavailable

11 Recall system In case of something going wrong and a product has to be withdrawn orrecalled the Production Manager should take the appropriate actions andinform the inspection authority who decides what to do with the product

12 Claims andcomplaints13 Record keeping All records including those of traceability are stored for a minimum of two

years14 Sanitary andorhealth certification ofwater ice fishemployees

For certification samples should be taken and sent for analysis Frequencyfor water - once a year ice - once per month fish - 5 or 6 samples weekly

15 Personal hygiene All the employees and persons who enter the processing plant shouldfollow the rules set for personal hygiene The Quality Manager isresponsible to look after this

16 Microbiologicalguidelines

Good Defective RejectTPC 30degC 150 000 150 000 - 350 000 gt350 000Coliforms MPNg lt100 100 - 200 gt200E Coli MPNg 03 03 - 04 gt04Listeria in 25 g Negative Positive

17 Calibration18 Forms used19 Layout

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331 Flow chart and description of redfish fillets production

Frozen redfish fillets are produced following the operations presented in Figure 2 Theraw material entering the process can be whole ungutted fresh fish or frozen at sea(FAS) fillets

whole ungutted redfishReceiving raw material

Cooler

Washing

FilletingSkinning

Trimming Trimming Cooler tanks Flowline Express line

fillets (FAS)Frozen storage Weighing

PackingUnpacking Breading

Plate freezers IQF freezer Size gradingSize grading

Glazing Glazing Batter and breading

Weighing Size grading IQF freezer

Packing Metal detector Weighing PackingWeighing

Packing Casing Labelling

Palletising

Frozen storage

Shipping

Figure 2 Flow chart for frozen redfish fillets processing modified from the flow chartfor fish processing in the Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The shaded boxes in the chartrepresent the CCPs the symbol indicates the CPs along the processing line

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Receiving raw materialCooler From the fresh fish trawlers fish is received wholeungutted washed properly and iced in plastic tubs 460 litres capacity labelled withthe catching day Temperature in the cooler is kept at 0 to 4degCFrozen at sea (FAS) fillets are received and kept in frozen storage at ndash20 to ndash24degC

Washing The plastic tubs with fish are emptied into a hopper with sloping steelconveyor belt with fresh iced water The fish is washed there before grading intosizes There is a steady overflow of fresh water in the hopperAll fish entering to process in the same day is considered a batch A batch usuallyincludes several catching days from one vessel and rarely from different vessels

Filleting and skinning After grading the fish is filleted and skinned in the Baadermachines

Trimming The fillets enter the so-called express line where the quantity depends onthe infection rate by the copepod parasite Sphyrion lumpi If the fillets are free of thisparasite then the fillets go through a faster trimming process If the fillets need morecareful trimming for example because of parasite infection or because the filletshould be free of pin bones they are sent directly to the traditional trimming flow lineAfter trimming the fillets can go directly to the Individually Quick Frozen (IQF)freezer they can be pumped to cooler tanks where the fillets are iced properly forstorage at temperature around 05degC or they can be sent to produce fillet blocks

Weighing and packing Blocks Fillets blocks are packed directly into carton boxesThe cartons are labelled according to specifications with production date plantnumber product number and origin The packed products are placed into freezingpans or block frames The freezing pans are placed into racks

Plate freezers and depanning The freezing pans are taken from the racks and putinto the plate freezers Freezing time is usually 25-3 hours or until the coretemperature has reached ndash24degC at minimum After freezing the cartons are depanned

IQF fillets IQF freezerglazingFillets are placed on in-feed conveyor belt for the IQF freezer The core temperaturemust reach at least ndash24degC After leaving the IQF freezer the fillets are sprayed withpotable water to reach desirable glaze percentage if required

Breading A part of the redfish fillets either frozen at sea (FAS) or IQF frozen in theplant are breaded in a special batter and breading line The fillets are arranged on anin-feed conveyor belt where they are covered with batter that is continuously renewedand then the battered fillets are automatically covered with breadcrumbs Then thebreaded fillets enter an IQF freezer From there the fillets are transferred to thepacking area

IQF size gradingWeighingPacking Size grading is automatic Weighing can beeither automatic or manual The retail bags are closed by heat sealing codedaccording to specifications and passed through a metal detector Other IQF productsare put into plastic bag inside of a master case and closed with a tape

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Casing labelling and palletising The cartons are packed in master cases taped orclosed with plastic straps and labelled according to specifications Master cases arestacked on pallets and strapped with plastic and labelled IQF products other thanretail packs are already in master cases and are therefore only labelled and palletisedat this stage

Frozen storage Palletised products are placed immediately into frozen storage at amaximum temperature of ndash24degC

Shipping Palletised product is taken directly from frozen storage to freezercontainers at ndash24degC

Specific operational procedures for each product are detailed on productspecifications

34 HACCP (own check) system of the company

The HACCP system also called own check system is fully described in the HACCPhandbook (UacuteA 1999) A scheme of the system is presented in Appendix 1 TheHACCP analysis and the HACCP plan are shown in Appendices 2 and 3 respectively

Control points are established to monitor both product and process in the own checksystem of the plant These points are located in the reception area after trimmingfreezing in casinglabellingpalletising after battering and breading for breadedproducts and finally in weighingpacking operation in IQF products At each controlpoint samples are taken and evaluated according to the specifications and proceduresQuality and processing parameters controlled are well described in Appendix 1

Temperature is monitored in every step of the process including frozen storage offinal products All the information generated is recorded electronically or in thecorresponding form for each operation or product

35 Labelling and traceability in the fish processing plant

From the moment the fish is brought on board the vessel information is generated andrecorded until the product reaches the end customer Part of the information will betransmitted from one link to the next attached to the unit The rest will remain in thelink for internal use and will be accessible if necessary Most of the informationoriginates in the catching and processing links

Redfish fillets blocks were chosen in our study as an example to illustrate theinformation recorded during each step of the processing and distribution chain First itis necessary to identify batches and units within the chain (See Table 3)

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Table 3 Identification of batches and units in the processing and distribution chain forfrozen redfish fillets blocks exported to Europe

Step Batch UnitsCatching Catching day TubProduction Production day Cartons palletTransport to carrier Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerStorage at carrier (Eimskip) Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerTransport at sea (Eimskip) Shipment Pallet container kg or tonExport company (IFPC SIF) An order or shipment Pallet container kg or tonCustoms Shipment Kg tonDirectorate of Fisheries Catch - Fishing trip

Export - ShipmentPallet container kg or ton

Note IFPC is the abbreviation of Icelandic Freezing Plants Corporation

Figure 3 is a simple illustration of the chain for frozen redfish fillets blocks producedat UacuteA fish processing company and exported to Europe Major export companies forUacuteA fish products are IFPC and the SIF Group The shipping company is EIMSKIPwhich stores the product in frozen storage and freights it to Europe

Directorate of Fisheries Export company Customs

UacuteA Transport Shipping BuyerCatch Production company company

Figure 3 Scheme of production and distribution chain for frozen redfish fillets blocksexported to Europe showing the entities involved and the transmission ofinformation

UacuteA receives the raw material to be processed in the plant from its own fishing vesselsThe information about the catch and finished products sent for export is given to theDirectorate of Fisheries Information is transmitted between UacuteA and the exportcompany about the fish products available for export At the request of UacuteA thetransport company freights the product to frozen storage at the carrier (EIMSKIP)The export company interacts with the shipping company and the buyer in Europeregarding shipments The export company also provides the information requested bycustoms about shipment of products The information registered in each step ispresented in Figure 4

Part of the information is printed out on a label attached to the unit and transmitted tothe next link in the production and distribution chain This information variesaccording to the product type and packaging Table 4 shows this information forfrozen redfish fillets blocks

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Catching ProcessingVessel name Information from catch Information from productionFishing trip number Vessel name Name of productTime of catch Fishing trip number Origin of raw materialFishing area Fishing area Plant numberFishing gear Fish species EU authorisation numberQuantity in a haul Units per catching day Product numbercodeHauling time Condition of fish Production datelot numberFish species Weight of fish Best before dateQuantity of fish (tubs) Icefish ratio WeightOther parameters Other parameters Temperature

Quality and processingparametersSensory evaluation resultsMicrobiological results

Transport and storage Export companyProducers name Product name andCarrier name numberExporter name EU author numberProduct name andnumber

Producers name andnumber

Pallet number Origin of the productTemperature during Order numbertransport and storage Shipment numberContainer number Invoice numberDates and places when Customs id numberreceived and delivered Name of buyer

Addresses

Customs Directorate of FisheriesFish species Information about catch Information about exportsProduct name and Species Speciesdescription Vessel name and Product name andOrigin of the product number descriptionDestination Date and place of Producers name

landing Country of destinationQuantity Carrier name

Departure dateQuantity

Figure 4 Information registered at each step in the chain for frozen redfish filletsblocks

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Table 4 Information provided in the label for frozen redfish fillets blocks exported toEuropeStep Unit Information attachedCatch Tub Catching dayProduction Case

Pallet

Production datelot numberPlant numberOriginEU authorisation numberPallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOrigin

Transport and storage Pallet container Pallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOriginContainer number

351 Example of the chain (Catch-Processing-Transport) for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Using the information collected during the field study an example of how the productcan be traced back and forward is illustrated in Figure 5 Starting with the catch rawmaterial from 6 catching days went to a new batch fishing trip 23 from the fishingtrawler Hardbakur The fish from this batch was processed in three differentproduction days or batches corresponding to September 26 27 and 28 productiondates as shown in the figure Product processed on September 26 was palletised inthree pallets that were finally transported as units of a new batch to storage at theshipping company to be exported to Europe Once the fish has entered to theprocessing line it is not longer possible to identify the catching day

BATCH BATCH BATCH BATCHCatching days Fishing trip Production date Pallet number Container number

72583

2609 72633110

726356 catching days Hardbakur 23 2709

Vessel 72672

2809 72704

Figure 5 Example of catch-production-transport links for frozen redfish filletsprocessed in UacuteA showing the different batches identifiers in each step

Catch Production Transport

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4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH

41 Introduction

Quality evaluation of fish is one of the most important aspects to be considered in thequality system of a fish processing plant The field study carried out at UacuteA provided agood opportunity to perform evaluations using the information available in the plantand taking samples to conduct the analysis thus gaining skills and experience

42 Materials and methods

Evaluation of raw material and fillets were carried out based on the quality system ofthe company Moreover sensory evaluation of the raw material using the QIM wasdone on samples from one fishing trip (November 21-27) of the vessel Arbakur

421 Evaluation of raw material

At UacuteA every batch of fish is evaluated at the moment of landing and reception in theplant A batch in this case is the fish of the same species from all the catch of onefishing trip The samples are taken randomly from different catching days andevaluated using the form shown in Table 5 This form includes the vessels name thenumber of the fishing trip and date of evaluation Once the evaluation has been carriedout a new form is filled with the final scores given to the parameters checked Theseresults are valid for the whole fishing trip (batch) A five score scheme is used Fishwith score 2 or less is unsuitable for processing

Information about the redfish received from the vessels for a period one month fromSeptember 23rd to October 24th was accessed and analysed Whole ungutted redfishfrom 8 batches was evaluated looking at the handling on board weight of fish and icewashing how the fish was aligned in the tub and icing ie fish-ice layers and icefishratio The data was recorded (Appendix 4) and analysed using the principalcomponent analysis technique (PCA) in Unscrambler (Camo Norway)

Table 5 Form for the evaluation of raw material (redfish) in the reception area

Ice

Cat

chin

g da

y

Spec

ies

Top

Mid

dle

Bot

tom

Ave

rage

Alig

nmen

t of

fishe

s in

tub

Was

hing

Oth

er sp

ecie

s

No

of f

ishe

s in

sam

ple

No

of d

efec

ts

Net

to k

g

Ice

kg

Bru

tto k

g

Ice

Fish

Con

tam

inat

ion

422 Evaluation of fillets

After trimming a random sample of fish fillets are checked for defects in appearance(bones parasites bloodspots bruises black membrane) Colour and smell are

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 22

evaluated on a scale from 2 to 5 In this study data collection and evaluation werecarried out for redfish fillets after trimming

Data from the quality system on evaluation of fish fillets after trimming were studiedInformation was collected from ten processing days starting from September 26th toOctober 18th The raw material came from eight fishing trips of the three vessels thatthe company owns The data were recorded as shown in Table 7

423 Quality Index Method

Sensory evaluation of raw material using the QIM method was conducted underprocessing conditions as part of this study A batch consisting of three catching daysfrom one vessels fishing trip was sampled taking five samples from each catchingday The fishing trip in this case was 6 days long The samples came from the secondfourth and sixth catching days it means that they had been in ice for six four and twodays respectively (Table 8) The scores for each parameter were determined byconsensus of the two untrained assessors evaluating fish the author of this report andthe inspector in the reception area in the plant

43 Results and discussion431 Raw material

The current evaluation of raw material (redfish) mainly focuses on handlingparameters as shown in the form in Table 5 and in Appendix 4

PCA was done to study the main trend in the data set from evaluation of raw materialin the reception area This technique allows the analysis of different variables at thesame time In this evaluation the useful information is icing icefish ratio andcatching day Figure 6 shows two main grouping of the data which mean that sampleswith parameters of similar values are correlated PC1 explains 75 of the variation inthe data and is mainly giving information about the amount of icing which appears tobe related to the catching days Samples located on the right side of the plot aremainly from catching days 6 7 and 8 while those on the left side are from days 1 2and 3 The position of the samples with missing catching day on the plot gives an ideaof their catching day because they have similar values as those samples located closeto them One outlier (Arb 26-1) is observed at the bottom left side of the figureLooking in Appendix 4 we find that it corresponded to a tub of fish with a score of 1for icing This tub was overloaded with fish so the quantity of ice was insufficient tocool the fish properly Another outlier (Kaldb 23-2) is on the top right side of thefigure In this case the quantity of ice was more than the necessary

Current evaluation of redfish in the plant is focused on handling parameters There isno regular evaluation of freshness attributes of fish There may be two main reasonsfor this one is that the raw material is received from their own vessels The otherreason is that each tub of fish is labelled with the catching day which means that thedays fish has been in ice are known so the freshness of fish and the remaining shelflife can be determined

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 23

-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 24

trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 25

Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 26

5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 27

REFERENCES

Bisogni C A Ryan G J and Regenstein J M 1987 What is fish quality Can weincorporate consumer perceptions In Kramer D E and Liston J eds SeafoodQuality Determination Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Bonnell A D 1994 Quality Assurance in Seafood Processing A Practical GuideNew York London Chapman amp Hall

Botta J R 1995 Evaluation of seafood freshness quality New York VCHPublishers Inc

Bremner H A 1985 A convenient easy-to-use system for estimating the quality ofchilled seafood In Scott D N and Summers C eds Proceedings of the FishProcessing Conference Nelson New Zealand 23-25 April 1985 Fish ProcessingBulletin 759-70

Bremner H A 2000 Toward Practical Definitions of Quality for Food ScienceCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 40(1)83-90

Bykov B P 1983 Marine fishes Chemical composition and processing propertiesAmerind Publishing co PVT Ltd New Delhi [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Codex Alimentarius Commission- Joint FAOWHO Food Standards Programme1997 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and guidelinesfor its application Annex to CACRCP 1-1969 Rev 3 1997

Cuba Ministry of Fishery Industry (MIP) 2000 Cuban fishing industry in 1999[21082001] httpwww2cubamarcupescaipescahtm

Denton W 2001 Introduction to the Captured Fish Standard Traceability of FishProducts (Tracefish) EC-CA QLK1-2000-00164 [24122001]httpwwwtracefishorg

European Economic Community (EEC) 1994 Commission Decision 94356EC of 20May 1994 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive91493EEC as regards own health checks on fishery products Official Journal Ndeg L156 23061994

European Economic Community (EEC) 1991 Council Directive 91493 EEC of 22 ofJuly laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on themarket of fishery products Official Journal NdegL268 240991

European Commission Concerted Action on Fish Quality Labelling and MonitoringFAIR PL 98-4174 (FQLM) 2001 The Practical Problems to be overcome in thevessels ports and auction sectors in order to provide the quality information requiredfor the marketing of fish Working document for the FQLM Workshop Amsterdam[05122001] httpwwwfqlmnl

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 28

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 1995 21 CFR Parts 123 and 124 Proceduresfor the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery ProductsFinal Rule

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2001 HACCP A State-of-the-art Approach toFood Safety [08122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagov~lrdbghaccphtml

Hernaacutendez Torres D 2000 Role of government in HACCP audit a Cubanperspective Food Control 11 (5)365-369

Hureau J-C and Litvinenko N I 1986 Scorpaenidae In Whitehead P J PBauchot M-L Hureau J-C Nielsen J and Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of theNorth-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean UNESCO Paris Vol 3 [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Huss H H 1994 Assurance of Seafood Quality FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No348 RomeFAO

Huss H H 1995 Quality and quality changes on fresh fish FAO Fisheries TechnicalPaper No 334 Rome FAO

Iceland Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) Mission - Objectives[18122001]httpwwwfiskistofaisdirfishadminqualityhtml

International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2000 International Standard ISO90002000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 29

Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

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APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

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APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

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APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

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ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 6: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 6

Records need to be kept as evidence that the system has been working correctly (Huss1994) They are useful for trend analysis which can be used for monitoring andmaking the system more effective

HACCP is not a system that stands alone it is supported by other programmes knownas prerequisites (NACMCF 1997) such as Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) andStandard Sanitation Operational Procedures (SSOP) Prerequisite programmesprovide the basic environmental and operating conditions that are necessary for theproduction of safe wholesome food The Codex Alimentarius General Principles ofFood Hygiene describe the basic conditions and practices expected for food intendedfor international trade In addition to the requirements specified in regulationsindustry often adopts procedures specific to their operations Prerequisite programmesmay include facilities supplier control specifications of raw materials ingredientspackaging materials and products equipment cleaning and sanitation personalhygiene training traceability and recall procedures pest control etc (NACMCF1997)

22 Traceability in the fish industry

According to ISO 90002000 traceability is defined as the ability to trace the historyapplication or location of that which is under consideration In terms of products itrelates to the origin of materials and parts the processing history and the distributionof the product after delivery (ISO 2000) In other words traceability means the abilityto trace and follow a food through all stages of production and distribution (Tall2001)

Two types of traceability can be identified internal and chain traceability Internal iswithin one company and relates to data about raw materials and processes to the finalproduct before it is delivered Chain traceability is focused on the information aboutthe product from one link in the chain to the next it describes what data aretransmitted and received and how (Tracefish 2001) Chain traceability is betweencompanies and countries and depends on the presence of internal traceability in eachlink (Olsen 2001)

The public confidence in food safety has been damaged by recent food scaresassociated with beef because of mouth and foot disease and BSE - mad cow diseasein cattle dioxin in fish meal and other This is driving the industry and governmentagencies to improve controls at all stages in the food chain (Tall 2001) Traceability isthen needed to meet food safety requirements especially in case of product recall forcommercial reasons to ensure supply chain standards and because it is required bylegislation relating to labelling animal health and welfare fish marketing fisheriescontrol and product liability and safety (Denton 2001)

The EU Fisheries Control Regulations demand a specific traceability system from thefishing grounds to the processors The EU Fish Marketing Regulations demand thatfrom 2002 much of the fish at retail sale (including wet fish) will have to be labelledwith its area of origin The proposed revision of the EU General Product SafetyDirective requires full traceability by 2003 including product recall systems The EUFood Law which is now under revision requires full traceability by 2004 (FQLM2001) The proposed new Regulation on the General Principles and Requirements of

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 7

Food Law lays down the general food safety requirements Regarding traceability itestablishes the need for traceability at all stages of production and distribution It isproposed that food and feed business operators must identify their raw materialsuppliers and identify to whom they supply products (one up one down traceability)They must have systems to provide those data to the competent authorities label oridentify products to ensure traceability and withdraw and recall unsafe food from themarket (Tracefish 2001)

The fish industry trades globally in a vast range of species and products and is diversein comparison to other protein sources There are hundreds of different species of fishcaptured with different methods of catching handling and food safety requirements Awide range of live chilled frozen and value added fishery products are produced andtraded within the various distribution chains which also have their specialised foodhandling and food safety requirements There is a huge and complex internationaltrade in the raw materials and in primary and secondary processed products (Tracefish2001)

Although there are major structural differences between the chains for different typesof fish products and countries there is also a degree of commonality in informationrequirements These information requirements can be categorised as (Tracefish 2001)bull Fundamental to traceability Each food business has to collect and keep

information and make it available to the competent authorities and to other foodbusiness operators for the purpose of product withdrawal or recall

bull Specifically required information on the nature of the food and the operationsinvolved This is information required by law for particular purposes and must bemade available to the appropriate authorities

bull Commercially desirable information on the nature of the food and the operationsThis information can be requested by food business for different reasons such asethical environmental GMP quality assurance records raw material or productstandards and specifications etc

At present a lot of information is being recorded in the product information system ofthe processing and distribution chains Some of that information passes from one linkin the chain to the next either on the label or in the documents the rest is held by theproducer or the distributor To properly implement traceability it is necessary todefine the physical unit and batch A physical unit can be an individual large fish abox or a tub of fish a package case or pallet of products a freight container Thebatch can be a catching day production date a shipment etc The informationattached to the unit is to be the key to traceability ie the product number (code)production date and producers number makes it possible to trace the product to theproducer and look up the required information

Figure 1 is an example of the chain from catch to the consumer with the multiple linksand information flow If the information is available with all the data and a uniqueidentifier to label the batch at each link then the product can be traced

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 8

Figure 1 Example of the chain and information flow for redfish caught and processedinto frozen fillets in Iceland and sold to Germany (Paacutelsson and Oacutelafsdoacutettir 2001)

A product can be traced either backward or forward Backward leads to the origin andhistory everything that went to a batch and depends on all links mappingidentification (ID) of output batches to ID of input batches Forward trace explainswhat happened to a certain batch all the processes and output batches that the batch inquestion went into Keeping track of batches and their properties is the key toimplementing chain traceability It means that we must record what batches we usewe must have the ability to access to their properties and we must relate input batchesand properties to the batches we make (Olsen 2001)

A step forward in the implementation of traceability will be the development of astandard for electronic transmission of data and information Because of increasinginformation demands from buyers and consumers it is no longer practical to transmitall the data physically along with the product A more sensible approach is to markeach package with a unique identifier and then transmit or extract all the relevantinformation electronically (Paacutelsson et al 2000) But so far it is common to use otherways like telephone e-mail and fax for communication between the links

23 Quality factors

Definitions of quality as applied to food products vary according to the authorDifferent qualities with respect to seafood include safety nutritional qualityavailability convenience and integrity and freshness quality (Bisogni et al 1987Botta 1995 Bremner 2000) The most important is seafood safety

Seafood quality is usually influenced by freshness or degree of spoilage of the rawmaterial or the product Freshness is considered as one of the most important factorsdetermining quality of fish (Soslashrensen 1992 Sakaguchi and Koike 1992 Botta 1995Oacutelafsdoacutettir 1997) Handling processing and storage techniques can also affect thequality of fish and fishery products as they can result in the occurrence of defects suchas bruises bloodstains trimming imperfections etc (Soslashrensen 1992 Valdimarsson1992)

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 9

Many studies have been done on spoilage processes of fish stored in ice and frozenstorage considering a whole range of influencing factors which can affect the fishquality Among others these factors are related to fish species size and seasonalcondition fishing method handling processing technology time and temperaturedevelopment

231 Freshness parameters

Fish is a perishable commodity Upon death a series of natural changes start leadingto spoilage affecting the shelf life of the fish Freshness or the extent of spoilageduring storage under chilled conditions is the key determinant of the quality of fishand fishery products (Whittle et al 1990 Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) Shelf life of fish isdefined as the length of time it is fit for human consumption (Martinsdoacutettir et al2001) Spoilage due to microbial activity is the main limitation of the shelf life of icedor refrigerated fish

Off-odours and off-flavours slime formation gas production discoloration andchanges in texture are obvious signs of spoilage (Huss 1994) The development ofthese spoilage conditions in fish and fishery products is due to a combination ofchemical autolytic and microbiological changes but the spoilage rate can be reducedby taking preventive measures like icing or keeping a low temperature during storageAccording to Bonnell (1994) controlling the temperature of fish is perhaps the mostimportant element in the preservation of fresh fish The proper cooling of fish has anumber of advantages Firstly bacterial activity depends very much on temperaturethe closer it is to 0degC the slower the rate of bacterial spoilage Likewise enzymeactivity also decreases as temperature falls so the rate of autolytic spoilage issignificantly slowed Chemical spoilage or development of rancidity can be preventedby rapid handling onboard and storage of products under anaerobic conditions

A rise in product temperature accelerates deterioration and reduces quality If the rateof deterioration is known it should be possible to determine the quality at any time bycontinuously monitoring the time and temperature history of fish post mortem(Whittle et al 1990) A number of authors have attempted to derive simplemathematical relationships that provide an acceptable measure of deterioration in fishwith a known timetemperature history These relationships have been used inconjunction with timetemperature recording devices to monitor the deterioration ofquality in batches of fish Post mortem changes in electrical properties of fish skin andflesh are also used in determining the potential shelf life of whole fish but it is notuseful for frozen products (Whittle et al 1990 Huss 1995)

232 Defects

Sensory inspection of processed fish is used in fish industry to find defects that haveoccurred during handling and processing (Oehlenschlager 1997) These defects arewell described in the technical specifications for the products

Defects can be related to the condition of the fish flesh appearance which includescolour defects (bruises bloodspots) and dehydration workmanship defects such asimproper packaging and cutting and trimming imperfections scales bones foreign

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 10

matters skin and black membrane and the size of fillets (USDC 1990) Evaluation ofdefects is widely used in control of processes and to grade fish for selling or buyingpurposes

24 Methods to evaluate fish freshness

Huss (1995) and Bonnell (1994) discuss the methods applied to evaluate the freshnessof fish which are divided in two categories sensory and instrumental techniquesInstrumental methods include biochemical and chemical microbiological andphysical Each of these methods measure different spoilage indicators in fish andfishery products Only through a combination of instrumental and sensory analysiscan optimal information on the product be obtained

241 Microbiological methods

The activity of microorganisms is the main factor limiting the shelf life of fresh fishThe aim of microbiological examinations is to evaluate the possible presence ofbacteria or organisms of public health significance and to give an impression of thehygienic quality of the fish This includes temperature abuse and hygiene duringhandling and processing (Huss 1995) An estimation of the total viable count (TVC) isused as an index in standards guidelines and specifications Specific spoilageorganisms (SSO) capable of producing hydrogen sulphide or reducing trimethylamineoxide (TMAO) are considered more useful to estimate spoilage and the remainingshelf life of fish and fishery products (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997)

242 Biochemical and chemical methods

Classical chemical methods for the analysis of total volatile bases (TVB) andtrimethylamine (TMA) are used for the determination of fish freshness (Oacutelafsdoacutettir etal 1997) TVB only reflect later stages of spoilage so it is not reliable for the firstdays of chilled storage of fish (Huss 1995) Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is anotherindicator of fish freshness The extent of ATP degradation is expressed as the K valuewhich is defined as the ratio of the sum of inosine and hypoxanthine concentrations tothe total concentration of ATP metabolites (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) There are othermethods related to lipid oxidation such as determination of peroxide thiobarbituricacid and iodine values

243 Physical methods

Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al (1997) describe physical methods based on changes in the electricproperties of the fish muscle Different devices are available to measure electricalproperties the Torrymeter the Fish tester and the RT-Freshness Grader but they canonly be used for fresh fish Changes of structure and colour also occur in the fishflesh Texturometers are used to measure the structural changes

Time-temperature indicators (TTI) are based on using some biological chemical orphysical processes that depend on time and temperature and can give informationabout the time-temperature history of the food All methods mentioned above provideinformation on parameters related to fish freshness but none of them alone is capableto determine whether a fish is fresh or not

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 11

244 Sensory methods

Sensory evaluation is the most important method for assessing freshness and qualityof fish and fish products (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) Sensory methods offer a rapidand accurate measurement of perceived attributes providing information about foodSensory evaluation is defined as the scientific discipline used to evoke measureanalyse and interpret characteristics of food as perceived by the senses of sight smelltaste touch and hearing (Huss 1995 Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) Sensory tests can bedivided into three groups discriminative descriptive and affective The first two areanalytical tests in which a trained panel is used while the third are subjectiveconsumer tests based on a measure of preference or acceptance The most commonlyused descriptive tests are structured scaling for quality assessment and profiling for adetailed description of one or more attributes Sensory evaluation is currently the mostimportant method used for freshness evaluation in the fish sector

The most common sensory method used in Europe is the EU scheme (Oacutelafsdoacutettir etal 1997 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) in which three grades of freshness are establishedE A and B corresponding to various stages of spoilage Extra is the highest qualitywhile B is the level where fish is considered unfit for human consumption Thisscheme does not take into account differences between species because only generalparameters are used The Torry scheme a ten score system for the evaluation ofcooked fish is another method used for sensory evaluation of fish freshness

The Quality Index Method (QIM) is based on characteristic changes in raw fish thatoccur in the appearance of eyes skin and gills and odour and texture and a scoresystem from 0 to 3 demerit points (Bremner 1985 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) Thescores for all the attributes are summarised to give an overall sensory score theQuality Index which is then compared to a QIM calibration curve to establish therelative freshness in terms of storage (predicted) days in ice and to predict theremaining storage life (shelf life) The description of each score for each parameter islisted in the QIM scheme (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) The QIMand the schemes have been developed for several fish species eg cod haddockredfish herring saithe and shrimp In this study the QIM method is used in theevaluation of redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella)

3 FIELD STUDY AT UacuteTGERETHARFEacuteLAG AKUREYRAR (UacuteA)

The UacuteA Seafood Group in Akureyri was visited for a two weeks period fromNovember 18th to the 30th This company and in particular the parent company waschosen for the study knowing the fact that UacuteA Seafood Group is one of the leadingcompanies in Iceland operating fishing vessels and processing plants The companysrole is catching processing and selling a variety of high quality safe seafoodproducts

During the field study at UacuteA the documentation of the quality system was accessedand carefully studied The production and quality managers explained in situ theprocessing flow for the different products made from redfish and cod as well eventhough cod was not a part of this study The processing line was visited daily for abetter understanding of the process and the quality control

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 12

It was studied how the information about the process and products is generated howthis information is transmitted along the chain and how it is recorded and stored forthe purposes of traceability This means that information is available to attendcustomer claims recall of products and also to verify the quality and handling of theproducts Data and information were collected from evaluations conducted and fromthe records stored in the companys system This will be presented in chapter 4

31 The structure of the company and main products

The group consists of the parent company and four subsidiaries Laugafiskur ltdspecialising in drying fish Joumlkull ltd concentrating on the processing of whole-frozen pelagic fish Hoacutelmadrangur ltd for shrimp processing and GPG Saltfish ltdspecialising in the production of splitted salted fish The parent company operatestrawlers and processes demersal fish either on shore or on board factory trawlers (UacuteA2001a) The main species harvested are cod (Gadus morhua) redfish (Smarinusmentella) Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) and prawns(Pandalus borealis) In 2000 the total catch of company vessels was 22689 tons (UacuteA2001c)

The main products of the group are frozen seafood and dried fish products The totalproduction of the company in 2000 was more than 17000 tons with a value of ISK53 billion Table 1 shows the production by speciesproduct

UacuteA operates a sales and marketing department which is responsible for the groupsales of fresh and frozen products The access to fresh fish allows the company tooffer high quality products supported by a quality assurance system based onHACCP which ensures product safety The biggest markets for the group are in theUSA and UK Other important markets are Germany Nigeria Japan and TaiwanFrance and Denmark (UacuteA 2001a)

Table 1 Volume of production of UacuteA Seafood Group in 2000 (UacuteA 2001b)

ProductSpecies tonsCod 6086Redfish 2833Haddock 287Saithe 177Greenland halibut 1232Capelin roe 248Shrimp in the shell 3224Cooked and peeled shrimp 1255Total frozen products 15342Stockfish 2215Total 17557

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 13

The UacuteA parent company operates five fishing vessels and two land-based processingplants Three of the vessels are fresh fish trawlers supplying the factories in Akureyriand Greniviacutek one vessel is a freezing trawler for demersal fish and the fifth vessel isa shrimp-freezing trawler The fresh fish trawlers concentrate on the catching of cod(G morhua) haddock (Melanogammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) andsaithe (Pollachius virens) while the freezing trawlers focus on Greenland halibut (Rhippoglossoides) redfish (S marinusmentella) and shrimp (P borealis) (UacuteA 2001a)The UacuteA plant in Akureyri is one of the largest of its kind in the North Atlantic andspecialises in the processing of cod and redfish The plant in Greniviacutek is smaller andprocesses haddock saithe and cod

32 The quality system at UacuteA

The UacuteA Seafood company quality system was studied especially for redfish (Smarinusmentella) Data and information from the processing line was gatheredincluding information on the traceability system For effective quality and processcontrol the plant has implemented a quality system based on HACCP which isproperly described in the companys Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The handbookconsists of 19 sections The sections are listed in Table 2 and comments given onthose sections which are of particular relevance to the present study

33 Redfish processing

The redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella) is a temperate marine species inhabiting theNorth Atlantic ocean waters along the European and American coasts The twospecies of redfish ocean perch (S marinus) and deepwater redfish (S mentella) aredifficult to distinguish Ocean perch (S marinus) has a bright red skin and a chubbyshape it can attain a maximum length of 100 cm and weight up to 15 kg (Hureau andLitvinenko 1986) while deepwater redfish attains a maximum size of 55 cm Redfishis utilised fresh and frozen It is a good table fish with a firm and tasty flesh (Bykov1983) As a result of different storage studies it has been estimated that redfish kept inice at 0degC has a shelf life of 18 days granted that the fish was handled under goodmanufacturing practices on board the vessels (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001)

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 14

Table 2 Sections of the quality handbook of the UacuteA fish processing company withcomments on some of them according to its relevance to the study

Section Comments1 Organogram of thecompany2 Managementresponsibilities3 Flow charts See Figure 1 and a description of the process4 HACCP (own check)system specified in theHACCP handbook

See Appendix 1

5 Preventive measures Includes training of the staff in personal hygiene and operating procedures6 Cleaning andsanitising

Includes all the procedures for cleaning and sanitation of equipment andfacilities and the checklist

7 Quality policy The aim of UacuteA is to produce products of high quality and to be a leadingcompany in quality issues in the market

71 Description of finalproduct

Frozen and fresh products from cod (Gadus morhua) haddock(Melanogrammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) and otherspecies The fish is either whole or fillets skin-on or skin-less trimmedAll products are processed according to specifications required by thebuyers packed for retail or catering or for further processing (blocks) Allthe products should be cooked before consumption

8 Records Most of the data are recorded in computers using software from NavisionFinancial and Marel Every record or form should be filled accurately withall the information required and must have the date and signature of theperson responsible

9 Verification of thesystem

It can be by daily inspection on a regular basis or by audit The audit iscarried out 4 times a year Once per year the Directorate of Fisheriesperforms a verification

10 Marking andtraceability

All individual packages should be labelled with plant number andproduction date according to the rules of day coding as stated in theQuality Handbook Detailed information about marking master cases andpallets is in the Quality Handbook To trace the product it has to be labelledwith processing number (plant number) origin lot number EU plantnumber Also information about catch production and stock should beavailable

11 Recall system In case of something going wrong and a product has to be withdrawn orrecalled the Production Manager should take the appropriate actions andinform the inspection authority who decides what to do with the product

12 Claims andcomplaints13 Record keeping All records including those of traceability are stored for a minimum of two

years14 Sanitary andorhealth certification ofwater ice fishemployees

For certification samples should be taken and sent for analysis Frequencyfor water - once a year ice - once per month fish - 5 or 6 samples weekly

15 Personal hygiene All the employees and persons who enter the processing plant shouldfollow the rules set for personal hygiene The Quality Manager isresponsible to look after this

16 Microbiologicalguidelines

Good Defective RejectTPC 30degC 150 000 150 000 - 350 000 gt350 000Coliforms MPNg lt100 100 - 200 gt200E Coli MPNg 03 03 - 04 gt04Listeria in 25 g Negative Positive

17 Calibration18 Forms used19 Layout

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 15

331 Flow chart and description of redfish fillets production

Frozen redfish fillets are produced following the operations presented in Figure 2 Theraw material entering the process can be whole ungutted fresh fish or frozen at sea(FAS) fillets

whole ungutted redfishReceiving raw material

Cooler

Washing

FilletingSkinning

Trimming Trimming Cooler tanks Flowline Express line

fillets (FAS)Frozen storage Weighing

PackingUnpacking Breading

Plate freezers IQF freezer Size gradingSize grading

Glazing Glazing Batter and breading

Weighing Size grading IQF freezer

Packing Metal detector Weighing PackingWeighing

Packing Casing Labelling

Palletising

Frozen storage

Shipping

Figure 2 Flow chart for frozen redfish fillets processing modified from the flow chartfor fish processing in the Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The shaded boxes in the chartrepresent the CCPs the symbol indicates the CPs along the processing line

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 16

Receiving raw materialCooler From the fresh fish trawlers fish is received wholeungutted washed properly and iced in plastic tubs 460 litres capacity labelled withthe catching day Temperature in the cooler is kept at 0 to 4degCFrozen at sea (FAS) fillets are received and kept in frozen storage at ndash20 to ndash24degC

Washing The plastic tubs with fish are emptied into a hopper with sloping steelconveyor belt with fresh iced water The fish is washed there before grading intosizes There is a steady overflow of fresh water in the hopperAll fish entering to process in the same day is considered a batch A batch usuallyincludes several catching days from one vessel and rarely from different vessels

Filleting and skinning After grading the fish is filleted and skinned in the Baadermachines

Trimming The fillets enter the so-called express line where the quantity depends onthe infection rate by the copepod parasite Sphyrion lumpi If the fillets are free of thisparasite then the fillets go through a faster trimming process If the fillets need morecareful trimming for example because of parasite infection or because the filletshould be free of pin bones they are sent directly to the traditional trimming flow lineAfter trimming the fillets can go directly to the Individually Quick Frozen (IQF)freezer they can be pumped to cooler tanks where the fillets are iced properly forstorage at temperature around 05degC or they can be sent to produce fillet blocks

Weighing and packing Blocks Fillets blocks are packed directly into carton boxesThe cartons are labelled according to specifications with production date plantnumber product number and origin The packed products are placed into freezingpans or block frames The freezing pans are placed into racks

Plate freezers and depanning The freezing pans are taken from the racks and putinto the plate freezers Freezing time is usually 25-3 hours or until the coretemperature has reached ndash24degC at minimum After freezing the cartons are depanned

IQF fillets IQF freezerglazingFillets are placed on in-feed conveyor belt for the IQF freezer The core temperaturemust reach at least ndash24degC After leaving the IQF freezer the fillets are sprayed withpotable water to reach desirable glaze percentage if required

Breading A part of the redfish fillets either frozen at sea (FAS) or IQF frozen in theplant are breaded in a special batter and breading line The fillets are arranged on anin-feed conveyor belt where they are covered with batter that is continuously renewedand then the battered fillets are automatically covered with breadcrumbs Then thebreaded fillets enter an IQF freezer From there the fillets are transferred to thepacking area

IQF size gradingWeighingPacking Size grading is automatic Weighing can beeither automatic or manual The retail bags are closed by heat sealing codedaccording to specifications and passed through a metal detector Other IQF productsare put into plastic bag inside of a master case and closed with a tape

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Casing labelling and palletising The cartons are packed in master cases taped orclosed with plastic straps and labelled according to specifications Master cases arestacked on pallets and strapped with plastic and labelled IQF products other thanretail packs are already in master cases and are therefore only labelled and palletisedat this stage

Frozen storage Palletised products are placed immediately into frozen storage at amaximum temperature of ndash24degC

Shipping Palletised product is taken directly from frozen storage to freezercontainers at ndash24degC

Specific operational procedures for each product are detailed on productspecifications

34 HACCP (own check) system of the company

The HACCP system also called own check system is fully described in the HACCPhandbook (UacuteA 1999) A scheme of the system is presented in Appendix 1 TheHACCP analysis and the HACCP plan are shown in Appendices 2 and 3 respectively

Control points are established to monitor both product and process in the own checksystem of the plant These points are located in the reception area after trimmingfreezing in casinglabellingpalletising after battering and breading for breadedproducts and finally in weighingpacking operation in IQF products At each controlpoint samples are taken and evaluated according to the specifications and proceduresQuality and processing parameters controlled are well described in Appendix 1

Temperature is monitored in every step of the process including frozen storage offinal products All the information generated is recorded electronically or in thecorresponding form for each operation or product

35 Labelling and traceability in the fish processing plant

From the moment the fish is brought on board the vessel information is generated andrecorded until the product reaches the end customer Part of the information will betransmitted from one link to the next attached to the unit The rest will remain in thelink for internal use and will be accessible if necessary Most of the informationoriginates in the catching and processing links

Redfish fillets blocks were chosen in our study as an example to illustrate theinformation recorded during each step of the processing and distribution chain First itis necessary to identify batches and units within the chain (See Table 3)

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Table 3 Identification of batches and units in the processing and distribution chain forfrozen redfish fillets blocks exported to Europe

Step Batch UnitsCatching Catching day TubProduction Production day Cartons palletTransport to carrier Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerStorage at carrier (Eimskip) Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerTransport at sea (Eimskip) Shipment Pallet container kg or tonExport company (IFPC SIF) An order or shipment Pallet container kg or tonCustoms Shipment Kg tonDirectorate of Fisheries Catch - Fishing trip

Export - ShipmentPallet container kg or ton

Note IFPC is the abbreviation of Icelandic Freezing Plants Corporation

Figure 3 is a simple illustration of the chain for frozen redfish fillets blocks producedat UacuteA fish processing company and exported to Europe Major export companies forUacuteA fish products are IFPC and the SIF Group The shipping company is EIMSKIPwhich stores the product in frozen storage and freights it to Europe

Directorate of Fisheries Export company Customs

UacuteA Transport Shipping BuyerCatch Production company company

Figure 3 Scheme of production and distribution chain for frozen redfish fillets blocksexported to Europe showing the entities involved and the transmission ofinformation

UacuteA receives the raw material to be processed in the plant from its own fishing vesselsThe information about the catch and finished products sent for export is given to theDirectorate of Fisheries Information is transmitted between UacuteA and the exportcompany about the fish products available for export At the request of UacuteA thetransport company freights the product to frozen storage at the carrier (EIMSKIP)The export company interacts with the shipping company and the buyer in Europeregarding shipments The export company also provides the information requested bycustoms about shipment of products The information registered in each step ispresented in Figure 4

Part of the information is printed out on a label attached to the unit and transmitted tothe next link in the production and distribution chain This information variesaccording to the product type and packaging Table 4 shows this information forfrozen redfish fillets blocks

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Catching ProcessingVessel name Information from catch Information from productionFishing trip number Vessel name Name of productTime of catch Fishing trip number Origin of raw materialFishing area Fishing area Plant numberFishing gear Fish species EU authorisation numberQuantity in a haul Units per catching day Product numbercodeHauling time Condition of fish Production datelot numberFish species Weight of fish Best before dateQuantity of fish (tubs) Icefish ratio WeightOther parameters Other parameters Temperature

Quality and processingparametersSensory evaluation resultsMicrobiological results

Transport and storage Export companyProducers name Product name andCarrier name numberExporter name EU author numberProduct name andnumber

Producers name andnumber

Pallet number Origin of the productTemperature during Order numbertransport and storage Shipment numberContainer number Invoice numberDates and places when Customs id numberreceived and delivered Name of buyer

Addresses

Customs Directorate of FisheriesFish species Information about catch Information about exportsProduct name and Species Speciesdescription Vessel name and Product name andOrigin of the product number descriptionDestination Date and place of Producers name

landing Country of destinationQuantity Carrier name

Departure dateQuantity

Figure 4 Information registered at each step in the chain for frozen redfish filletsblocks

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Table 4 Information provided in the label for frozen redfish fillets blocks exported toEuropeStep Unit Information attachedCatch Tub Catching dayProduction Case

Pallet

Production datelot numberPlant numberOriginEU authorisation numberPallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOrigin

Transport and storage Pallet container Pallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOriginContainer number

351 Example of the chain (Catch-Processing-Transport) for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Using the information collected during the field study an example of how the productcan be traced back and forward is illustrated in Figure 5 Starting with the catch rawmaterial from 6 catching days went to a new batch fishing trip 23 from the fishingtrawler Hardbakur The fish from this batch was processed in three differentproduction days or batches corresponding to September 26 27 and 28 productiondates as shown in the figure Product processed on September 26 was palletised inthree pallets that were finally transported as units of a new batch to storage at theshipping company to be exported to Europe Once the fish has entered to theprocessing line it is not longer possible to identify the catching day

BATCH BATCH BATCH BATCHCatching days Fishing trip Production date Pallet number Container number

72583

2609 72633110

726356 catching days Hardbakur 23 2709

Vessel 72672

2809 72704

Figure 5 Example of catch-production-transport links for frozen redfish filletsprocessed in UacuteA showing the different batches identifiers in each step

Catch Production Transport

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4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH

41 Introduction

Quality evaluation of fish is one of the most important aspects to be considered in thequality system of a fish processing plant The field study carried out at UacuteA provided agood opportunity to perform evaluations using the information available in the plantand taking samples to conduct the analysis thus gaining skills and experience

42 Materials and methods

Evaluation of raw material and fillets were carried out based on the quality system ofthe company Moreover sensory evaluation of the raw material using the QIM wasdone on samples from one fishing trip (November 21-27) of the vessel Arbakur

421 Evaluation of raw material

At UacuteA every batch of fish is evaluated at the moment of landing and reception in theplant A batch in this case is the fish of the same species from all the catch of onefishing trip The samples are taken randomly from different catching days andevaluated using the form shown in Table 5 This form includes the vessels name thenumber of the fishing trip and date of evaluation Once the evaluation has been carriedout a new form is filled with the final scores given to the parameters checked Theseresults are valid for the whole fishing trip (batch) A five score scheme is used Fishwith score 2 or less is unsuitable for processing

Information about the redfish received from the vessels for a period one month fromSeptember 23rd to October 24th was accessed and analysed Whole ungutted redfishfrom 8 batches was evaluated looking at the handling on board weight of fish and icewashing how the fish was aligned in the tub and icing ie fish-ice layers and icefishratio The data was recorded (Appendix 4) and analysed using the principalcomponent analysis technique (PCA) in Unscrambler (Camo Norway)

Table 5 Form for the evaluation of raw material (redfish) in the reception area

Ice

Cat

chin

g da

y

Spec

ies

Top

Mid

dle

Bot

tom

Ave

rage

Alig

nmen

t of

fishe

s in

tub

Was

hing

Oth

er sp

ecie

s

No

of f

ishe

s in

sam

ple

No

of d

efec

ts

Net

to k

g

Ice

kg

Bru

tto k

g

Ice

Fish

Con

tam

inat

ion

422 Evaluation of fillets

After trimming a random sample of fish fillets are checked for defects in appearance(bones parasites bloodspots bruises black membrane) Colour and smell are

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evaluated on a scale from 2 to 5 In this study data collection and evaluation werecarried out for redfish fillets after trimming

Data from the quality system on evaluation of fish fillets after trimming were studiedInformation was collected from ten processing days starting from September 26th toOctober 18th The raw material came from eight fishing trips of the three vessels thatthe company owns The data were recorded as shown in Table 7

423 Quality Index Method

Sensory evaluation of raw material using the QIM method was conducted underprocessing conditions as part of this study A batch consisting of three catching daysfrom one vessels fishing trip was sampled taking five samples from each catchingday The fishing trip in this case was 6 days long The samples came from the secondfourth and sixth catching days it means that they had been in ice for six four and twodays respectively (Table 8) The scores for each parameter were determined byconsensus of the two untrained assessors evaluating fish the author of this report andthe inspector in the reception area in the plant

43 Results and discussion431 Raw material

The current evaluation of raw material (redfish) mainly focuses on handlingparameters as shown in the form in Table 5 and in Appendix 4

PCA was done to study the main trend in the data set from evaluation of raw materialin the reception area This technique allows the analysis of different variables at thesame time In this evaluation the useful information is icing icefish ratio andcatching day Figure 6 shows two main grouping of the data which mean that sampleswith parameters of similar values are correlated PC1 explains 75 of the variation inthe data and is mainly giving information about the amount of icing which appears tobe related to the catching days Samples located on the right side of the plot aremainly from catching days 6 7 and 8 while those on the left side are from days 1 2and 3 The position of the samples with missing catching day on the plot gives an ideaof their catching day because they have similar values as those samples located closeto them One outlier (Arb 26-1) is observed at the bottom left side of the figureLooking in Appendix 4 we find that it corresponded to a tub of fish with a score of 1for icing This tub was overloaded with fish so the quantity of ice was insufficient tocool the fish properly Another outlier (Kaldb 23-2) is on the top right side of thefigure In this case the quantity of ice was more than the necessary

Current evaluation of redfish in the plant is focused on handling parameters There isno regular evaluation of freshness attributes of fish There may be two main reasonsfor this one is that the raw material is received from their own vessels The otherreason is that each tub of fish is labelled with the catching day which means that thedays fish has been in ice are known so the freshness of fish and the remaining shelflife can be determined

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-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

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trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

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Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

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5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

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REFERENCES

Bisogni C A Ryan G J and Regenstein J M 1987 What is fish quality Can weincorporate consumer perceptions In Kramer D E and Liston J eds SeafoodQuality Determination Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Bonnell A D 1994 Quality Assurance in Seafood Processing A Practical GuideNew York London Chapman amp Hall

Botta J R 1995 Evaluation of seafood freshness quality New York VCHPublishers Inc

Bremner H A 1985 A convenient easy-to-use system for estimating the quality ofchilled seafood In Scott D N and Summers C eds Proceedings of the FishProcessing Conference Nelson New Zealand 23-25 April 1985 Fish ProcessingBulletin 759-70

Bremner H A 2000 Toward Practical Definitions of Quality for Food ScienceCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 40(1)83-90

Bykov B P 1983 Marine fishes Chemical composition and processing propertiesAmerind Publishing co PVT Ltd New Delhi [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Codex Alimentarius Commission- Joint FAOWHO Food Standards Programme1997 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and guidelinesfor its application Annex to CACRCP 1-1969 Rev 3 1997

Cuba Ministry of Fishery Industry (MIP) 2000 Cuban fishing industry in 1999[21082001] httpwww2cubamarcupescaipescahtm

Denton W 2001 Introduction to the Captured Fish Standard Traceability of FishProducts (Tracefish) EC-CA QLK1-2000-00164 [24122001]httpwwwtracefishorg

European Economic Community (EEC) 1994 Commission Decision 94356EC of 20May 1994 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive91493EEC as regards own health checks on fishery products Official Journal Ndeg L156 23061994

European Economic Community (EEC) 1991 Council Directive 91493 EEC of 22 ofJuly laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on themarket of fishery products Official Journal NdegL268 240991

European Commission Concerted Action on Fish Quality Labelling and MonitoringFAIR PL 98-4174 (FQLM) 2001 The Practical Problems to be overcome in thevessels ports and auction sectors in order to provide the quality information requiredfor the marketing of fish Working document for the FQLM Workshop Amsterdam[05122001] httpwwwfqlmnl

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Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 1995 21 CFR Parts 123 and 124 Proceduresfor the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery ProductsFinal Rule

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2001 HACCP A State-of-the-art Approach toFood Safety [08122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagov~lrdbghaccphtml

Hernaacutendez Torres D 2000 Role of government in HACCP audit a Cubanperspective Food Control 11 (5)365-369

Hureau J-C and Litvinenko N I 1986 Scorpaenidae In Whitehead P J PBauchot M-L Hureau J-C Nielsen J and Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of theNorth-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean UNESCO Paris Vol 3 [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Huss H H 1994 Assurance of Seafood Quality FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No348 RomeFAO

Huss H H 1995 Quality and quality changes on fresh fish FAO Fisheries TechnicalPaper No 334 Rome FAO

Iceland Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) Mission - Objectives[18122001]httpwwwfiskistofaisdirfishadminqualityhtml

International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2000 International Standard ISO90002000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

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Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

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APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

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ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 7: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 7

Food Law lays down the general food safety requirements Regarding traceability itestablishes the need for traceability at all stages of production and distribution It isproposed that food and feed business operators must identify their raw materialsuppliers and identify to whom they supply products (one up one down traceability)They must have systems to provide those data to the competent authorities label oridentify products to ensure traceability and withdraw and recall unsafe food from themarket (Tracefish 2001)

The fish industry trades globally in a vast range of species and products and is diversein comparison to other protein sources There are hundreds of different species of fishcaptured with different methods of catching handling and food safety requirements Awide range of live chilled frozen and value added fishery products are produced andtraded within the various distribution chains which also have their specialised foodhandling and food safety requirements There is a huge and complex internationaltrade in the raw materials and in primary and secondary processed products (Tracefish2001)

Although there are major structural differences between the chains for different typesof fish products and countries there is also a degree of commonality in informationrequirements These information requirements can be categorised as (Tracefish 2001)bull Fundamental to traceability Each food business has to collect and keep

information and make it available to the competent authorities and to other foodbusiness operators for the purpose of product withdrawal or recall

bull Specifically required information on the nature of the food and the operationsinvolved This is information required by law for particular purposes and must bemade available to the appropriate authorities

bull Commercially desirable information on the nature of the food and the operationsThis information can be requested by food business for different reasons such asethical environmental GMP quality assurance records raw material or productstandards and specifications etc

At present a lot of information is being recorded in the product information system ofthe processing and distribution chains Some of that information passes from one linkin the chain to the next either on the label or in the documents the rest is held by theproducer or the distributor To properly implement traceability it is necessary todefine the physical unit and batch A physical unit can be an individual large fish abox or a tub of fish a package case or pallet of products a freight container Thebatch can be a catching day production date a shipment etc The informationattached to the unit is to be the key to traceability ie the product number (code)production date and producers number makes it possible to trace the product to theproducer and look up the required information

Figure 1 is an example of the chain from catch to the consumer with the multiple linksand information flow If the information is available with all the data and a uniqueidentifier to label the batch at each link then the product can be traced

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 8

Figure 1 Example of the chain and information flow for redfish caught and processedinto frozen fillets in Iceland and sold to Germany (Paacutelsson and Oacutelafsdoacutettir 2001)

A product can be traced either backward or forward Backward leads to the origin andhistory everything that went to a batch and depends on all links mappingidentification (ID) of output batches to ID of input batches Forward trace explainswhat happened to a certain batch all the processes and output batches that the batch inquestion went into Keeping track of batches and their properties is the key toimplementing chain traceability It means that we must record what batches we usewe must have the ability to access to their properties and we must relate input batchesand properties to the batches we make (Olsen 2001)

A step forward in the implementation of traceability will be the development of astandard for electronic transmission of data and information Because of increasinginformation demands from buyers and consumers it is no longer practical to transmitall the data physically along with the product A more sensible approach is to markeach package with a unique identifier and then transmit or extract all the relevantinformation electronically (Paacutelsson et al 2000) But so far it is common to use otherways like telephone e-mail and fax for communication between the links

23 Quality factors

Definitions of quality as applied to food products vary according to the authorDifferent qualities with respect to seafood include safety nutritional qualityavailability convenience and integrity and freshness quality (Bisogni et al 1987Botta 1995 Bremner 2000) The most important is seafood safety

Seafood quality is usually influenced by freshness or degree of spoilage of the rawmaterial or the product Freshness is considered as one of the most important factorsdetermining quality of fish (Soslashrensen 1992 Sakaguchi and Koike 1992 Botta 1995Oacutelafsdoacutettir 1997) Handling processing and storage techniques can also affect thequality of fish and fishery products as they can result in the occurrence of defects suchas bruises bloodstains trimming imperfections etc (Soslashrensen 1992 Valdimarsson1992)

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 9

Many studies have been done on spoilage processes of fish stored in ice and frozenstorage considering a whole range of influencing factors which can affect the fishquality Among others these factors are related to fish species size and seasonalcondition fishing method handling processing technology time and temperaturedevelopment

231 Freshness parameters

Fish is a perishable commodity Upon death a series of natural changes start leadingto spoilage affecting the shelf life of the fish Freshness or the extent of spoilageduring storage under chilled conditions is the key determinant of the quality of fishand fishery products (Whittle et al 1990 Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) Shelf life of fish isdefined as the length of time it is fit for human consumption (Martinsdoacutettir et al2001) Spoilage due to microbial activity is the main limitation of the shelf life of icedor refrigerated fish

Off-odours and off-flavours slime formation gas production discoloration andchanges in texture are obvious signs of spoilage (Huss 1994) The development ofthese spoilage conditions in fish and fishery products is due to a combination ofchemical autolytic and microbiological changes but the spoilage rate can be reducedby taking preventive measures like icing or keeping a low temperature during storageAccording to Bonnell (1994) controlling the temperature of fish is perhaps the mostimportant element in the preservation of fresh fish The proper cooling of fish has anumber of advantages Firstly bacterial activity depends very much on temperaturethe closer it is to 0degC the slower the rate of bacterial spoilage Likewise enzymeactivity also decreases as temperature falls so the rate of autolytic spoilage issignificantly slowed Chemical spoilage or development of rancidity can be preventedby rapid handling onboard and storage of products under anaerobic conditions

A rise in product temperature accelerates deterioration and reduces quality If the rateof deterioration is known it should be possible to determine the quality at any time bycontinuously monitoring the time and temperature history of fish post mortem(Whittle et al 1990) A number of authors have attempted to derive simplemathematical relationships that provide an acceptable measure of deterioration in fishwith a known timetemperature history These relationships have been used inconjunction with timetemperature recording devices to monitor the deterioration ofquality in batches of fish Post mortem changes in electrical properties of fish skin andflesh are also used in determining the potential shelf life of whole fish but it is notuseful for frozen products (Whittle et al 1990 Huss 1995)

232 Defects

Sensory inspection of processed fish is used in fish industry to find defects that haveoccurred during handling and processing (Oehlenschlager 1997) These defects arewell described in the technical specifications for the products

Defects can be related to the condition of the fish flesh appearance which includescolour defects (bruises bloodspots) and dehydration workmanship defects such asimproper packaging and cutting and trimming imperfections scales bones foreign

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 10

matters skin and black membrane and the size of fillets (USDC 1990) Evaluation ofdefects is widely used in control of processes and to grade fish for selling or buyingpurposes

24 Methods to evaluate fish freshness

Huss (1995) and Bonnell (1994) discuss the methods applied to evaluate the freshnessof fish which are divided in two categories sensory and instrumental techniquesInstrumental methods include biochemical and chemical microbiological andphysical Each of these methods measure different spoilage indicators in fish andfishery products Only through a combination of instrumental and sensory analysiscan optimal information on the product be obtained

241 Microbiological methods

The activity of microorganisms is the main factor limiting the shelf life of fresh fishThe aim of microbiological examinations is to evaluate the possible presence ofbacteria or organisms of public health significance and to give an impression of thehygienic quality of the fish This includes temperature abuse and hygiene duringhandling and processing (Huss 1995) An estimation of the total viable count (TVC) isused as an index in standards guidelines and specifications Specific spoilageorganisms (SSO) capable of producing hydrogen sulphide or reducing trimethylamineoxide (TMAO) are considered more useful to estimate spoilage and the remainingshelf life of fish and fishery products (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997)

242 Biochemical and chemical methods

Classical chemical methods for the analysis of total volatile bases (TVB) andtrimethylamine (TMA) are used for the determination of fish freshness (Oacutelafsdoacutettir etal 1997) TVB only reflect later stages of spoilage so it is not reliable for the firstdays of chilled storage of fish (Huss 1995) Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is anotherindicator of fish freshness The extent of ATP degradation is expressed as the K valuewhich is defined as the ratio of the sum of inosine and hypoxanthine concentrations tothe total concentration of ATP metabolites (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) There are othermethods related to lipid oxidation such as determination of peroxide thiobarbituricacid and iodine values

243 Physical methods

Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al (1997) describe physical methods based on changes in the electricproperties of the fish muscle Different devices are available to measure electricalproperties the Torrymeter the Fish tester and the RT-Freshness Grader but they canonly be used for fresh fish Changes of structure and colour also occur in the fishflesh Texturometers are used to measure the structural changes

Time-temperature indicators (TTI) are based on using some biological chemical orphysical processes that depend on time and temperature and can give informationabout the time-temperature history of the food All methods mentioned above provideinformation on parameters related to fish freshness but none of them alone is capableto determine whether a fish is fresh or not

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 11

244 Sensory methods

Sensory evaluation is the most important method for assessing freshness and qualityof fish and fish products (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) Sensory methods offer a rapidand accurate measurement of perceived attributes providing information about foodSensory evaluation is defined as the scientific discipline used to evoke measureanalyse and interpret characteristics of food as perceived by the senses of sight smelltaste touch and hearing (Huss 1995 Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) Sensory tests can bedivided into three groups discriminative descriptive and affective The first two areanalytical tests in which a trained panel is used while the third are subjectiveconsumer tests based on a measure of preference or acceptance The most commonlyused descriptive tests are structured scaling for quality assessment and profiling for adetailed description of one or more attributes Sensory evaluation is currently the mostimportant method used for freshness evaluation in the fish sector

The most common sensory method used in Europe is the EU scheme (Oacutelafsdoacutettir etal 1997 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) in which three grades of freshness are establishedE A and B corresponding to various stages of spoilage Extra is the highest qualitywhile B is the level where fish is considered unfit for human consumption Thisscheme does not take into account differences between species because only generalparameters are used The Torry scheme a ten score system for the evaluation ofcooked fish is another method used for sensory evaluation of fish freshness

The Quality Index Method (QIM) is based on characteristic changes in raw fish thatoccur in the appearance of eyes skin and gills and odour and texture and a scoresystem from 0 to 3 demerit points (Bremner 1985 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) Thescores for all the attributes are summarised to give an overall sensory score theQuality Index which is then compared to a QIM calibration curve to establish therelative freshness in terms of storage (predicted) days in ice and to predict theremaining storage life (shelf life) The description of each score for each parameter islisted in the QIM scheme (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) The QIMand the schemes have been developed for several fish species eg cod haddockredfish herring saithe and shrimp In this study the QIM method is used in theevaluation of redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella)

3 FIELD STUDY AT UacuteTGERETHARFEacuteLAG AKUREYRAR (UacuteA)

The UacuteA Seafood Group in Akureyri was visited for a two weeks period fromNovember 18th to the 30th This company and in particular the parent company waschosen for the study knowing the fact that UacuteA Seafood Group is one of the leadingcompanies in Iceland operating fishing vessels and processing plants The companysrole is catching processing and selling a variety of high quality safe seafoodproducts

During the field study at UacuteA the documentation of the quality system was accessedand carefully studied The production and quality managers explained in situ theprocessing flow for the different products made from redfish and cod as well eventhough cod was not a part of this study The processing line was visited daily for abetter understanding of the process and the quality control

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 12

It was studied how the information about the process and products is generated howthis information is transmitted along the chain and how it is recorded and stored forthe purposes of traceability This means that information is available to attendcustomer claims recall of products and also to verify the quality and handling of theproducts Data and information were collected from evaluations conducted and fromthe records stored in the companys system This will be presented in chapter 4

31 The structure of the company and main products

The group consists of the parent company and four subsidiaries Laugafiskur ltdspecialising in drying fish Joumlkull ltd concentrating on the processing of whole-frozen pelagic fish Hoacutelmadrangur ltd for shrimp processing and GPG Saltfish ltdspecialising in the production of splitted salted fish The parent company operatestrawlers and processes demersal fish either on shore or on board factory trawlers (UacuteA2001a) The main species harvested are cod (Gadus morhua) redfish (Smarinusmentella) Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) and prawns(Pandalus borealis) In 2000 the total catch of company vessels was 22689 tons (UacuteA2001c)

The main products of the group are frozen seafood and dried fish products The totalproduction of the company in 2000 was more than 17000 tons with a value of ISK53 billion Table 1 shows the production by speciesproduct

UacuteA operates a sales and marketing department which is responsible for the groupsales of fresh and frozen products The access to fresh fish allows the company tooffer high quality products supported by a quality assurance system based onHACCP which ensures product safety The biggest markets for the group are in theUSA and UK Other important markets are Germany Nigeria Japan and TaiwanFrance and Denmark (UacuteA 2001a)

Table 1 Volume of production of UacuteA Seafood Group in 2000 (UacuteA 2001b)

ProductSpecies tonsCod 6086Redfish 2833Haddock 287Saithe 177Greenland halibut 1232Capelin roe 248Shrimp in the shell 3224Cooked and peeled shrimp 1255Total frozen products 15342Stockfish 2215Total 17557

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 13

The UacuteA parent company operates five fishing vessels and two land-based processingplants Three of the vessels are fresh fish trawlers supplying the factories in Akureyriand Greniviacutek one vessel is a freezing trawler for demersal fish and the fifth vessel isa shrimp-freezing trawler The fresh fish trawlers concentrate on the catching of cod(G morhua) haddock (Melanogammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) andsaithe (Pollachius virens) while the freezing trawlers focus on Greenland halibut (Rhippoglossoides) redfish (S marinusmentella) and shrimp (P borealis) (UacuteA 2001a)The UacuteA plant in Akureyri is one of the largest of its kind in the North Atlantic andspecialises in the processing of cod and redfish The plant in Greniviacutek is smaller andprocesses haddock saithe and cod

32 The quality system at UacuteA

The UacuteA Seafood company quality system was studied especially for redfish (Smarinusmentella) Data and information from the processing line was gatheredincluding information on the traceability system For effective quality and processcontrol the plant has implemented a quality system based on HACCP which isproperly described in the companys Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The handbookconsists of 19 sections The sections are listed in Table 2 and comments given onthose sections which are of particular relevance to the present study

33 Redfish processing

The redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella) is a temperate marine species inhabiting theNorth Atlantic ocean waters along the European and American coasts The twospecies of redfish ocean perch (S marinus) and deepwater redfish (S mentella) aredifficult to distinguish Ocean perch (S marinus) has a bright red skin and a chubbyshape it can attain a maximum length of 100 cm and weight up to 15 kg (Hureau andLitvinenko 1986) while deepwater redfish attains a maximum size of 55 cm Redfishis utilised fresh and frozen It is a good table fish with a firm and tasty flesh (Bykov1983) As a result of different storage studies it has been estimated that redfish kept inice at 0degC has a shelf life of 18 days granted that the fish was handled under goodmanufacturing practices on board the vessels (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001)

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 14

Table 2 Sections of the quality handbook of the UacuteA fish processing company withcomments on some of them according to its relevance to the study

Section Comments1 Organogram of thecompany2 Managementresponsibilities3 Flow charts See Figure 1 and a description of the process4 HACCP (own check)system specified in theHACCP handbook

See Appendix 1

5 Preventive measures Includes training of the staff in personal hygiene and operating procedures6 Cleaning andsanitising

Includes all the procedures for cleaning and sanitation of equipment andfacilities and the checklist

7 Quality policy The aim of UacuteA is to produce products of high quality and to be a leadingcompany in quality issues in the market

71 Description of finalproduct

Frozen and fresh products from cod (Gadus morhua) haddock(Melanogrammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) and otherspecies The fish is either whole or fillets skin-on or skin-less trimmedAll products are processed according to specifications required by thebuyers packed for retail or catering or for further processing (blocks) Allthe products should be cooked before consumption

8 Records Most of the data are recorded in computers using software from NavisionFinancial and Marel Every record or form should be filled accurately withall the information required and must have the date and signature of theperson responsible

9 Verification of thesystem

It can be by daily inspection on a regular basis or by audit The audit iscarried out 4 times a year Once per year the Directorate of Fisheriesperforms a verification

10 Marking andtraceability

All individual packages should be labelled with plant number andproduction date according to the rules of day coding as stated in theQuality Handbook Detailed information about marking master cases andpallets is in the Quality Handbook To trace the product it has to be labelledwith processing number (plant number) origin lot number EU plantnumber Also information about catch production and stock should beavailable

11 Recall system In case of something going wrong and a product has to be withdrawn orrecalled the Production Manager should take the appropriate actions andinform the inspection authority who decides what to do with the product

12 Claims andcomplaints13 Record keeping All records including those of traceability are stored for a minimum of two

years14 Sanitary andorhealth certification ofwater ice fishemployees

For certification samples should be taken and sent for analysis Frequencyfor water - once a year ice - once per month fish - 5 or 6 samples weekly

15 Personal hygiene All the employees and persons who enter the processing plant shouldfollow the rules set for personal hygiene The Quality Manager isresponsible to look after this

16 Microbiologicalguidelines

Good Defective RejectTPC 30degC 150 000 150 000 - 350 000 gt350 000Coliforms MPNg lt100 100 - 200 gt200E Coli MPNg 03 03 - 04 gt04Listeria in 25 g Negative Positive

17 Calibration18 Forms used19 Layout

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 15

331 Flow chart and description of redfish fillets production

Frozen redfish fillets are produced following the operations presented in Figure 2 Theraw material entering the process can be whole ungutted fresh fish or frozen at sea(FAS) fillets

whole ungutted redfishReceiving raw material

Cooler

Washing

FilletingSkinning

Trimming Trimming Cooler tanks Flowline Express line

fillets (FAS)Frozen storage Weighing

PackingUnpacking Breading

Plate freezers IQF freezer Size gradingSize grading

Glazing Glazing Batter and breading

Weighing Size grading IQF freezer

Packing Metal detector Weighing PackingWeighing

Packing Casing Labelling

Palletising

Frozen storage

Shipping

Figure 2 Flow chart for frozen redfish fillets processing modified from the flow chartfor fish processing in the Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The shaded boxes in the chartrepresent the CCPs the symbol indicates the CPs along the processing line

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Receiving raw materialCooler From the fresh fish trawlers fish is received wholeungutted washed properly and iced in plastic tubs 460 litres capacity labelled withthe catching day Temperature in the cooler is kept at 0 to 4degCFrozen at sea (FAS) fillets are received and kept in frozen storage at ndash20 to ndash24degC

Washing The plastic tubs with fish are emptied into a hopper with sloping steelconveyor belt with fresh iced water The fish is washed there before grading intosizes There is a steady overflow of fresh water in the hopperAll fish entering to process in the same day is considered a batch A batch usuallyincludes several catching days from one vessel and rarely from different vessels

Filleting and skinning After grading the fish is filleted and skinned in the Baadermachines

Trimming The fillets enter the so-called express line where the quantity depends onthe infection rate by the copepod parasite Sphyrion lumpi If the fillets are free of thisparasite then the fillets go through a faster trimming process If the fillets need morecareful trimming for example because of parasite infection or because the filletshould be free of pin bones they are sent directly to the traditional trimming flow lineAfter trimming the fillets can go directly to the Individually Quick Frozen (IQF)freezer they can be pumped to cooler tanks where the fillets are iced properly forstorage at temperature around 05degC or they can be sent to produce fillet blocks

Weighing and packing Blocks Fillets blocks are packed directly into carton boxesThe cartons are labelled according to specifications with production date plantnumber product number and origin The packed products are placed into freezingpans or block frames The freezing pans are placed into racks

Plate freezers and depanning The freezing pans are taken from the racks and putinto the plate freezers Freezing time is usually 25-3 hours or until the coretemperature has reached ndash24degC at minimum After freezing the cartons are depanned

IQF fillets IQF freezerglazingFillets are placed on in-feed conveyor belt for the IQF freezer The core temperaturemust reach at least ndash24degC After leaving the IQF freezer the fillets are sprayed withpotable water to reach desirable glaze percentage if required

Breading A part of the redfish fillets either frozen at sea (FAS) or IQF frozen in theplant are breaded in a special batter and breading line The fillets are arranged on anin-feed conveyor belt where they are covered with batter that is continuously renewedand then the battered fillets are automatically covered with breadcrumbs Then thebreaded fillets enter an IQF freezer From there the fillets are transferred to thepacking area

IQF size gradingWeighingPacking Size grading is automatic Weighing can beeither automatic or manual The retail bags are closed by heat sealing codedaccording to specifications and passed through a metal detector Other IQF productsare put into plastic bag inside of a master case and closed with a tape

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Casing labelling and palletising The cartons are packed in master cases taped orclosed with plastic straps and labelled according to specifications Master cases arestacked on pallets and strapped with plastic and labelled IQF products other thanretail packs are already in master cases and are therefore only labelled and palletisedat this stage

Frozen storage Palletised products are placed immediately into frozen storage at amaximum temperature of ndash24degC

Shipping Palletised product is taken directly from frozen storage to freezercontainers at ndash24degC

Specific operational procedures for each product are detailed on productspecifications

34 HACCP (own check) system of the company

The HACCP system also called own check system is fully described in the HACCPhandbook (UacuteA 1999) A scheme of the system is presented in Appendix 1 TheHACCP analysis and the HACCP plan are shown in Appendices 2 and 3 respectively

Control points are established to monitor both product and process in the own checksystem of the plant These points are located in the reception area after trimmingfreezing in casinglabellingpalletising after battering and breading for breadedproducts and finally in weighingpacking operation in IQF products At each controlpoint samples are taken and evaluated according to the specifications and proceduresQuality and processing parameters controlled are well described in Appendix 1

Temperature is monitored in every step of the process including frozen storage offinal products All the information generated is recorded electronically or in thecorresponding form for each operation or product

35 Labelling and traceability in the fish processing plant

From the moment the fish is brought on board the vessel information is generated andrecorded until the product reaches the end customer Part of the information will betransmitted from one link to the next attached to the unit The rest will remain in thelink for internal use and will be accessible if necessary Most of the informationoriginates in the catching and processing links

Redfish fillets blocks were chosen in our study as an example to illustrate theinformation recorded during each step of the processing and distribution chain First itis necessary to identify batches and units within the chain (See Table 3)

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Table 3 Identification of batches and units in the processing and distribution chain forfrozen redfish fillets blocks exported to Europe

Step Batch UnitsCatching Catching day TubProduction Production day Cartons palletTransport to carrier Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerStorage at carrier (Eimskip) Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerTransport at sea (Eimskip) Shipment Pallet container kg or tonExport company (IFPC SIF) An order or shipment Pallet container kg or tonCustoms Shipment Kg tonDirectorate of Fisheries Catch - Fishing trip

Export - ShipmentPallet container kg or ton

Note IFPC is the abbreviation of Icelandic Freezing Plants Corporation

Figure 3 is a simple illustration of the chain for frozen redfish fillets blocks producedat UacuteA fish processing company and exported to Europe Major export companies forUacuteA fish products are IFPC and the SIF Group The shipping company is EIMSKIPwhich stores the product in frozen storage and freights it to Europe

Directorate of Fisheries Export company Customs

UacuteA Transport Shipping BuyerCatch Production company company

Figure 3 Scheme of production and distribution chain for frozen redfish fillets blocksexported to Europe showing the entities involved and the transmission ofinformation

UacuteA receives the raw material to be processed in the plant from its own fishing vesselsThe information about the catch and finished products sent for export is given to theDirectorate of Fisheries Information is transmitted between UacuteA and the exportcompany about the fish products available for export At the request of UacuteA thetransport company freights the product to frozen storage at the carrier (EIMSKIP)The export company interacts with the shipping company and the buyer in Europeregarding shipments The export company also provides the information requested bycustoms about shipment of products The information registered in each step ispresented in Figure 4

Part of the information is printed out on a label attached to the unit and transmitted tothe next link in the production and distribution chain This information variesaccording to the product type and packaging Table 4 shows this information forfrozen redfish fillets blocks

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Catching ProcessingVessel name Information from catch Information from productionFishing trip number Vessel name Name of productTime of catch Fishing trip number Origin of raw materialFishing area Fishing area Plant numberFishing gear Fish species EU authorisation numberQuantity in a haul Units per catching day Product numbercodeHauling time Condition of fish Production datelot numberFish species Weight of fish Best before dateQuantity of fish (tubs) Icefish ratio WeightOther parameters Other parameters Temperature

Quality and processingparametersSensory evaluation resultsMicrobiological results

Transport and storage Export companyProducers name Product name andCarrier name numberExporter name EU author numberProduct name andnumber

Producers name andnumber

Pallet number Origin of the productTemperature during Order numbertransport and storage Shipment numberContainer number Invoice numberDates and places when Customs id numberreceived and delivered Name of buyer

Addresses

Customs Directorate of FisheriesFish species Information about catch Information about exportsProduct name and Species Speciesdescription Vessel name and Product name andOrigin of the product number descriptionDestination Date and place of Producers name

landing Country of destinationQuantity Carrier name

Departure dateQuantity

Figure 4 Information registered at each step in the chain for frozen redfish filletsblocks

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Table 4 Information provided in the label for frozen redfish fillets blocks exported toEuropeStep Unit Information attachedCatch Tub Catching dayProduction Case

Pallet

Production datelot numberPlant numberOriginEU authorisation numberPallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOrigin

Transport and storage Pallet container Pallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOriginContainer number

351 Example of the chain (Catch-Processing-Transport) for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Using the information collected during the field study an example of how the productcan be traced back and forward is illustrated in Figure 5 Starting with the catch rawmaterial from 6 catching days went to a new batch fishing trip 23 from the fishingtrawler Hardbakur The fish from this batch was processed in three differentproduction days or batches corresponding to September 26 27 and 28 productiondates as shown in the figure Product processed on September 26 was palletised inthree pallets that were finally transported as units of a new batch to storage at theshipping company to be exported to Europe Once the fish has entered to theprocessing line it is not longer possible to identify the catching day

BATCH BATCH BATCH BATCHCatching days Fishing trip Production date Pallet number Container number

72583

2609 72633110

726356 catching days Hardbakur 23 2709

Vessel 72672

2809 72704

Figure 5 Example of catch-production-transport links for frozen redfish filletsprocessed in UacuteA showing the different batches identifiers in each step

Catch Production Transport

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4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH

41 Introduction

Quality evaluation of fish is one of the most important aspects to be considered in thequality system of a fish processing plant The field study carried out at UacuteA provided agood opportunity to perform evaluations using the information available in the plantand taking samples to conduct the analysis thus gaining skills and experience

42 Materials and methods

Evaluation of raw material and fillets were carried out based on the quality system ofthe company Moreover sensory evaluation of the raw material using the QIM wasdone on samples from one fishing trip (November 21-27) of the vessel Arbakur

421 Evaluation of raw material

At UacuteA every batch of fish is evaluated at the moment of landing and reception in theplant A batch in this case is the fish of the same species from all the catch of onefishing trip The samples are taken randomly from different catching days andevaluated using the form shown in Table 5 This form includes the vessels name thenumber of the fishing trip and date of evaluation Once the evaluation has been carriedout a new form is filled with the final scores given to the parameters checked Theseresults are valid for the whole fishing trip (batch) A five score scheme is used Fishwith score 2 or less is unsuitable for processing

Information about the redfish received from the vessels for a period one month fromSeptember 23rd to October 24th was accessed and analysed Whole ungutted redfishfrom 8 batches was evaluated looking at the handling on board weight of fish and icewashing how the fish was aligned in the tub and icing ie fish-ice layers and icefishratio The data was recorded (Appendix 4) and analysed using the principalcomponent analysis technique (PCA) in Unscrambler (Camo Norway)

Table 5 Form for the evaluation of raw material (redfish) in the reception area

Ice

Cat

chin

g da

y

Spec

ies

Top

Mid

dle

Bot

tom

Ave

rage

Alig

nmen

t of

fishe

s in

tub

Was

hing

Oth

er sp

ecie

s

No

of f

ishe

s in

sam

ple

No

of d

efec

ts

Net

to k

g

Ice

kg

Bru

tto k

g

Ice

Fish

Con

tam

inat

ion

422 Evaluation of fillets

After trimming a random sample of fish fillets are checked for defects in appearance(bones parasites bloodspots bruises black membrane) Colour and smell are

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evaluated on a scale from 2 to 5 In this study data collection and evaluation werecarried out for redfish fillets after trimming

Data from the quality system on evaluation of fish fillets after trimming were studiedInformation was collected from ten processing days starting from September 26th toOctober 18th The raw material came from eight fishing trips of the three vessels thatthe company owns The data were recorded as shown in Table 7

423 Quality Index Method

Sensory evaluation of raw material using the QIM method was conducted underprocessing conditions as part of this study A batch consisting of three catching daysfrom one vessels fishing trip was sampled taking five samples from each catchingday The fishing trip in this case was 6 days long The samples came from the secondfourth and sixth catching days it means that they had been in ice for six four and twodays respectively (Table 8) The scores for each parameter were determined byconsensus of the two untrained assessors evaluating fish the author of this report andthe inspector in the reception area in the plant

43 Results and discussion431 Raw material

The current evaluation of raw material (redfish) mainly focuses on handlingparameters as shown in the form in Table 5 and in Appendix 4

PCA was done to study the main trend in the data set from evaluation of raw materialin the reception area This technique allows the analysis of different variables at thesame time In this evaluation the useful information is icing icefish ratio andcatching day Figure 6 shows two main grouping of the data which mean that sampleswith parameters of similar values are correlated PC1 explains 75 of the variation inthe data and is mainly giving information about the amount of icing which appears tobe related to the catching days Samples located on the right side of the plot aremainly from catching days 6 7 and 8 while those on the left side are from days 1 2and 3 The position of the samples with missing catching day on the plot gives an ideaof their catching day because they have similar values as those samples located closeto them One outlier (Arb 26-1) is observed at the bottom left side of the figureLooking in Appendix 4 we find that it corresponded to a tub of fish with a score of 1for icing This tub was overloaded with fish so the quantity of ice was insufficient tocool the fish properly Another outlier (Kaldb 23-2) is on the top right side of thefigure In this case the quantity of ice was more than the necessary

Current evaluation of redfish in the plant is focused on handling parameters There isno regular evaluation of freshness attributes of fish There may be two main reasonsfor this one is that the raw material is received from their own vessels The otherreason is that each tub of fish is labelled with the catching day which means that thedays fish has been in ice are known so the freshness of fish and the remaining shelflife can be determined

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-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

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trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

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Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

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5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

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UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme i

APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

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ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 8: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 8

Figure 1 Example of the chain and information flow for redfish caught and processedinto frozen fillets in Iceland and sold to Germany (Paacutelsson and Oacutelafsdoacutettir 2001)

A product can be traced either backward or forward Backward leads to the origin andhistory everything that went to a batch and depends on all links mappingidentification (ID) of output batches to ID of input batches Forward trace explainswhat happened to a certain batch all the processes and output batches that the batch inquestion went into Keeping track of batches and their properties is the key toimplementing chain traceability It means that we must record what batches we usewe must have the ability to access to their properties and we must relate input batchesand properties to the batches we make (Olsen 2001)

A step forward in the implementation of traceability will be the development of astandard for electronic transmission of data and information Because of increasinginformation demands from buyers and consumers it is no longer practical to transmitall the data physically along with the product A more sensible approach is to markeach package with a unique identifier and then transmit or extract all the relevantinformation electronically (Paacutelsson et al 2000) But so far it is common to use otherways like telephone e-mail and fax for communication between the links

23 Quality factors

Definitions of quality as applied to food products vary according to the authorDifferent qualities with respect to seafood include safety nutritional qualityavailability convenience and integrity and freshness quality (Bisogni et al 1987Botta 1995 Bremner 2000) The most important is seafood safety

Seafood quality is usually influenced by freshness or degree of spoilage of the rawmaterial or the product Freshness is considered as one of the most important factorsdetermining quality of fish (Soslashrensen 1992 Sakaguchi and Koike 1992 Botta 1995Oacutelafsdoacutettir 1997) Handling processing and storage techniques can also affect thequality of fish and fishery products as they can result in the occurrence of defects suchas bruises bloodstains trimming imperfections etc (Soslashrensen 1992 Valdimarsson1992)

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 9

Many studies have been done on spoilage processes of fish stored in ice and frozenstorage considering a whole range of influencing factors which can affect the fishquality Among others these factors are related to fish species size and seasonalcondition fishing method handling processing technology time and temperaturedevelopment

231 Freshness parameters

Fish is a perishable commodity Upon death a series of natural changes start leadingto spoilage affecting the shelf life of the fish Freshness or the extent of spoilageduring storage under chilled conditions is the key determinant of the quality of fishand fishery products (Whittle et al 1990 Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) Shelf life of fish isdefined as the length of time it is fit for human consumption (Martinsdoacutettir et al2001) Spoilage due to microbial activity is the main limitation of the shelf life of icedor refrigerated fish

Off-odours and off-flavours slime formation gas production discoloration andchanges in texture are obvious signs of spoilage (Huss 1994) The development ofthese spoilage conditions in fish and fishery products is due to a combination ofchemical autolytic and microbiological changes but the spoilage rate can be reducedby taking preventive measures like icing or keeping a low temperature during storageAccording to Bonnell (1994) controlling the temperature of fish is perhaps the mostimportant element in the preservation of fresh fish The proper cooling of fish has anumber of advantages Firstly bacterial activity depends very much on temperaturethe closer it is to 0degC the slower the rate of bacterial spoilage Likewise enzymeactivity also decreases as temperature falls so the rate of autolytic spoilage issignificantly slowed Chemical spoilage or development of rancidity can be preventedby rapid handling onboard and storage of products under anaerobic conditions

A rise in product temperature accelerates deterioration and reduces quality If the rateof deterioration is known it should be possible to determine the quality at any time bycontinuously monitoring the time and temperature history of fish post mortem(Whittle et al 1990) A number of authors have attempted to derive simplemathematical relationships that provide an acceptable measure of deterioration in fishwith a known timetemperature history These relationships have been used inconjunction with timetemperature recording devices to monitor the deterioration ofquality in batches of fish Post mortem changes in electrical properties of fish skin andflesh are also used in determining the potential shelf life of whole fish but it is notuseful for frozen products (Whittle et al 1990 Huss 1995)

232 Defects

Sensory inspection of processed fish is used in fish industry to find defects that haveoccurred during handling and processing (Oehlenschlager 1997) These defects arewell described in the technical specifications for the products

Defects can be related to the condition of the fish flesh appearance which includescolour defects (bruises bloodspots) and dehydration workmanship defects such asimproper packaging and cutting and trimming imperfections scales bones foreign

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 10

matters skin and black membrane and the size of fillets (USDC 1990) Evaluation ofdefects is widely used in control of processes and to grade fish for selling or buyingpurposes

24 Methods to evaluate fish freshness

Huss (1995) and Bonnell (1994) discuss the methods applied to evaluate the freshnessof fish which are divided in two categories sensory and instrumental techniquesInstrumental methods include biochemical and chemical microbiological andphysical Each of these methods measure different spoilage indicators in fish andfishery products Only through a combination of instrumental and sensory analysiscan optimal information on the product be obtained

241 Microbiological methods

The activity of microorganisms is the main factor limiting the shelf life of fresh fishThe aim of microbiological examinations is to evaluate the possible presence ofbacteria or organisms of public health significance and to give an impression of thehygienic quality of the fish This includes temperature abuse and hygiene duringhandling and processing (Huss 1995) An estimation of the total viable count (TVC) isused as an index in standards guidelines and specifications Specific spoilageorganisms (SSO) capable of producing hydrogen sulphide or reducing trimethylamineoxide (TMAO) are considered more useful to estimate spoilage and the remainingshelf life of fish and fishery products (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997)

242 Biochemical and chemical methods

Classical chemical methods for the analysis of total volatile bases (TVB) andtrimethylamine (TMA) are used for the determination of fish freshness (Oacutelafsdoacutettir etal 1997) TVB only reflect later stages of spoilage so it is not reliable for the firstdays of chilled storage of fish (Huss 1995) Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is anotherindicator of fish freshness The extent of ATP degradation is expressed as the K valuewhich is defined as the ratio of the sum of inosine and hypoxanthine concentrations tothe total concentration of ATP metabolites (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) There are othermethods related to lipid oxidation such as determination of peroxide thiobarbituricacid and iodine values

243 Physical methods

Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al (1997) describe physical methods based on changes in the electricproperties of the fish muscle Different devices are available to measure electricalproperties the Torrymeter the Fish tester and the RT-Freshness Grader but they canonly be used for fresh fish Changes of structure and colour also occur in the fishflesh Texturometers are used to measure the structural changes

Time-temperature indicators (TTI) are based on using some biological chemical orphysical processes that depend on time and temperature and can give informationabout the time-temperature history of the food All methods mentioned above provideinformation on parameters related to fish freshness but none of them alone is capableto determine whether a fish is fresh or not

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 11

244 Sensory methods

Sensory evaluation is the most important method for assessing freshness and qualityof fish and fish products (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) Sensory methods offer a rapidand accurate measurement of perceived attributes providing information about foodSensory evaluation is defined as the scientific discipline used to evoke measureanalyse and interpret characteristics of food as perceived by the senses of sight smelltaste touch and hearing (Huss 1995 Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) Sensory tests can bedivided into three groups discriminative descriptive and affective The first two areanalytical tests in which a trained panel is used while the third are subjectiveconsumer tests based on a measure of preference or acceptance The most commonlyused descriptive tests are structured scaling for quality assessment and profiling for adetailed description of one or more attributes Sensory evaluation is currently the mostimportant method used for freshness evaluation in the fish sector

The most common sensory method used in Europe is the EU scheme (Oacutelafsdoacutettir etal 1997 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) in which three grades of freshness are establishedE A and B corresponding to various stages of spoilage Extra is the highest qualitywhile B is the level where fish is considered unfit for human consumption Thisscheme does not take into account differences between species because only generalparameters are used The Torry scheme a ten score system for the evaluation ofcooked fish is another method used for sensory evaluation of fish freshness

The Quality Index Method (QIM) is based on characteristic changes in raw fish thatoccur in the appearance of eyes skin and gills and odour and texture and a scoresystem from 0 to 3 demerit points (Bremner 1985 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) Thescores for all the attributes are summarised to give an overall sensory score theQuality Index which is then compared to a QIM calibration curve to establish therelative freshness in terms of storage (predicted) days in ice and to predict theremaining storage life (shelf life) The description of each score for each parameter islisted in the QIM scheme (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) The QIMand the schemes have been developed for several fish species eg cod haddockredfish herring saithe and shrimp In this study the QIM method is used in theevaluation of redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella)

3 FIELD STUDY AT UacuteTGERETHARFEacuteLAG AKUREYRAR (UacuteA)

The UacuteA Seafood Group in Akureyri was visited for a two weeks period fromNovember 18th to the 30th This company and in particular the parent company waschosen for the study knowing the fact that UacuteA Seafood Group is one of the leadingcompanies in Iceland operating fishing vessels and processing plants The companysrole is catching processing and selling a variety of high quality safe seafoodproducts

During the field study at UacuteA the documentation of the quality system was accessedand carefully studied The production and quality managers explained in situ theprocessing flow for the different products made from redfish and cod as well eventhough cod was not a part of this study The processing line was visited daily for abetter understanding of the process and the quality control

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 12

It was studied how the information about the process and products is generated howthis information is transmitted along the chain and how it is recorded and stored forthe purposes of traceability This means that information is available to attendcustomer claims recall of products and also to verify the quality and handling of theproducts Data and information were collected from evaluations conducted and fromthe records stored in the companys system This will be presented in chapter 4

31 The structure of the company and main products

The group consists of the parent company and four subsidiaries Laugafiskur ltdspecialising in drying fish Joumlkull ltd concentrating on the processing of whole-frozen pelagic fish Hoacutelmadrangur ltd for shrimp processing and GPG Saltfish ltdspecialising in the production of splitted salted fish The parent company operatestrawlers and processes demersal fish either on shore or on board factory trawlers (UacuteA2001a) The main species harvested are cod (Gadus morhua) redfish (Smarinusmentella) Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) and prawns(Pandalus borealis) In 2000 the total catch of company vessels was 22689 tons (UacuteA2001c)

The main products of the group are frozen seafood and dried fish products The totalproduction of the company in 2000 was more than 17000 tons with a value of ISK53 billion Table 1 shows the production by speciesproduct

UacuteA operates a sales and marketing department which is responsible for the groupsales of fresh and frozen products The access to fresh fish allows the company tooffer high quality products supported by a quality assurance system based onHACCP which ensures product safety The biggest markets for the group are in theUSA and UK Other important markets are Germany Nigeria Japan and TaiwanFrance and Denmark (UacuteA 2001a)

Table 1 Volume of production of UacuteA Seafood Group in 2000 (UacuteA 2001b)

ProductSpecies tonsCod 6086Redfish 2833Haddock 287Saithe 177Greenland halibut 1232Capelin roe 248Shrimp in the shell 3224Cooked and peeled shrimp 1255Total frozen products 15342Stockfish 2215Total 17557

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 13

The UacuteA parent company operates five fishing vessels and two land-based processingplants Three of the vessels are fresh fish trawlers supplying the factories in Akureyriand Greniviacutek one vessel is a freezing trawler for demersal fish and the fifth vessel isa shrimp-freezing trawler The fresh fish trawlers concentrate on the catching of cod(G morhua) haddock (Melanogammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) andsaithe (Pollachius virens) while the freezing trawlers focus on Greenland halibut (Rhippoglossoides) redfish (S marinusmentella) and shrimp (P borealis) (UacuteA 2001a)The UacuteA plant in Akureyri is one of the largest of its kind in the North Atlantic andspecialises in the processing of cod and redfish The plant in Greniviacutek is smaller andprocesses haddock saithe and cod

32 The quality system at UacuteA

The UacuteA Seafood company quality system was studied especially for redfish (Smarinusmentella) Data and information from the processing line was gatheredincluding information on the traceability system For effective quality and processcontrol the plant has implemented a quality system based on HACCP which isproperly described in the companys Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The handbookconsists of 19 sections The sections are listed in Table 2 and comments given onthose sections which are of particular relevance to the present study

33 Redfish processing

The redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella) is a temperate marine species inhabiting theNorth Atlantic ocean waters along the European and American coasts The twospecies of redfish ocean perch (S marinus) and deepwater redfish (S mentella) aredifficult to distinguish Ocean perch (S marinus) has a bright red skin and a chubbyshape it can attain a maximum length of 100 cm and weight up to 15 kg (Hureau andLitvinenko 1986) while deepwater redfish attains a maximum size of 55 cm Redfishis utilised fresh and frozen It is a good table fish with a firm and tasty flesh (Bykov1983) As a result of different storage studies it has been estimated that redfish kept inice at 0degC has a shelf life of 18 days granted that the fish was handled under goodmanufacturing practices on board the vessels (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001)

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 14

Table 2 Sections of the quality handbook of the UacuteA fish processing company withcomments on some of them according to its relevance to the study

Section Comments1 Organogram of thecompany2 Managementresponsibilities3 Flow charts See Figure 1 and a description of the process4 HACCP (own check)system specified in theHACCP handbook

See Appendix 1

5 Preventive measures Includes training of the staff in personal hygiene and operating procedures6 Cleaning andsanitising

Includes all the procedures for cleaning and sanitation of equipment andfacilities and the checklist

7 Quality policy The aim of UacuteA is to produce products of high quality and to be a leadingcompany in quality issues in the market

71 Description of finalproduct

Frozen and fresh products from cod (Gadus morhua) haddock(Melanogrammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) and otherspecies The fish is either whole or fillets skin-on or skin-less trimmedAll products are processed according to specifications required by thebuyers packed for retail or catering or for further processing (blocks) Allthe products should be cooked before consumption

8 Records Most of the data are recorded in computers using software from NavisionFinancial and Marel Every record or form should be filled accurately withall the information required and must have the date and signature of theperson responsible

9 Verification of thesystem

It can be by daily inspection on a regular basis or by audit The audit iscarried out 4 times a year Once per year the Directorate of Fisheriesperforms a verification

10 Marking andtraceability

All individual packages should be labelled with plant number andproduction date according to the rules of day coding as stated in theQuality Handbook Detailed information about marking master cases andpallets is in the Quality Handbook To trace the product it has to be labelledwith processing number (plant number) origin lot number EU plantnumber Also information about catch production and stock should beavailable

11 Recall system In case of something going wrong and a product has to be withdrawn orrecalled the Production Manager should take the appropriate actions andinform the inspection authority who decides what to do with the product

12 Claims andcomplaints13 Record keeping All records including those of traceability are stored for a minimum of two

years14 Sanitary andorhealth certification ofwater ice fishemployees

For certification samples should be taken and sent for analysis Frequencyfor water - once a year ice - once per month fish - 5 or 6 samples weekly

15 Personal hygiene All the employees and persons who enter the processing plant shouldfollow the rules set for personal hygiene The Quality Manager isresponsible to look after this

16 Microbiologicalguidelines

Good Defective RejectTPC 30degC 150 000 150 000 - 350 000 gt350 000Coliforms MPNg lt100 100 - 200 gt200E Coli MPNg 03 03 - 04 gt04Listeria in 25 g Negative Positive

17 Calibration18 Forms used19 Layout

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331 Flow chart and description of redfish fillets production

Frozen redfish fillets are produced following the operations presented in Figure 2 Theraw material entering the process can be whole ungutted fresh fish or frozen at sea(FAS) fillets

whole ungutted redfishReceiving raw material

Cooler

Washing

FilletingSkinning

Trimming Trimming Cooler tanks Flowline Express line

fillets (FAS)Frozen storage Weighing

PackingUnpacking Breading

Plate freezers IQF freezer Size gradingSize grading

Glazing Glazing Batter and breading

Weighing Size grading IQF freezer

Packing Metal detector Weighing PackingWeighing

Packing Casing Labelling

Palletising

Frozen storage

Shipping

Figure 2 Flow chart for frozen redfish fillets processing modified from the flow chartfor fish processing in the Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The shaded boxes in the chartrepresent the CCPs the symbol indicates the CPs along the processing line

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Receiving raw materialCooler From the fresh fish trawlers fish is received wholeungutted washed properly and iced in plastic tubs 460 litres capacity labelled withthe catching day Temperature in the cooler is kept at 0 to 4degCFrozen at sea (FAS) fillets are received and kept in frozen storage at ndash20 to ndash24degC

Washing The plastic tubs with fish are emptied into a hopper with sloping steelconveyor belt with fresh iced water The fish is washed there before grading intosizes There is a steady overflow of fresh water in the hopperAll fish entering to process in the same day is considered a batch A batch usuallyincludes several catching days from one vessel and rarely from different vessels

Filleting and skinning After grading the fish is filleted and skinned in the Baadermachines

Trimming The fillets enter the so-called express line where the quantity depends onthe infection rate by the copepod parasite Sphyrion lumpi If the fillets are free of thisparasite then the fillets go through a faster trimming process If the fillets need morecareful trimming for example because of parasite infection or because the filletshould be free of pin bones they are sent directly to the traditional trimming flow lineAfter trimming the fillets can go directly to the Individually Quick Frozen (IQF)freezer they can be pumped to cooler tanks where the fillets are iced properly forstorage at temperature around 05degC or they can be sent to produce fillet blocks

Weighing and packing Blocks Fillets blocks are packed directly into carton boxesThe cartons are labelled according to specifications with production date plantnumber product number and origin The packed products are placed into freezingpans or block frames The freezing pans are placed into racks

Plate freezers and depanning The freezing pans are taken from the racks and putinto the plate freezers Freezing time is usually 25-3 hours or until the coretemperature has reached ndash24degC at minimum After freezing the cartons are depanned

IQF fillets IQF freezerglazingFillets are placed on in-feed conveyor belt for the IQF freezer The core temperaturemust reach at least ndash24degC After leaving the IQF freezer the fillets are sprayed withpotable water to reach desirable glaze percentage if required

Breading A part of the redfish fillets either frozen at sea (FAS) or IQF frozen in theplant are breaded in a special batter and breading line The fillets are arranged on anin-feed conveyor belt where they are covered with batter that is continuously renewedand then the battered fillets are automatically covered with breadcrumbs Then thebreaded fillets enter an IQF freezer From there the fillets are transferred to thepacking area

IQF size gradingWeighingPacking Size grading is automatic Weighing can beeither automatic or manual The retail bags are closed by heat sealing codedaccording to specifications and passed through a metal detector Other IQF productsare put into plastic bag inside of a master case and closed with a tape

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Casing labelling and palletising The cartons are packed in master cases taped orclosed with plastic straps and labelled according to specifications Master cases arestacked on pallets and strapped with plastic and labelled IQF products other thanretail packs are already in master cases and are therefore only labelled and palletisedat this stage

Frozen storage Palletised products are placed immediately into frozen storage at amaximum temperature of ndash24degC

Shipping Palletised product is taken directly from frozen storage to freezercontainers at ndash24degC

Specific operational procedures for each product are detailed on productspecifications

34 HACCP (own check) system of the company

The HACCP system also called own check system is fully described in the HACCPhandbook (UacuteA 1999) A scheme of the system is presented in Appendix 1 TheHACCP analysis and the HACCP plan are shown in Appendices 2 and 3 respectively

Control points are established to monitor both product and process in the own checksystem of the plant These points are located in the reception area after trimmingfreezing in casinglabellingpalletising after battering and breading for breadedproducts and finally in weighingpacking operation in IQF products At each controlpoint samples are taken and evaluated according to the specifications and proceduresQuality and processing parameters controlled are well described in Appendix 1

Temperature is monitored in every step of the process including frozen storage offinal products All the information generated is recorded electronically or in thecorresponding form for each operation or product

35 Labelling and traceability in the fish processing plant

From the moment the fish is brought on board the vessel information is generated andrecorded until the product reaches the end customer Part of the information will betransmitted from one link to the next attached to the unit The rest will remain in thelink for internal use and will be accessible if necessary Most of the informationoriginates in the catching and processing links

Redfish fillets blocks were chosen in our study as an example to illustrate theinformation recorded during each step of the processing and distribution chain First itis necessary to identify batches and units within the chain (See Table 3)

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Table 3 Identification of batches and units in the processing and distribution chain forfrozen redfish fillets blocks exported to Europe

Step Batch UnitsCatching Catching day TubProduction Production day Cartons palletTransport to carrier Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerStorage at carrier (Eimskip) Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerTransport at sea (Eimskip) Shipment Pallet container kg or tonExport company (IFPC SIF) An order or shipment Pallet container kg or tonCustoms Shipment Kg tonDirectorate of Fisheries Catch - Fishing trip

Export - ShipmentPallet container kg or ton

Note IFPC is the abbreviation of Icelandic Freezing Plants Corporation

Figure 3 is a simple illustration of the chain for frozen redfish fillets blocks producedat UacuteA fish processing company and exported to Europe Major export companies forUacuteA fish products are IFPC and the SIF Group The shipping company is EIMSKIPwhich stores the product in frozen storage and freights it to Europe

Directorate of Fisheries Export company Customs

UacuteA Transport Shipping BuyerCatch Production company company

Figure 3 Scheme of production and distribution chain for frozen redfish fillets blocksexported to Europe showing the entities involved and the transmission ofinformation

UacuteA receives the raw material to be processed in the plant from its own fishing vesselsThe information about the catch and finished products sent for export is given to theDirectorate of Fisheries Information is transmitted between UacuteA and the exportcompany about the fish products available for export At the request of UacuteA thetransport company freights the product to frozen storage at the carrier (EIMSKIP)The export company interacts with the shipping company and the buyer in Europeregarding shipments The export company also provides the information requested bycustoms about shipment of products The information registered in each step ispresented in Figure 4

Part of the information is printed out on a label attached to the unit and transmitted tothe next link in the production and distribution chain This information variesaccording to the product type and packaging Table 4 shows this information forfrozen redfish fillets blocks

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Catching ProcessingVessel name Information from catch Information from productionFishing trip number Vessel name Name of productTime of catch Fishing trip number Origin of raw materialFishing area Fishing area Plant numberFishing gear Fish species EU authorisation numberQuantity in a haul Units per catching day Product numbercodeHauling time Condition of fish Production datelot numberFish species Weight of fish Best before dateQuantity of fish (tubs) Icefish ratio WeightOther parameters Other parameters Temperature

Quality and processingparametersSensory evaluation resultsMicrobiological results

Transport and storage Export companyProducers name Product name andCarrier name numberExporter name EU author numberProduct name andnumber

Producers name andnumber

Pallet number Origin of the productTemperature during Order numbertransport and storage Shipment numberContainer number Invoice numberDates and places when Customs id numberreceived and delivered Name of buyer

Addresses

Customs Directorate of FisheriesFish species Information about catch Information about exportsProduct name and Species Speciesdescription Vessel name and Product name andOrigin of the product number descriptionDestination Date and place of Producers name

landing Country of destinationQuantity Carrier name

Departure dateQuantity

Figure 4 Information registered at each step in the chain for frozen redfish filletsblocks

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Table 4 Information provided in the label for frozen redfish fillets blocks exported toEuropeStep Unit Information attachedCatch Tub Catching dayProduction Case

Pallet

Production datelot numberPlant numberOriginEU authorisation numberPallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOrigin

Transport and storage Pallet container Pallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOriginContainer number

351 Example of the chain (Catch-Processing-Transport) for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Using the information collected during the field study an example of how the productcan be traced back and forward is illustrated in Figure 5 Starting with the catch rawmaterial from 6 catching days went to a new batch fishing trip 23 from the fishingtrawler Hardbakur The fish from this batch was processed in three differentproduction days or batches corresponding to September 26 27 and 28 productiondates as shown in the figure Product processed on September 26 was palletised inthree pallets that were finally transported as units of a new batch to storage at theshipping company to be exported to Europe Once the fish has entered to theprocessing line it is not longer possible to identify the catching day

BATCH BATCH BATCH BATCHCatching days Fishing trip Production date Pallet number Container number

72583

2609 72633110

726356 catching days Hardbakur 23 2709

Vessel 72672

2809 72704

Figure 5 Example of catch-production-transport links for frozen redfish filletsprocessed in UacuteA showing the different batches identifiers in each step

Catch Production Transport

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4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH

41 Introduction

Quality evaluation of fish is one of the most important aspects to be considered in thequality system of a fish processing plant The field study carried out at UacuteA provided agood opportunity to perform evaluations using the information available in the plantand taking samples to conduct the analysis thus gaining skills and experience

42 Materials and methods

Evaluation of raw material and fillets were carried out based on the quality system ofthe company Moreover sensory evaluation of the raw material using the QIM wasdone on samples from one fishing trip (November 21-27) of the vessel Arbakur

421 Evaluation of raw material

At UacuteA every batch of fish is evaluated at the moment of landing and reception in theplant A batch in this case is the fish of the same species from all the catch of onefishing trip The samples are taken randomly from different catching days andevaluated using the form shown in Table 5 This form includes the vessels name thenumber of the fishing trip and date of evaluation Once the evaluation has been carriedout a new form is filled with the final scores given to the parameters checked Theseresults are valid for the whole fishing trip (batch) A five score scheme is used Fishwith score 2 or less is unsuitable for processing

Information about the redfish received from the vessels for a period one month fromSeptember 23rd to October 24th was accessed and analysed Whole ungutted redfishfrom 8 batches was evaluated looking at the handling on board weight of fish and icewashing how the fish was aligned in the tub and icing ie fish-ice layers and icefishratio The data was recorded (Appendix 4) and analysed using the principalcomponent analysis technique (PCA) in Unscrambler (Camo Norway)

Table 5 Form for the evaluation of raw material (redfish) in the reception area

Ice

Cat

chin

g da

y

Spec

ies

Top

Mid

dle

Bot

tom

Ave

rage

Alig

nmen

t of

fishe

s in

tub

Was

hing

Oth

er sp

ecie

s

No

of f

ishe

s in

sam

ple

No

of d

efec

ts

Net

to k

g

Ice

kg

Bru

tto k

g

Ice

Fish

Con

tam

inat

ion

422 Evaluation of fillets

After trimming a random sample of fish fillets are checked for defects in appearance(bones parasites bloodspots bruises black membrane) Colour and smell are

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evaluated on a scale from 2 to 5 In this study data collection and evaluation werecarried out for redfish fillets after trimming

Data from the quality system on evaluation of fish fillets after trimming were studiedInformation was collected from ten processing days starting from September 26th toOctober 18th The raw material came from eight fishing trips of the three vessels thatthe company owns The data were recorded as shown in Table 7

423 Quality Index Method

Sensory evaluation of raw material using the QIM method was conducted underprocessing conditions as part of this study A batch consisting of three catching daysfrom one vessels fishing trip was sampled taking five samples from each catchingday The fishing trip in this case was 6 days long The samples came from the secondfourth and sixth catching days it means that they had been in ice for six four and twodays respectively (Table 8) The scores for each parameter were determined byconsensus of the two untrained assessors evaluating fish the author of this report andthe inspector in the reception area in the plant

43 Results and discussion431 Raw material

The current evaluation of raw material (redfish) mainly focuses on handlingparameters as shown in the form in Table 5 and in Appendix 4

PCA was done to study the main trend in the data set from evaluation of raw materialin the reception area This technique allows the analysis of different variables at thesame time In this evaluation the useful information is icing icefish ratio andcatching day Figure 6 shows two main grouping of the data which mean that sampleswith parameters of similar values are correlated PC1 explains 75 of the variation inthe data and is mainly giving information about the amount of icing which appears tobe related to the catching days Samples located on the right side of the plot aremainly from catching days 6 7 and 8 while those on the left side are from days 1 2and 3 The position of the samples with missing catching day on the plot gives an ideaof their catching day because they have similar values as those samples located closeto them One outlier (Arb 26-1) is observed at the bottom left side of the figureLooking in Appendix 4 we find that it corresponded to a tub of fish with a score of 1for icing This tub was overloaded with fish so the quantity of ice was insufficient tocool the fish properly Another outlier (Kaldb 23-2) is on the top right side of thefigure In this case the quantity of ice was more than the necessary

Current evaluation of redfish in the plant is focused on handling parameters There isno regular evaluation of freshness attributes of fish There may be two main reasonsfor this one is that the raw material is received from their own vessels The otherreason is that each tub of fish is labelled with the catching day which means that thedays fish has been in ice are known so the freshness of fish and the remaining shelflife can be determined

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-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

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trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

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Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

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5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

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Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 29

Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme i

APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

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ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 9: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 9

Many studies have been done on spoilage processes of fish stored in ice and frozenstorage considering a whole range of influencing factors which can affect the fishquality Among others these factors are related to fish species size and seasonalcondition fishing method handling processing technology time and temperaturedevelopment

231 Freshness parameters

Fish is a perishable commodity Upon death a series of natural changes start leadingto spoilage affecting the shelf life of the fish Freshness or the extent of spoilageduring storage under chilled conditions is the key determinant of the quality of fishand fishery products (Whittle et al 1990 Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) Shelf life of fish isdefined as the length of time it is fit for human consumption (Martinsdoacutettir et al2001) Spoilage due to microbial activity is the main limitation of the shelf life of icedor refrigerated fish

Off-odours and off-flavours slime formation gas production discoloration andchanges in texture are obvious signs of spoilage (Huss 1994) The development ofthese spoilage conditions in fish and fishery products is due to a combination ofchemical autolytic and microbiological changes but the spoilage rate can be reducedby taking preventive measures like icing or keeping a low temperature during storageAccording to Bonnell (1994) controlling the temperature of fish is perhaps the mostimportant element in the preservation of fresh fish The proper cooling of fish has anumber of advantages Firstly bacterial activity depends very much on temperaturethe closer it is to 0degC the slower the rate of bacterial spoilage Likewise enzymeactivity also decreases as temperature falls so the rate of autolytic spoilage issignificantly slowed Chemical spoilage or development of rancidity can be preventedby rapid handling onboard and storage of products under anaerobic conditions

A rise in product temperature accelerates deterioration and reduces quality If the rateof deterioration is known it should be possible to determine the quality at any time bycontinuously monitoring the time and temperature history of fish post mortem(Whittle et al 1990) A number of authors have attempted to derive simplemathematical relationships that provide an acceptable measure of deterioration in fishwith a known timetemperature history These relationships have been used inconjunction with timetemperature recording devices to monitor the deterioration ofquality in batches of fish Post mortem changes in electrical properties of fish skin andflesh are also used in determining the potential shelf life of whole fish but it is notuseful for frozen products (Whittle et al 1990 Huss 1995)

232 Defects

Sensory inspection of processed fish is used in fish industry to find defects that haveoccurred during handling and processing (Oehlenschlager 1997) These defects arewell described in the technical specifications for the products

Defects can be related to the condition of the fish flesh appearance which includescolour defects (bruises bloodspots) and dehydration workmanship defects such asimproper packaging and cutting and trimming imperfections scales bones foreign

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 10

matters skin and black membrane and the size of fillets (USDC 1990) Evaluation ofdefects is widely used in control of processes and to grade fish for selling or buyingpurposes

24 Methods to evaluate fish freshness

Huss (1995) and Bonnell (1994) discuss the methods applied to evaluate the freshnessof fish which are divided in two categories sensory and instrumental techniquesInstrumental methods include biochemical and chemical microbiological andphysical Each of these methods measure different spoilage indicators in fish andfishery products Only through a combination of instrumental and sensory analysiscan optimal information on the product be obtained

241 Microbiological methods

The activity of microorganisms is the main factor limiting the shelf life of fresh fishThe aim of microbiological examinations is to evaluate the possible presence ofbacteria or organisms of public health significance and to give an impression of thehygienic quality of the fish This includes temperature abuse and hygiene duringhandling and processing (Huss 1995) An estimation of the total viable count (TVC) isused as an index in standards guidelines and specifications Specific spoilageorganisms (SSO) capable of producing hydrogen sulphide or reducing trimethylamineoxide (TMAO) are considered more useful to estimate spoilage and the remainingshelf life of fish and fishery products (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997)

242 Biochemical and chemical methods

Classical chemical methods for the analysis of total volatile bases (TVB) andtrimethylamine (TMA) are used for the determination of fish freshness (Oacutelafsdoacutettir etal 1997) TVB only reflect later stages of spoilage so it is not reliable for the firstdays of chilled storage of fish (Huss 1995) Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is anotherindicator of fish freshness The extent of ATP degradation is expressed as the K valuewhich is defined as the ratio of the sum of inosine and hypoxanthine concentrations tothe total concentration of ATP metabolites (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) There are othermethods related to lipid oxidation such as determination of peroxide thiobarbituricacid and iodine values

243 Physical methods

Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al (1997) describe physical methods based on changes in the electricproperties of the fish muscle Different devices are available to measure electricalproperties the Torrymeter the Fish tester and the RT-Freshness Grader but they canonly be used for fresh fish Changes of structure and colour also occur in the fishflesh Texturometers are used to measure the structural changes

Time-temperature indicators (TTI) are based on using some biological chemical orphysical processes that depend on time and temperature and can give informationabout the time-temperature history of the food All methods mentioned above provideinformation on parameters related to fish freshness but none of them alone is capableto determine whether a fish is fresh or not

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 11

244 Sensory methods

Sensory evaluation is the most important method for assessing freshness and qualityof fish and fish products (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) Sensory methods offer a rapidand accurate measurement of perceived attributes providing information about foodSensory evaluation is defined as the scientific discipline used to evoke measureanalyse and interpret characteristics of food as perceived by the senses of sight smelltaste touch and hearing (Huss 1995 Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) Sensory tests can bedivided into three groups discriminative descriptive and affective The first two areanalytical tests in which a trained panel is used while the third are subjectiveconsumer tests based on a measure of preference or acceptance The most commonlyused descriptive tests are structured scaling for quality assessment and profiling for adetailed description of one or more attributes Sensory evaluation is currently the mostimportant method used for freshness evaluation in the fish sector

The most common sensory method used in Europe is the EU scheme (Oacutelafsdoacutettir etal 1997 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) in which three grades of freshness are establishedE A and B corresponding to various stages of spoilage Extra is the highest qualitywhile B is the level where fish is considered unfit for human consumption Thisscheme does not take into account differences between species because only generalparameters are used The Torry scheme a ten score system for the evaluation ofcooked fish is another method used for sensory evaluation of fish freshness

The Quality Index Method (QIM) is based on characteristic changes in raw fish thatoccur in the appearance of eyes skin and gills and odour and texture and a scoresystem from 0 to 3 demerit points (Bremner 1985 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) Thescores for all the attributes are summarised to give an overall sensory score theQuality Index which is then compared to a QIM calibration curve to establish therelative freshness in terms of storage (predicted) days in ice and to predict theremaining storage life (shelf life) The description of each score for each parameter islisted in the QIM scheme (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) The QIMand the schemes have been developed for several fish species eg cod haddockredfish herring saithe and shrimp In this study the QIM method is used in theevaluation of redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella)

3 FIELD STUDY AT UacuteTGERETHARFEacuteLAG AKUREYRAR (UacuteA)

The UacuteA Seafood Group in Akureyri was visited for a two weeks period fromNovember 18th to the 30th This company and in particular the parent company waschosen for the study knowing the fact that UacuteA Seafood Group is one of the leadingcompanies in Iceland operating fishing vessels and processing plants The companysrole is catching processing and selling a variety of high quality safe seafoodproducts

During the field study at UacuteA the documentation of the quality system was accessedand carefully studied The production and quality managers explained in situ theprocessing flow for the different products made from redfish and cod as well eventhough cod was not a part of this study The processing line was visited daily for abetter understanding of the process and the quality control

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 12

It was studied how the information about the process and products is generated howthis information is transmitted along the chain and how it is recorded and stored forthe purposes of traceability This means that information is available to attendcustomer claims recall of products and also to verify the quality and handling of theproducts Data and information were collected from evaluations conducted and fromthe records stored in the companys system This will be presented in chapter 4

31 The structure of the company and main products

The group consists of the parent company and four subsidiaries Laugafiskur ltdspecialising in drying fish Joumlkull ltd concentrating on the processing of whole-frozen pelagic fish Hoacutelmadrangur ltd for shrimp processing and GPG Saltfish ltdspecialising in the production of splitted salted fish The parent company operatestrawlers and processes demersal fish either on shore or on board factory trawlers (UacuteA2001a) The main species harvested are cod (Gadus morhua) redfish (Smarinusmentella) Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) and prawns(Pandalus borealis) In 2000 the total catch of company vessels was 22689 tons (UacuteA2001c)

The main products of the group are frozen seafood and dried fish products The totalproduction of the company in 2000 was more than 17000 tons with a value of ISK53 billion Table 1 shows the production by speciesproduct

UacuteA operates a sales and marketing department which is responsible for the groupsales of fresh and frozen products The access to fresh fish allows the company tooffer high quality products supported by a quality assurance system based onHACCP which ensures product safety The biggest markets for the group are in theUSA and UK Other important markets are Germany Nigeria Japan and TaiwanFrance and Denmark (UacuteA 2001a)

Table 1 Volume of production of UacuteA Seafood Group in 2000 (UacuteA 2001b)

ProductSpecies tonsCod 6086Redfish 2833Haddock 287Saithe 177Greenland halibut 1232Capelin roe 248Shrimp in the shell 3224Cooked and peeled shrimp 1255Total frozen products 15342Stockfish 2215Total 17557

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 13

The UacuteA parent company operates five fishing vessels and two land-based processingplants Three of the vessels are fresh fish trawlers supplying the factories in Akureyriand Greniviacutek one vessel is a freezing trawler for demersal fish and the fifth vessel isa shrimp-freezing trawler The fresh fish trawlers concentrate on the catching of cod(G morhua) haddock (Melanogammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) andsaithe (Pollachius virens) while the freezing trawlers focus on Greenland halibut (Rhippoglossoides) redfish (S marinusmentella) and shrimp (P borealis) (UacuteA 2001a)The UacuteA plant in Akureyri is one of the largest of its kind in the North Atlantic andspecialises in the processing of cod and redfish The plant in Greniviacutek is smaller andprocesses haddock saithe and cod

32 The quality system at UacuteA

The UacuteA Seafood company quality system was studied especially for redfish (Smarinusmentella) Data and information from the processing line was gatheredincluding information on the traceability system For effective quality and processcontrol the plant has implemented a quality system based on HACCP which isproperly described in the companys Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The handbookconsists of 19 sections The sections are listed in Table 2 and comments given onthose sections which are of particular relevance to the present study

33 Redfish processing

The redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella) is a temperate marine species inhabiting theNorth Atlantic ocean waters along the European and American coasts The twospecies of redfish ocean perch (S marinus) and deepwater redfish (S mentella) aredifficult to distinguish Ocean perch (S marinus) has a bright red skin and a chubbyshape it can attain a maximum length of 100 cm and weight up to 15 kg (Hureau andLitvinenko 1986) while deepwater redfish attains a maximum size of 55 cm Redfishis utilised fresh and frozen It is a good table fish with a firm and tasty flesh (Bykov1983) As a result of different storage studies it has been estimated that redfish kept inice at 0degC has a shelf life of 18 days granted that the fish was handled under goodmanufacturing practices on board the vessels (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001)

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Table 2 Sections of the quality handbook of the UacuteA fish processing company withcomments on some of them according to its relevance to the study

Section Comments1 Organogram of thecompany2 Managementresponsibilities3 Flow charts See Figure 1 and a description of the process4 HACCP (own check)system specified in theHACCP handbook

See Appendix 1

5 Preventive measures Includes training of the staff in personal hygiene and operating procedures6 Cleaning andsanitising

Includes all the procedures for cleaning and sanitation of equipment andfacilities and the checklist

7 Quality policy The aim of UacuteA is to produce products of high quality and to be a leadingcompany in quality issues in the market

71 Description of finalproduct

Frozen and fresh products from cod (Gadus morhua) haddock(Melanogrammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) and otherspecies The fish is either whole or fillets skin-on or skin-less trimmedAll products are processed according to specifications required by thebuyers packed for retail or catering or for further processing (blocks) Allthe products should be cooked before consumption

8 Records Most of the data are recorded in computers using software from NavisionFinancial and Marel Every record or form should be filled accurately withall the information required and must have the date and signature of theperson responsible

9 Verification of thesystem

It can be by daily inspection on a regular basis or by audit The audit iscarried out 4 times a year Once per year the Directorate of Fisheriesperforms a verification

10 Marking andtraceability

All individual packages should be labelled with plant number andproduction date according to the rules of day coding as stated in theQuality Handbook Detailed information about marking master cases andpallets is in the Quality Handbook To trace the product it has to be labelledwith processing number (plant number) origin lot number EU plantnumber Also information about catch production and stock should beavailable

11 Recall system In case of something going wrong and a product has to be withdrawn orrecalled the Production Manager should take the appropriate actions andinform the inspection authority who decides what to do with the product

12 Claims andcomplaints13 Record keeping All records including those of traceability are stored for a minimum of two

years14 Sanitary andorhealth certification ofwater ice fishemployees

For certification samples should be taken and sent for analysis Frequencyfor water - once a year ice - once per month fish - 5 or 6 samples weekly

15 Personal hygiene All the employees and persons who enter the processing plant shouldfollow the rules set for personal hygiene The Quality Manager isresponsible to look after this

16 Microbiologicalguidelines

Good Defective RejectTPC 30degC 150 000 150 000 - 350 000 gt350 000Coliforms MPNg lt100 100 - 200 gt200E Coli MPNg 03 03 - 04 gt04Listeria in 25 g Negative Positive

17 Calibration18 Forms used19 Layout

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331 Flow chart and description of redfish fillets production

Frozen redfish fillets are produced following the operations presented in Figure 2 Theraw material entering the process can be whole ungutted fresh fish or frozen at sea(FAS) fillets

whole ungutted redfishReceiving raw material

Cooler

Washing

FilletingSkinning

Trimming Trimming Cooler tanks Flowline Express line

fillets (FAS)Frozen storage Weighing

PackingUnpacking Breading

Plate freezers IQF freezer Size gradingSize grading

Glazing Glazing Batter and breading

Weighing Size grading IQF freezer

Packing Metal detector Weighing PackingWeighing

Packing Casing Labelling

Palletising

Frozen storage

Shipping

Figure 2 Flow chart for frozen redfish fillets processing modified from the flow chartfor fish processing in the Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The shaded boxes in the chartrepresent the CCPs the symbol indicates the CPs along the processing line

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Receiving raw materialCooler From the fresh fish trawlers fish is received wholeungutted washed properly and iced in plastic tubs 460 litres capacity labelled withthe catching day Temperature in the cooler is kept at 0 to 4degCFrozen at sea (FAS) fillets are received and kept in frozen storage at ndash20 to ndash24degC

Washing The plastic tubs with fish are emptied into a hopper with sloping steelconveyor belt with fresh iced water The fish is washed there before grading intosizes There is a steady overflow of fresh water in the hopperAll fish entering to process in the same day is considered a batch A batch usuallyincludes several catching days from one vessel and rarely from different vessels

Filleting and skinning After grading the fish is filleted and skinned in the Baadermachines

Trimming The fillets enter the so-called express line where the quantity depends onthe infection rate by the copepod parasite Sphyrion lumpi If the fillets are free of thisparasite then the fillets go through a faster trimming process If the fillets need morecareful trimming for example because of parasite infection or because the filletshould be free of pin bones they are sent directly to the traditional trimming flow lineAfter trimming the fillets can go directly to the Individually Quick Frozen (IQF)freezer they can be pumped to cooler tanks where the fillets are iced properly forstorage at temperature around 05degC or they can be sent to produce fillet blocks

Weighing and packing Blocks Fillets blocks are packed directly into carton boxesThe cartons are labelled according to specifications with production date plantnumber product number and origin The packed products are placed into freezingpans or block frames The freezing pans are placed into racks

Plate freezers and depanning The freezing pans are taken from the racks and putinto the plate freezers Freezing time is usually 25-3 hours or until the coretemperature has reached ndash24degC at minimum After freezing the cartons are depanned

IQF fillets IQF freezerglazingFillets are placed on in-feed conveyor belt for the IQF freezer The core temperaturemust reach at least ndash24degC After leaving the IQF freezer the fillets are sprayed withpotable water to reach desirable glaze percentage if required

Breading A part of the redfish fillets either frozen at sea (FAS) or IQF frozen in theplant are breaded in a special batter and breading line The fillets are arranged on anin-feed conveyor belt where they are covered with batter that is continuously renewedand then the battered fillets are automatically covered with breadcrumbs Then thebreaded fillets enter an IQF freezer From there the fillets are transferred to thepacking area

IQF size gradingWeighingPacking Size grading is automatic Weighing can beeither automatic or manual The retail bags are closed by heat sealing codedaccording to specifications and passed through a metal detector Other IQF productsare put into plastic bag inside of a master case and closed with a tape

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Casing labelling and palletising The cartons are packed in master cases taped orclosed with plastic straps and labelled according to specifications Master cases arestacked on pallets and strapped with plastic and labelled IQF products other thanretail packs are already in master cases and are therefore only labelled and palletisedat this stage

Frozen storage Palletised products are placed immediately into frozen storage at amaximum temperature of ndash24degC

Shipping Palletised product is taken directly from frozen storage to freezercontainers at ndash24degC

Specific operational procedures for each product are detailed on productspecifications

34 HACCP (own check) system of the company

The HACCP system also called own check system is fully described in the HACCPhandbook (UacuteA 1999) A scheme of the system is presented in Appendix 1 TheHACCP analysis and the HACCP plan are shown in Appendices 2 and 3 respectively

Control points are established to monitor both product and process in the own checksystem of the plant These points are located in the reception area after trimmingfreezing in casinglabellingpalletising after battering and breading for breadedproducts and finally in weighingpacking operation in IQF products At each controlpoint samples are taken and evaluated according to the specifications and proceduresQuality and processing parameters controlled are well described in Appendix 1

Temperature is monitored in every step of the process including frozen storage offinal products All the information generated is recorded electronically or in thecorresponding form for each operation or product

35 Labelling and traceability in the fish processing plant

From the moment the fish is brought on board the vessel information is generated andrecorded until the product reaches the end customer Part of the information will betransmitted from one link to the next attached to the unit The rest will remain in thelink for internal use and will be accessible if necessary Most of the informationoriginates in the catching and processing links

Redfish fillets blocks were chosen in our study as an example to illustrate theinformation recorded during each step of the processing and distribution chain First itis necessary to identify batches and units within the chain (See Table 3)

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Table 3 Identification of batches and units in the processing and distribution chain forfrozen redfish fillets blocks exported to Europe

Step Batch UnitsCatching Catching day TubProduction Production day Cartons palletTransport to carrier Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerStorage at carrier (Eimskip) Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerTransport at sea (Eimskip) Shipment Pallet container kg or tonExport company (IFPC SIF) An order or shipment Pallet container kg or tonCustoms Shipment Kg tonDirectorate of Fisheries Catch - Fishing trip

Export - ShipmentPallet container kg or ton

Note IFPC is the abbreviation of Icelandic Freezing Plants Corporation

Figure 3 is a simple illustration of the chain for frozen redfish fillets blocks producedat UacuteA fish processing company and exported to Europe Major export companies forUacuteA fish products are IFPC and the SIF Group The shipping company is EIMSKIPwhich stores the product in frozen storage and freights it to Europe

Directorate of Fisheries Export company Customs

UacuteA Transport Shipping BuyerCatch Production company company

Figure 3 Scheme of production and distribution chain for frozen redfish fillets blocksexported to Europe showing the entities involved and the transmission ofinformation

UacuteA receives the raw material to be processed in the plant from its own fishing vesselsThe information about the catch and finished products sent for export is given to theDirectorate of Fisheries Information is transmitted between UacuteA and the exportcompany about the fish products available for export At the request of UacuteA thetransport company freights the product to frozen storage at the carrier (EIMSKIP)The export company interacts with the shipping company and the buyer in Europeregarding shipments The export company also provides the information requested bycustoms about shipment of products The information registered in each step ispresented in Figure 4

Part of the information is printed out on a label attached to the unit and transmitted tothe next link in the production and distribution chain This information variesaccording to the product type and packaging Table 4 shows this information forfrozen redfish fillets blocks

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Catching ProcessingVessel name Information from catch Information from productionFishing trip number Vessel name Name of productTime of catch Fishing trip number Origin of raw materialFishing area Fishing area Plant numberFishing gear Fish species EU authorisation numberQuantity in a haul Units per catching day Product numbercodeHauling time Condition of fish Production datelot numberFish species Weight of fish Best before dateQuantity of fish (tubs) Icefish ratio WeightOther parameters Other parameters Temperature

Quality and processingparametersSensory evaluation resultsMicrobiological results

Transport and storage Export companyProducers name Product name andCarrier name numberExporter name EU author numberProduct name andnumber

Producers name andnumber

Pallet number Origin of the productTemperature during Order numbertransport and storage Shipment numberContainer number Invoice numberDates and places when Customs id numberreceived and delivered Name of buyer

Addresses

Customs Directorate of FisheriesFish species Information about catch Information about exportsProduct name and Species Speciesdescription Vessel name and Product name andOrigin of the product number descriptionDestination Date and place of Producers name

landing Country of destinationQuantity Carrier name

Departure dateQuantity

Figure 4 Information registered at each step in the chain for frozen redfish filletsblocks

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Table 4 Information provided in the label for frozen redfish fillets blocks exported toEuropeStep Unit Information attachedCatch Tub Catching dayProduction Case

Pallet

Production datelot numberPlant numberOriginEU authorisation numberPallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOrigin

Transport and storage Pallet container Pallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOriginContainer number

351 Example of the chain (Catch-Processing-Transport) for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Using the information collected during the field study an example of how the productcan be traced back and forward is illustrated in Figure 5 Starting with the catch rawmaterial from 6 catching days went to a new batch fishing trip 23 from the fishingtrawler Hardbakur The fish from this batch was processed in three differentproduction days or batches corresponding to September 26 27 and 28 productiondates as shown in the figure Product processed on September 26 was palletised inthree pallets that were finally transported as units of a new batch to storage at theshipping company to be exported to Europe Once the fish has entered to theprocessing line it is not longer possible to identify the catching day

BATCH BATCH BATCH BATCHCatching days Fishing trip Production date Pallet number Container number

72583

2609 72633110

726356 catching days Hardbakur 23 2709

Vessel 72672

2809 72704

Figure 5 Example of catch-production-transport links for frozen redfish filletsprocessed in UacuteA showing the different batches identifiers in each step

Catch Production Transport

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4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH

41 Introduction

Quality evaluation of fish is one of the most important aspects to be considered in thequality system of a fish processing plant The field study carried out at UacuteA provided agood opportunity to perform evaluations using the information available in the plantand taking samples to conduct the analysis thus gaining skills and experience

42 Materials and methods

Evaluation of raw material and fillets were carried out based on the quality system ofthe company Moreover sensory evaluation of the raw material using the QIM wasdone on samples from one fishing trip (November 21-27) of the vessel Arbakur

421 Evaluation of raw material

At UacuteA every batch of fish is evaluated at the moment of landing and reception in theplant A batch in this case is the fish of the same species from all the catch of onefishing trip The samples are taken randomly from different catching days andevaluated using the form shown in Table 5 This form includes the vessels name thenumber of the fishing trip and date of evaluation Once the evaluation has been carriedout a new form is filled with the final scores given to the parameters checked Theseresults are valid for the whole fishing trip (batch) A five score scheme is used Fishwith score 2 or less is unsuitable for processing

Information about the redfish received from the vessels for a period one month fromSeptember 23rd to October 24th was accessed and analysed Whole ungutted redfishfrom 8 batches was evaluated looking at the handling on board weight of fish and icewashing how the fish was aligned in the tub and icing ie fish-ice layers and icefishratio The data was recorded (Appendix 4) and analysed using the principalcomponent analysis technique (PCA) in Unscrambler (Camo Norway)

Table 5 Form for the evaluation of raw material (redfish) in the reception area

Ice

Cat

chin

g da

y

Spec

ies

Top

Mid

dle

Bot

tom

Ave

rage

Alig

nmen

t of

fishe

s in

tub

Was

hing

Oth

er sp

ecie

s

No

of f

ishe

s in

sam

ple

No

of d

efec

ts

Net

to k

g

Ice

kg

Bru

tto k

g

Ice

Fish

Con

tam

inat

ion

422 Evaluation of fillets

After trimming a random sample of fish fillets are checked for defects in appearance(bones parasites bloodspots bruises black membrane) Colour and smell are

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evaluated on a scale from 2 to 5 In this study data collection and evaluation werecarried out for redfish fillets after trimming

Data from the quality system on evaluation of fish fillets after trimming were studiedInformation was collected from ten processing days starting from September 26th toOctober 18th The raw material came from eight fishing trips of the three vessels thatthe company owns The data were recorded as shown in Table 7

423 Quality Index Method

Sensory evaluation of raw material using the QIM method was conducted underprocessing conditions as part of this study A batch consisting of three catching daysfrom one vessels fishing trip was sampled taking five samples from each catchingday The fishing trip in this case was 6 days long The samples came from the secondfourth and sixth catching days it means that they had been in ice for six four and twodays respectively (Table 8) The scores for each parameter were determined byconsensus of the two untrained assessors evaluating fish the author of this report andthe inspector in the reception area in the plant

43 Results and discussion431 Raw material

The current evaluation of raw material (redfish) mainly focuses on handlingparameters as shown in the form in Table 5 and in Appendix 4

PCA was done to study the main trend in the data set from evaluation of raw materialin the reception area This technique allows the analysis of different variables at thesame time In this evaluation the useful information is icing icefish ratio andcatching day Figure 6 shows two main grouping of the data which mean that sampleswith parameters of similar values are correlated PC1 explains 75 of the variation inthe data and is mainly giving information about the amount of icing which appears tobe related to the catching days Samples located on the right side of the plot aremainly from catching days 6 7 and 8 while those on the left side are from days 1 2and 3 The position of the samples with missing catching day on the plot gives an ideaof their catching day because they have similar values as those samples located closeto them One outlier (Arb 26-1) is observed at the bottom left side of the figureLooking in Appendix 4 we find that it corresponded to a tub of fish with a score of 1for icing This tub was overloaded with fish so the quantity of ice was insufficient tocool the fish properly Another outlier (Kaldb 23-2) is on the top right side of thefigure In this case the quantity of ice was more than the necessary

Current evaluation of redfish in the plant is focused on handling parameters There isno regular evaluation of freshness attributes of fish There may be two main reasonsfor this one is that the raw material is received from their own vessels The otherreason is that each tub of fish is labelled with the catching day which means that thedays fish has been in ice are known so the freshness of fish and the remaining shelflife can be determined

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-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

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trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

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Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

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5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

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REFERENCES

Bisogni C A Ryan G J and Regenstein J M 1987 What is fish quality Can weincorporate consumer perceptions In Kramer D E and Liston J eds SeafoodQuality Determination Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Bonnell A D 1994 Quality Assurance in Seafood Processing A Practical GuideNew York London Chapman amp Hall

Botta J R 1995 Evaluation of seafood freshness quality New York VCHPublishers Inc

Bremner H A 1985 A convenient easy-to-use system for estimating the quality ofchilled seafood In Scott D N and Summers C eds Proceedings of the FishProcessing Conference Nelson New Zealand 23-25 April 1985 Fish ProcessingBulletin 759-70

Bremner H A 2000 Toward Practical Definitions of Quality for Food ScienceCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 40(1)83-90

Bykov B P 1983 Marine fishes Chemical composition and processing propertiesAmerind Publishing co PVT Ltd New Delhi [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Codex Alimentarius Commission- Joint FAOWHO Food Standards Programme1997 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and guidelinesfor its application Annex to CACRCP 1-1969 Rev 3 1997

Cuba Ministry of Fishery Industry (MIP) 2000 Cuban fishing industry in 1999[21082001] httpwww2cubamarcupescaipescahtm

Denton W 2001 Introduction to the Captured Fish Standard Traceability of FishProducts (Tracefish) EC-CA QLK1-2000-00164 [24122001]httpwwwtracefishorg

European Economic Community (EEC) 1994 Commission Decision 94356EC of 20May 1994 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive91493EEC as regards own health checks on fishery products Official Journal Ndeg L156 23061994

European Economic Community (EEC) 1991 Council Directive 91493 EEC of 22 ofJuly laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on themarket of fishery products Official Journal NdegL268 240991

European Commission Concerted Action on Fish Quality Labelling and MonitoringFAIR PL 98-4174 (FQLM) 2001 The Practical Problems to be overcome in thevessels ports and auction sectors in order to provide the quality information requiredfor the marketing of fish Working document for the FQLM Workshop Amsterdam[05122001] httpwwwfqlmnl

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Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 1995 21 CFR Parts 123 and 124 Proceduresfor the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery ProductsFinal Rule

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2001 HACCP A State-of-the-art Approach toFood Safety [08122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagov~lrdbghaccphtml

Hernaacutendez Torres D 2000 Role of government in HACCP audit a Cubanperspective Food Control 11 (5)365-369

Hureau J-C and Litvinenko N I 1986 Scorpaenidae In Whitehead P J PBauchot M-L Hureau J-C Nielsen J and Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of theNorth-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean UNESCO Paris Vol 3 [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Huss H H 1994 Assurance of Seafood Quality FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No348 RomeFAO

Huss H H 1995 Quality and quality changes on fresh fish FAO Fisheries TechnicalPaper No 334 Rome FAO

Iceland Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) Mission - Objectives[18122001]httpwwwfiskistofaisdirfishadminqualityhtml

International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2000 International Standard ISO90002000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 29

Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme i

APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

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ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 10: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 10

matters skin and black membrane and the size of fillets (USDC 1990) Evaluation ofdefects is widely used in control of processes and to grade fish for selling or buyingpurposes

24 Methods to evaluate fish freshness

Huss (1995) and Bonnell (1994) discuss the methods applied to evaluate the freshnessof fish which are divided in two categories sensory and instrumental techniquesInstrumental methods include biochemical and chemical microbiological andphysical Each of these methods measure different spoilage indicators in fish andfishery products Only through a combination of instrumental and sensory analysiscan optimal information on the product be obtained

241 Microbiological methods

The activity of microorganisms is the main factor limiting the shelf life of fresh fishThe aim of microbiological examinations is to evaluate the possible presence ofbacteria or organisms of public health significance and to give an impression of thehygienic quality of the fish This includes temperature abuse and hygiene duringhandling and processing (Huss 1995) An estimation of the total viable count (TVC) isused as an index in standards guidelines and specifications Specific spoilageorganisms (SSO) capable of producing hydrogen sulphide or reducing trimethylamineoxide (TMAO) are considered more useful to estimate spoilage and the remainingshelf life of fish and fishery products (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997)

242 Biochemical and chemical methods

Classical chemical methods for the analysis of total volatile bases (TVB) andtrimethylamine (TMA) are used for the determination of fish freshness (Oacutelafsdoacutettir etal 1997) TVB only reflect later stages of spoilage so it is not reliable for the firstdays of chilled storage of fish (Huss 1995) Adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is anotherindicator of fish freshness The extent of ATP degradation is expressed as the K valuewhich is defined as the ratio of the sum of inosine and hypoxanthine concentrations tothe total concentration of ATP metabolites (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) There are othermethods related to lipid oxidation such as determination of peroxide thiobarbituricacid and iodine values

243 Physical methods

Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al (1997) describe physical methods based on changes in the electricproperties of the fish muscle Different devices are available to measure electricalproperties the Torrymeter the Fish tester and the RT-Freshness Grader but they canonly be used for fresh fish Changes of structure and colour also occur in the fishflesh Texturometers are used to measure the structural changes

Time-temperature indicators (TTI) are based on using some biological chemical orphysical processes that depend on time and temperature and can give informationabout the time-temperature history of the food All methods mentioned above provideinformation on parameters related to fish freshness but none of them alone is capableto determine whether a fish is fresh or not

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 11

244 Sensory methods

Sensory evaluation is the most important method for assessing freshness and qualityof fish and fish products (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) Sensory methods offer a rapidand accurate measurement of perceived attributes providing information about foodSensory evaluation is defined as the scientific discipline used to evoke measureanalyse and interpret characteristics of food as perceived by the senses of sight smelltaste touch and hearing (Huss 1995 Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) Sensory tests can bedivided into three groups discriminative descriptive and affective The first two areanalytical tests in which a trained panel is used while the third are subjectiveconsumer tests based on a measure of preference or acceptance The most commonlyused descriptive tests are structured scaling for quality assessment and profiling for adetailed description of one or more attributes Sensory evaluation is currently the mostimportant method used for freshness evaluation in the fish sector

The most common sensory method used in Europe is the EU scheme (Oacutelafsdoacutettir etal 1997 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) in which three grades of freshness are establishedE A and B corresponding to various stages of spoilage Extra is the highest qualitywhile B is the level where fish is considered unfit for human consumption Thisscheme does not take into account differences between species because only generalparameters are used The Torry scheme a ten score system for the evaluation ofcooked fish is another method used for sensory evaluation of fish freshness

The Quality Index Method (QIM) is based on characteristic changes in raw fish thatoccur in the appearance of eyes skin and gills and odour and texture and a scoresystem from 0 to 3 demerit points (Bremner 1985 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) Thescores for all the attributes are summarised to give an overall sensory score theQuality Index which is then compared to a QIM calibration curve to establish therelative freshness in terms of storage (predicted) days in ice and to predict theremaining storage life (shelf life) The description of each score for each parameter islisted in the QIM scheme (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) The QIMand the schemes have been developed for several fish species eg cod haddockredfish herring saithe and shrimp In this study the QIM method is used in theevaluation of redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella)

3 FIELD STUDY AT UacuteTGERETHARFEacuteLAG AKUREYRAR (UacuteA)

The UacuteA Seafood Group in Akureyri was visited for a two weeks period fromNovember 18th to the 30th This company and in particular the parent company waschosen for the study knowing the fact that UacuteA Seafood Group is one of the leadingcompanies in Iceland operating fishing vessels and processing plants The companysrole is catching processing and selling a variety of high quality safe seafoodproducts

During the field study at UacuteA the documentation of the quality system was accessedand carefully studied The production and quality managers explained in situ theprocessing flow for the different products made from redfish and cod as well eventhough cod was not a part of this study The processing line was visited daily for abetter understanding of the process and the quality control

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 12

It was studied how the information about the process and products is generated howthis information is transmitted along the chain and how it is recorded and stored forthe purposes of traceability This means that information is available to attendcustomer claims recall of products and also to verify the quality and handling of theproducts Data and information were collected from evaluations conducted and fromthe records stored in the companys system This will be presented in chapter 4

31 The structure of the company and main products

The group consists of the parent company and four subsidiaries Laugafiskur ltdspecialising in drying fish Joumlkull ltd concentrating on the processing of whole-frozen pelagic fish Hoacutelmadrangur ltd for shrimp processing and GPG Saltfish ltdspecialising in the production of splitted salted fish The parent company operatestrawlers and processes demersal fish either on shore or on board factory trawlers (UacuteA2001a) The main species harvested are cod (Gadus morhua) redfish (Smarinusmentella) Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) and prawns(Pandalus borealis) In 2000 the total catch of company vessels was 22689 tons (UacuteA2001c)

The main products of the group are frozen seafood and dried fish products The totalproduction of the company in 2000 was more than 17000 tons with a value of ISK53 billion Table 1 shows the production by speciesproduct

UacuteA operates a sales and marketing department which is responsible for the groupsales of fresh and frozen products The access to fresh fish allows the company tooffer high quality products supported by a quality assurance system based onHACCP which ensures product safety The biggest markets for the group are in theUSA and UK Other important markets are Germany Nigeria Japan and TaiwanFrance and Denmark (UacuteA 2001a)

Table 1 Volume of production of UacuteA Seafood Group in 2000 (UacuteA 2001b)

ProductSpecies tonsCod 6086Redfish 2833Haddock 287Saithe 177Greenland halibut 1232Capelin roe 248Shrimp in the shell 3224Cooked and peeled shrimp 1255Total frozen products 15342Stockfish 2215Total 17557

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 13

The UacuteA parent company operates five fishing vessels and two land-based processingplants Three of the vessels are fresh fish trawlers supplying the factories in Akureyriand Greniviacutek one vessel is a freezing trawler for demersal fish and the fifth vessel isa shrimp-freezing trawler The fresh fish trawlers concentrate on the catching of cod(G morhua) haddock (Melanogammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) andsaithe (Pollachius virens) while the freezing trawlers focus on Greenland halibut (Rhippoglossoides) redfish (S marinusmentella) and shrimp (P borealis) (UacuteA 2001a)The UacuteA plant in Akureyri is one of the largest of its kind in the North Atlantic andspecialises in the processing of cod and redfish The plant in Greniviacutek is smaller andprocesses haddock saithe and cod

32 The quality system at UacuteA

The UacuteA Seafood company quality system was studied especially for redfish (Smarinusmentella) Data and information from the processing line was gatheredincluding information on the traceability system For effective quality and processcontrol the plant has implemented a quality system based on HACCP which isproperly described in the companys Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The handbookconsists of 19 sections The sections are listed in Table 2 and comments given onthose sections which are of particular relevance to the present study

33 Redfish processing

The redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella) is a temperate marine species inhabiting theNorth Atlantic ocean waters along the European and American coasts The twospecies of redfish ocean perch (S marinus) and deepwater redfish (S mentella) aredifficult to distinguish Ocean perch (S marinus) has a bright red skin and a chubbyshape it can attain a maximum length of 100 cm and weight up to 15 kg (Hureau andLitvinenko 1986) while deepwater redfish attains a maximum size of 55 cm Redfishis utilised fresh and frozen It is a good table fish with a firm and tasty flesh (Bykov1983) As a result of different storage studies it has been estimated that redfish kept inice at 0degC has a shelf life of 18 days granted that the fish was handled under goodmanufacturing practices on board the vessels (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001)

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 14

Table 2 Sections of the quality handbook of the UacuteA fish processing company withcomments on some of them according to its relevance to the study

Section Comments1 Organogram of thecompany2 Managementresponsibilities3 Flow charts See Figure 1 and a description of the process4 HACCP (own check)system specified in theHACCP handbook

See Appendix 1

5 Preventive measures Includes training of the staff in personal hygiene and operating procedures6 Cleaning andsanitising

Includes all the procedures for cleaning and sanitation of equipment andfacilities and the checklist

7 Quality policy The aim of UacuteA is to produce products of high quality and to be a leadingcompany in quality issues in the market

71 Description of finalproduct

Frozen and fresh products from cod (Gadus morhua) haddock(Melanogrammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) and otherspecies The fish is either whole or fillets skin-on or skin-less trimmedAll products are processed according to specifications required by thebuyers packed for retail or catering or for further processing (blocks) Allthe products should be cooked before consumption

8 Records Most of the data are recorded in computers using software from NavisionFinancial and Marel Every record or form should be filled accurately withall the information required and must have the date and signature of theperson responsible

9 Verification of thesystem

It can be by daily inspection on a regular basis or by audit The audit iscarried out 4 times a year Once per year the Directorate of Fisheriesperforms a verification

10 Marking andtraceability

All individual packages should be labelled with plant number andproduction date according to the rules of day coding as stated in theQuality Handbook Detailed information about marking master cases andpallets is in the Quality Handbook To trace the product it has to be labelledwith processing number (plant number) origin lot number EU plantnumber Also information about catch production and stock should beavailable

11 Recall system In case of something going wrong and a product has to be withdrawn orrecalled the Production Manager should take the appropriate actions andinform the inspection authority who decides what to do with the product

12 Claims andcomplaints13 Record keeping All records including those of traceability are stored for a minimum of two

years14 Sanitary andorhealth certification ofwater ice fishemployees

For certification samples should be taken and sent for analysis Frequencyfor water - once a year ice - once per month fish - 5 or 6 samples weekly

15 Personal hygiene All the employees and persons who enter the processing plant shouldfollow the rules set for personal hygiene The Quality Manager isresponsible to look after this

16 Microbiologicalguidelines

Good Defective RejectTPC 30degC 150 000 150 000 - 350 000 gt350 000Coliforms MPNg lt100 100 - 200 gt200E Coli MPNg 03 03 - 04 gt04Listeria in 25 g Negative Positive

17 Calibration18 Forms used19 Layout

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331 Flow chart and description of redfish fillets production

Frozen redfish fillets are produced following the operations presented in Figure 2 Theraw material entering the process can be whole ungutted fresh fish or frozen at sea(FAS) fillets

whole ungutted redfishReceiving raw material

Cooler

Washing

FilletingSkinning

Trimming Trimming Cooler tanks Flowline Express line

fillets (FAS)Frozen storage Weighing

PackingUnpacking Breading

Plate freezers IQF freezer Size gradingSize grading

Glazing Glazing Batter and breading

Weighing Size grading IQF freezer

Packing Metal detector Weighing PackingWeighing

Packing Casing Labelling

Palletising

Frozen storage

Shipping

Figure 2 Flow chart for frozen redfish fillets processing modified from the flow chartfor fish processing in the Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The shaded boxes in the chartrepresent the CCPs the symbol indicates the CPs along the processing line

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Receiving raw materialCooler From the fresh fish trawlers fish is received wholeungutted washed properly and iced in plastic tubs 460 litres capacity labelled withthe catching day Temperature in the cooler is kept at 0 to 4degCFrozen at sea (FAS) fillets are received and kept in frozen storage at ndash20 to ndash24degC

Washing The plastic tubs with fish are emptied into a hopper with sloping steelconveyor belt with fresh iced water The fish is washed there before grading intosizes There is a steady overflow of fresh water in the hopperAll fish entering to process in the same day is considered a batch A batch usuallyincludes several catching days from one vessel and rarely from different vessels

Filleting and skinning After grading the fish is filleted and skinned in the Baadermachines

Trimming The fillets enter the so-called express line where the quantity depends onthe infection rate by the copepod parasite Sphyrion lumpi If the fillets are free of thisparasite then the fillets go through a faster trimming process If the fillets need morecareful trimming for example because of parasite infection or because the filletshould be free of pin bones they are sent directly to the traditional trimming flow lineAfter trimming the fillets can go directly to the Individually Quick Frozen (IQF)freezer they can be pumped to cooler tanks where the fillets are iced properly forstorage at temperature around 05degC or they can be sent to produce fillet blocks

Weighing and packing Blocks Fillets blocks are packed directly into carton boxesThe cartons are labelled according to specifications with production date plantnumber product number and origin The packed products are placed into freezingpans or block frames The freezing pans are placed into racks

Plate freezers and depanning The freezing pans are taken from the racks and putinto the plate freezers Freezing time is usually 25-3 hours or until the coretemperature has reached ndash24degC at minimum After freezing the cartons are depanned

IQF fillets IQF freezerglazingFillets are placed on in-feed conveyor belt for the IQF freezer The core temperaturemust reach at least ndash24degC After leaving the IQF freezer the fillets are sprayed withpotable water to reach desirable glaze percentage if required

Breading A part of the redfish fillets either frozen at sea (FAS) or IQF frozen in theplant are breaded in a special batter and breading line The fillets are arranged on anin-feed conveyor belt where they are covered with batter that is continuously renewedand then the battered fillets are automatically covered with breadcrumbs Then thebreaded fillets enter an IQF freezer From there the fillets are transferred to thepacking area

IQF size gradingWeighingPacking Size grading is automatic Weighing can beeither automatic or manual The retail bags are closed by heat sealing codedaccording to specifications and passed through a metal detector Other IQF productsare put into plastic bag inside of a master case and closed with a tape

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Casing labelling and palletising The cartons are packed in master cases taped orclosed with plastic straps and labelled according to specifications Master cases arestacked on pallets and strapped with plastic and labelled IQF products other thanretail packs are already in master cases and are therefore only labelled and palletisedat this stage

Frozen storage Palletised products are placed immediately into frozen storage at amaximum temperature of ndash24degC

Shipping Palletised product is taken directly from frozen storage to freezercontainers at ndash24degC

Specific operational procedures for each product are detailed on productspecifications

34 HACCP (own check) system of the company

The HACCP system also called own check system is fully described in the HACCPhandbook (UacuteA 1999) A scheme of the system is presented in Appendix 1 TheHACCP analysis and the HACCP plan are shown in Appendices 2 and 3 respectively

Control points are established to monitor both product and process in the own checksystem of the plant These points are located in the reception area after trimmingfreezing in casinglabellingpalletising after battering and breading for breadedproducts and finally in weighingpacking operation in IQF products At each controlpoint samples are taken and evaluated according to the specifications and proceduresQuality and processing parameters controlled are well described in Appendix 1

Temperature is monitored in every step of the process including frozen storage offinal products All the information generated is recorded electronically or in thecorresponding form for each operation or product

35 Labelling and traceability in the fish processing plant

From the moment the fish is brought on board the vessel information is generated andrecorded until the product reaches the end customer Part of the information will betransmitted from one link to the next attached to the unit The rest will remain in thelink for internal use and will be accessible if necessary Most of the informationoriginates in the catching and processing links

Redfish fillets blocks were chosen in our study as an example to illustrate theinformation recorded during each step of the processing and distribution chain First itis necessary to identify batches and units within the chain (See Table 3)

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Table 3 Identification of batches and units in the processing and distribution chain forfrozen redfish fillets blocks exported to Europe

Step Batch UnitsCatching Catching day TubProduction Production day Cartons palletTransport to carrier Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerStorage at carrier (Eimskip) Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerTransport at sea (Eimskip) Shipment Pallet container kg or tonExport company (IFPC SIF) An order or shipment Pallet container kg or tonCustoms Shipment Kg tonDirectorate of Fisheries Catch - Fishing trip

Export - ShipmentPallet container kg or ton

Note IFPC is the abbreviation of Icelandic Freezing Plants Corporation

Figure 3 is a simple illustration of the chain for frozen redfish fillets blocks producedat UacuteA fish processing company and exported to Europe Major export companies forUacuteA fish products are IFPC and the SIF Group The shipping company is EIMSKIPwhich stores the product in frozen storage and freights it to Europe

Directorate of Fisheries Export company Customs

UacuteA Transport Shipping BuyerCatch Production company company

Figure 3 Scheme of production and distribution chain for frozen redfish fillets blocksexported to Europe showing the entities involved and the transmission ofinformation

UacuteA receives the raw material to be processed in the plant from its own fishing vesselsThe information about the catch and finished products sent for export is given to theDirectorate of Fisheries Information is transmitted between UacuteA and the exportcompany about the fish products available for export At the request of UacuteA thetransport company freights the product to frozen storage at the carrier (EIMSKIP)The export company interacts with the shipping company and the buyer in Europeregarding shipments The export company also provides the information requested bycustoms about shipment of products The information registered in each step ispresented in Figure 4

Part of the information is printed out on a label attached to the unit and transmitted tothe next link in the production and distribution chain This information variesaccording to the product type and packaging Table 4 shows this information forfrozen redfish fillets blocks

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Catching ProcessingVessel name Information from catch Information from productionFishing trip number Vessel name Name of productTime of catch Fishing trip number Origin of raw materialFishing area Fishing area Plant numberFishing gear Fish species EU authorisation numberQuantity in a haul Units per catching day Product numbercodeHauling time Condition of fish Production datelot numberFish species Weight of fish Best before dateQuantity of fish (tubs) Icefish ratio WeightOther parameters Other parameters Temperature

Quality and processingparametersSensory evaluation resultsMicrobiological results

Transport and storage Export companyProducers name Product name andCarrier name numberExporter name EU author numberProduct name andnumber

Producers name andnumber

Pallet number Origin of the productTemperature during Order numbertransport and storage Shipment numberContainer number Invoice numberDates and places when Customs id numberreceived and delivered Name of buyer

Addresses

Customs Directorate of FisheriesFish species Information about catch Information about exportsProduct name and Species Speciesdescription Vessel name and Product name andOrigin of the product number descriptionDestination Date and place of Producers name

landing Country of destinationQuantity Carrier name

Departure dateQuantity

Figure 4 Information registered at each step in the chain for frozen redfish filletsblocks

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Table 4 Information provided in the label for frozen redfish fillets blocks exported toEuropeStep Unit Information attachedCatch Tub Catching dayProduction Case

Pallet

Production datelot numberPlant numberOriginEU authorisation numberPallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOrigin

Transport and storage Pallet container Pallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOriginContainer number

351 Example of the chain (Catch-Processing-Transport) for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Using the information collected during the field study an example of how the productcan be traced back and forward is illustrated in Figure 5 Starting with the catch rawmaterial from 6 catching days went to a new batch fishing trip 23 from the fishingtrawler Hardbakur The fish from this batch was processed in three differentproduction days or batches corresponding to September 26 27 and 28 productiondates as shown in the figure Product processed on September 26 was palletised inthree pallets that were finally transported as units of a new batch to storage at theshipping company to be exported to Europe Once the fish has entered to theprocessing line it is not longer possible to identify the catching day

BATCH BATCH BATCH BATCHCatching days Fishing trip Production date Pallet number Container number

72583

2609 72633110

726356 catching days Hardbakur 23 2709

Vessel 72672

2809 72704

Figure 5 Example of catch-production-transport links for frozen redfish filletsprocessed in UacuteA showing the different batches identifiers in each step

Catch Production Transport

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4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH

41 Introduction

Quality evaluation of fish is one of the most important aspects to be considered in thequality system of a fish processing plant The field study carried out at UacuteA provided agood opportunity to perform evaluations using the information available in the plantand taking samples to conduct the analysis thus gaining skills and experience

42 Materials and methods

Evaluation of raw material and fillets were carried out based on the quality system ofthe company Moreover sensory evaluation of the raw material using the QIM wasdone on samples from one fishing trip (November 21-27) of the vessel Arbakur

421 Evaluation of raw material

At UacuteA every batch of fish is evaluated at the moment of landing and reception in theplant A batch in this case is the fish of the same species from all the catch of onefishing trip The samples are taken randomly from different catching days andevaluated using the form shown in Table 5 This form includes the vessels name thenumber of the fishing trip and date of evaluation Once the evaluation has been carriedout a new form is filled with the final scores given to the parameters checked Theseresults are valid for the whole fishing trip (batch) A five score scheme is used Fishwith score 2 or less is unsuitable for processing

Information about the redfish received from the vessels for a period one month fromSeptember 23rd to October 24th was accessed and analysed Whole ungutted redfishfrom 8 batches was evaluated looking at the handling on board weight of fish and icewashing how the fish was aligned in the tub and icing ie fish-ice layers and icefishratio The data was recorded (Appendix 4) and analysed using the principalcomponent analysis technique (PCA) in Unscrambler (Camo Norway)

Table 5 Form for the evaluation of raw material (redfish) in the reception area

Ice

Cat

chin

g da

y

Spec

ies

Top

Mid

dle

Bot

tom

Ave

rage

Alig

nmen

t of

fishe

s in

tub

Was

hing

Oth

er sp

ecie

s

No

of f

ishe

s in

sam

ple

No

of d

efec

ts

Net

to k

g

Ice

kg

Bru

tto k

g

Ice

Fish

Con

tam

inat

ion

422 Evaluation of fillets

After trimming a random sample of fish fillets are checked for defects in appearance(bones parasites bloodspots bruises black membrane) Colour and smell are

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evaluated on a scale from 2 to 5 In this study data collection and evaluation werecarried out for redfish fillets after trimming

Data from the quality system on evaluation of fish fillets after trimming were studiedInformation was collected from ten processing days starting from September 26th toOctober 18th The raw material came from eight fishing trips of the three vessels thatthe company owns The data were recorded as shown in Table 7

423 Quality Index Method

Sensory evaluation of raw material using the QIM method was conducted underprocessing conditions as part of this study A batch consisting of three catching daysfrom one vessels fishing trip was sampled taking five samples from each catchingday The fishing trip in this case was 6 days long The samples came from the secondfourth and sixth catching days it means that they had been in ice for six four and twodays respectively (Table 8) The scores for each parameter were determined byconsensus of the two untrained assessors evaluating fish the author of this report andthe inspector in the reception area in the plant

43 Results and discussion431 Raw material

The current evaluation of raw material (redfish) mainly focuses on handlingparameters as shown in the form in Table 5 and in Appendix 4

PCA was done to study the main trend in the data set from evaluation of raw materialin the reception area This technique allows the analysis of different variables at thesame time In this evaluation the useful information is icing icefish ratio andcatching day Figure 6 shows two main grouping of the data which mean that sampleswith parameters of similar values are correlated PC1 explains 75 of the variation inthe data and is mainly giving information about the amount of icing which appears tobe related to the catching days Samples located on the right side of the plot aremainly from catching days 6 7 and 8 while those on the left side are from days 1 2and 3 The position of the samples with missing catching day on the plot gives an ideaof their catching day because they have similar values as those samples located closeto them One outlier (Arb 26-1) is observed at the bottom left side of the figureLooking in Appendix 4 we find that it corresponded to a tub of fish with a score of 1for icing This tub was overloaded with fish so the quantity of ice was insufficient tocool the fish properly Another outlier (Kaldb 23-2) is on the top right side of thefigure In this case the quantity of ice was more than the necessary

Current evaluation of redfish in the plant is focused on handling parameters There isno regular evaluation of freshness attributes of fish There may be two main reasonsfor this one is that the raw material is received from their own vessels The otherreason is that each tub of fish is labelled with the catching day which means that thedays fish has been in ice are known so the freshness of fish and the remaining shelflife can be determined

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-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

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trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

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Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

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5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

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Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 1995 21 CFR Parts 123 and 124 Proceduresfor the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery ProductsFinal Rule

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Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 29

Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme i

APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

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ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 11: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 11

244 Sensory methods

Sensory evaluation is the most important method for assessing freshness and qualityof fish and fish products (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) Sensory methods offer a rapidand accurate measurement of perceived attributes providing information about foodSensory evaluation is defined as the scientific discipline used to evoke measureanalyse and interpret characteristics of food as perceived by the senses of sight smelltaste touch and hearing (Huss 1995 Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997) Sensory tests can bedivided into three groups discriminative descriptive and affective The first two areanalytical tests in which a trained panel is used while the third are subjectiveconsumer tests based on a measure of preference or acceptance The most commonlyused descriptive tests are structured scaling for quality assessment and profiling for adetailed description of one or more attributes Sensory evaluation is currently the mostimportant method used for freshness evaluation in the fish sector

The most common sensory method used in Europe is the EU scheme (Oacutelafsdoacutettir etal 1997 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) in which three grades of freshness are establishedE A and B corresponding to various stages of spoilage Extra is the highest qualitywhile B is the level where fish is considered unfit for human consumption Thisscheme does not take into account differences between species because only generalparameters are used The Torry scheme a ten score system for the evaluation ofcooked fish is another method used for sensory evaluation of fish freshness

The Quality Index Method (QIM) is based on characteristic changes in raw fish thatoccur in the appearance of eyes skin and gills and odour and texture and a scoresystem from 0 to 3 demerit points (Bremner 1985 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) Thescores for all the attributes are summarised to give an overall sensory score theQuality Index which is then compared to a QIM calibration curve to establish therelative freshness in terms of storage (predicted) days in ice and to predict theremaining storage life (shelf life) The description of each score for each parameter islisted in the QIM scheme (Oacutelafsdoacutettir et al 1997 Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001) The QIMand the schemes have been developed for several fish species eg cod haddockredfish herring saithe and shrimp In this study the QIM method is used in theevaluation of redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella)

3 FIELD STUDY AT UacuteTGERETHARFEacuteLAG AKUREYRAR (UacuteA)

The UacuteA Seafood Group in Akureyri was visited for a two weeks period fromNovember 18th to the 30th This company and in particular the parent company waschosen for the study knowing the fact that UacuteA Seafood Group is one of the leadingcompanies in Iceland operating fishing vessels and processing plants The companysrole is catching processing and selling a variety of high quality safe seafoodproducts

During the field study at UacuteA the documentation of the quality system was accessedand carefully studied The production and quality managers explained in situ theprocessing flow for the different products made from redfish and cod as well eventhough cod was not a part of this study The processing line was visited daily for abetter understanding of the process and the quality control

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 12

It was studied how the information about the process and products is generated howthis information is transmitted along the chain and how it is recorded and stored forthe purposes of traceability This means that information is available to attendcustomer claims recall of products and also to verify the quality and handling of theproducts Data and information were collected from evaluations conducted and fromthe records stored in the companys system This will be presented in chapter 4

31 The structure of the company and main products

The group consists of the parent company and four subsidiaries Laugafiskur ltdspecialising in drying fish Joumlkull ltd concentrating on the processing of whole-frozen pelagic fish Hoacutelmadrangur ltd for shrimp processing and GPG Saltfish ltdspecialising in the production of splitted salted fish The parent company operatestrawlers and processes demersal fish either on shore or on board factory trawlers (UacuteA2001a) The main species harvested are cod (Gadus morhua) redfish (Smarinusmentella) Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) and prawns(Pandalus borealis) In 2000 the total catch of company vessels was 22689 tons (UacuteA2001c)

The main products of the group are frozen seafood and dried fish products The totalproduction of the company in 2000 was more than 17000 tons with a value of ISK53 billion Table 1 shows the production by speciesproduct

UacuteA operates a sales and marketing department which is responsible for the groupsales of fresh and frozen products The access to fresh fish allows the company tooffer high quality products supported by a quality assurance system based onHACCP which ensures product safety The biggest markets for the group are in theUSA and UK Other important markets are Germany Nigeria Japan and TaiwanFrance and Denmark (UacuteA 2001a)

Table 1 Volume of production of UacuteA Seafood Group in 2000 (UacuteA 2001b)

ProductSpecies tonsCod 6086Redfish 2833Haddock 287Saithe 177Greenland halibut 1232Capelin roe 248Shrimp in the shell 3224Cooked and peeled shrimp 1255Total frozen products 15342Stockfish 2215Total 17557

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 13

The UacuteA parent company operates five fishing vessels and two land-based processingplants Three of the vessels are fresh fish trawlers supplying the factories in Akureyriand Greniviacutek one vessel is a freezing trawler for demersal fish and the fifth vessel isa shrimp-freezing trawler The fresh fish trawlers concentrate on the catching of cod(G morhua) haddock (Melanogammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) andsaithe (Pollachius virens) while the freezing trawlers focus on Greenland halibut (Rhippoglossoides) redfish (S marinusmentella) and shrimp (P borealis) (UacuteA 2001a)The UacuteA plant in Akureyri is one of the largest of its kind in the North Atlantic andspecialises in the processing of cod and redfish The plant in Greniviacutek is smaller andprocesses haddock saithe and cod

32 The quality system at UacuteA

The UacuteA Seafood company quality system was studied especially for redfish (Smarinusmentella) Data and information from the processing line was gatheredincluding information on the traceability system For effective quality and processcontrol the plant has implemented a quality system based on HACCP which isproperly described in the companys Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The handbookconsists of 19 sections The sections are listed in Table 2 and comments given onthose sections which are of particular relevance to the present study

33 Redfish processing

The redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella) is a temperate marine species inhabiting theNorth Atlantic ocean waters along the European and American coasts The twospecies of redfish ocean perch (S marinus) and deepwater redfish (S mentella) aredifficult to distinguish Ocean perch (S marinus) has a bright red skin and a chubbyshape it can attain a maximum length of 100 cm and weight up to 15 kg (Hureau andLitvinenko 1986) while deepwater redfish attains a maximum size of 55 cm Redfishis utilised fresh and frozen It is a good table fish with a firm and tasty flesh (Bykov1983) As a result of different storage studies it has been estimated that redfish kept inice at 0degC has a shelf life of 18 days granted that the fish was handled under goodmanufacturing practices on board the vessels (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001)

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 14

Table 2 Sections of the quality handbook of the UacuteA fish processing company withcomments on some of them according to its relevance to the study

Section Comments1 Organogram of thecompany2 Managementresponsibilities3 Flow charts See Figure 1 and a description of the process4 HACCP (own check)system specified in theHACCP handbook

See Appendix 1

5 Preventive measures Includes training of the staff in personal hygiene and operating procedures6 Cleaning andsanitising

Includes all the procedures for cleaning and sanitation of equipment andfacilities and the checklist

7 Quality policy The aim of UacuteA is to produce products of high quality and to be a leadingcompany in quality issues in the market

71 Description of finalproduct

Frozen and fresh products from cod (Gadus morhua) haddock(Melanogrammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) and otherspecies The fish is either whole or fillets skin-on or skin-less trimmedAll products are processed according to specifications required by thebuyers packed for retail or catering or for further processing (blocks) Allthe products should be cooked before consumption

8 Records Most of the data are recorded in computers using software from NavisionFinancial and Marel Every record or form should be filled accurately withall the information required and must have the date and signature of theperson responsible

9 Verification of thesystem

It can be by daily inspection on a regular basis or by audit The audit iscarried out 4 times a year Once per year the Directorate of Fisheriesperforms a verification

10 Marking andtraceability

All individual packages should be labelled with plant number andproduction date according to the rules of day coding as stated in theQuality Handbook Detailed information about marking master cases andpallets is in the Quality Handbook To trace the product it has to be labelledwith processing number (plant number) origin lot number EU plantnumber Also information about catch production and stock should beavailable

11 Recall system In case of something going wrong and a product has to be withdrawn orrecalled the Production Manager should take the appropriate actions andinform the inspection authority who decides what to do with the product

12 Claims andcomplaints13 Record keeping All records including those of traceability are stored for a minimum of two

years14 Sanitary andorhealth certification ofwater ice fishemployees

For certification samples should be taken and sent for analysis Frequencyfor water - once a year ice - once per month fish - 5 or 6 samples weekly

15 Personal hygiene All the employees and persons who enter the processing plant shouldfollow the rules set for personal hygiene The Quality Manager isresponsible to look after this

16 Microbiologicalguidelines

Good Defective RejectTPC 30degC 150 000 150 000 - 350 000 gt350 000Coliforms MPNg lt100 100 - 200 gt200E Coli MPNg 03 03 - 04 gt04Listeria in 25 g Negative Positive

17 Calibration18 Forms used19 Layout

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 15

331 Flow chart and description of redfish fillets production

Frozen redfish fillets are produced following the operations presented in Figure 2 Theraw material entering the process can be whole ungutted fresh fish or frozen at sea(FAS) fillets

whole ungutted redfishReceiving raw material

Cooler

Washing

FilletingSkinning

Trimming Trimming Cooler tanks Flowline Express line

fillets (FAS)Frozen storage Weighing

PackingUnpacking Breading

Plate freezers IQF freezer Size gradingSize grading

Glazing Glazing Batter and breading

Weighing Size grading IQF freezer

Packing Metal detector Weighing PackingWeighing

Packing Casing Labelling

Palletising

Frozen storage

Shipping

Figure 2 Flow chart for frozen redfish fillets processing modified from the flow chartfor fish processing in the Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The shaded boxes in the chartrepresent the CCPs the symbol indicates the CPs along the processing line

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 16

Receiving raw materialCooler From the fresh fish trawlers fish is received wholeungutted washed properly and iced in plastic tubs 460 litres capacity labelled withthe catching day Temperature in the cooler is kept at 0 to 4degCFrozen at sea (FAS) fillets are received and kept in frozen storage at ndash20 to ndash24degC

Washing The plastic tubs with fish are emptied into a hopper with sloping steelconveyor belt with fresh iced water The fish is washed there before grading intosizes There is a steady overflow of fresh water in the hopperAll fish entering to process in the same day is considered a batch A batch usuallyincludes several catching days from one vessel and rarely from different vessels

Filleting and skinning After grading the fish is filleted and skinned in the Baadermachines

Trimming The fillets enter the so-called express line where the quantity depends onthe infection rate by the copepod parasite Sphyrion lumpi If the fillets are free of thisparasite then the fillets go through a faster trimming process If the fillets need morecareful trimming for example because of parasite infection or because the filletshould be free of pin bones they are sent directly to the traditional trimming flow lineAfter trimming the fillets can go directly to the Individually Quick Frozen (IQF)freezer they can be pumped to cooler tanks where the fillets are iced properly forstorage at temperature around 05degC or they can be sent to produce fillet blocks

Weighing and packing Blocks Fillets blocks are packed directly into carton boxesThe cartons are labelled according to specifications with production date plantnumber product number and origin The packed products are placed into freezingpans or block frames The freezing pans are placed into racks

Plate freezers and depanning The freezing pans are taken from the racks and putinto the plate freezers Freezing time is usually 25-3 hours or until the coretemperature has reached ndash24degC at minimum After freezing the cartons are depanned

IQF fillets IQF freezerglazingFillets are placed on in-feed conveyor belt for the IQF freezer The core temperaturemust reach at least ndash24degC After leaving the IQF freezer the fillets are sprayed withpotable water to reach desirable glaze percentage if required

Breading A part of the redfish fillets either frozen at sea (FAS) or IQF frozen in theplant are breaded in a special batter and breading line The fillets are arranged on anin-feed conveyor belt where they are covered with batter that is continuously renewedand then the battered fillets are automatically covered with breadcrumbs Then thebreaded fillets enter an IQF freezer From there the fillets are transferred to thepacking area

IQF size gradingWeighingPacking Size grading is automatic Weighing can beeither automatic or manual The retail bags are closed by heat sealing codedaccording to specifications and passed through a metal detector Other IQF productsare put into plastic bag inside of a master case and closed with a tape

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Casing labelling and palletising The cartons are packed in master cases taped orclosed with plastic straps and labelled according to specifications Master cases arestacked on pallets and strapped with plastic and labelled IQF products other thanretail packs are already in master cases and are therefore only labelled and palletisedat this stage

Frozen storage Palletised products are placed immediately into frozen storage at amaximum temperature of ndash24degC

Shipping Palletised product is taken directly from frozen storage to freezercontainers at ndash24degC

Specific operational procedures for each product are detailed on productspecifications

34 HACCP (own check) system of the company

The HACCP system also called own check system is fully described in the HACCPhandbook (UacuteA 1999) A scheme of the system is presented in Appendix 1 TheHACCP analysis and the HACCP plan are shown in Appendices 2 and 3 respectively

Control points are established to monitor both product and process in the own checksystem of the plant These points are located in the reception area after trimmingfreezing in casinglabellingpalletising after battering and breading for breadedproducts and finally in weighingpacking operation in IQF products At each controlpoint samples are taken and evaluated according to the specifications and proceduresQuality and processing parameters controlled are well described in Appendix 1

Temperature is monitored in every step of the process including frozen storage offinal products All the information generated is recorded electronically or in thecorresponding form for each operation or product

35 Labelling and traceability in the fish processing plant

From the moment the fish is brought on board the vessel information is generated andrecorded until the product reaches the end customer Part of the information will betransmitted from one link to the next attached to the unit The rest will remain in thelink for internal use and will be accessible if necessary Most of the informationoriginates in the catching and processing links

Redfish fillets blocks were chosen in our study as an example to illustrate theinformation recorded during each step of the processing and distribution chain First itis necessary to identify batches and units within the chain (See Table 3)

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Table 3 Identification of batches and units in the processing and distribution chain forfrozen redfish fillets blocks exported to Europe

Step Batch UnitsCatching Catching day TubProduction Production day Cartons palletTransport to carrier Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerStorage at carrier (Eimskip) Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerTransport at sea (Eimskip) Shipment Pallet container kg or tonExport company (IFPC SIF) An order or shipment Pallet container kg or tonCustoms Shipment Kg tonDirectorate of Fisheries Catch - Fishing trip

Export - ShipmentPallet container kg or ton

Note IFPC is the abbreviation of Icelandic Freezing Plants Corporation

Figure 3 is a simple illustration of the chain for frozen redfish fillets blocks producedat UacuteA fish processing company and exported to Europe Major export companies forUacuteA fish products are IFPC and the SIF Group The shipping company is EIMSKIPwhich stores the product in frozen storage and freights it to Europe

Directorate of Fisheries Export company Customs

UacuteA Transport Shipping BuyerCatch Production company company

Figure 3 Scheme of production and distribution chain for frozen redfish fillets blocksexported to Europe showing the entities involved and the transmission ofinformation

UacuteA receives the raw material to be processed in the plant from its own fishing vesselsThe information about the catch and finished products sent for export is given to theDirectorate of Fisheries Information is transmitted between UacuteA and the exportcompany about the fish products available for export At the request of UacuteA thetransport company freights the product to frozen storage at the carrier (EIMSKIP)The export company interacts with the shipping company and the buyer in Europeregarding shipments The export company also provides the information requested bycustoms about shipment of products The information registered in each step ispresented in Figure 4

Part of the information is printed out on a label attached to the unit and transmitted tothe next link in the production and distribution chain This information variesaccording to the product type and packaging Table 4 shows this information forfrozen redfish fillets blocks

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Catching ProcessingVessel name Information from catch Information from productionFishing trip number Vessel name Name of productTime of catch Fishing trip number Origin of raw materialFishing area Fishing area Plant numberFishing gear Fish species EU authorisation numberQuantity in a haul Units per catching day Product numbercodeHauling time Condition of fish Production datelot numberFish species Weight of fish Best before dateQuantity of fish (tubs) Icefish ratio WeightOther parameters Other parameters Temperature

Quality and processingparametersSensory evaluation resultsMicrobiological results

Transport and storage Export companyProducers name Product name andCarrier name numberExporter name EU author numberProduct name andnumber

Producers name andnumber

Pallet number Origin of the productTemperature during Order numbertransport and storage Shipment numberContainer number Invoice numberDates and places when Customs id numberreceived and delivered Name of buyer

Addresses

Customs Directorate of FisheriesFish species Information about catch Information about exportsProduct name and Species Speciesdescription Vessel name and Product name andOrigin of the product number descriptionDestination Date and place of Producers name

landing Country of destinationQuantity Carrier name

Departure dateQuantity

Figure 4 Information registered at each step in the chain for frozen redfish filletsblocks

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Table 4 Information provided in the label for frozen redfish fillets blocks exported toEuropeStep Unit Information attachedCatch Tub Catching dayProduction Case

Pallet

Production datelot numberPlant numberOriginEU authorisation numberPallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOrigin

Transport and storage Pallet container Pallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOriginContainer number

351 Example of the chain (Catch-Processing-Transport) for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Using the information collected during the field study an example of how the productcan be traced back and forward is illustrated in Figure 5 Starting with the catch rawmaterial from 6 catching days went to a new batch fishing trip 23 from the fishingtrawler Hardbakur The fish from this batch was processed in three differentproduction days or batches corresponding to September 26 27 and 28 productiondates as shown in the figure Product processed on September 26 was palletised inthree pallets that were finally transported as units of a new batch to storage at theshipping company to be exported to Europe Once the fish has entered to theprocessing line it is not longer possible to identify the catching day

BATCH BATCH BATCH BATCHCatching days Fishing trip Production date Pallet number Container number

72583

2609 72633110

726356 catching days Hardbakur 23 2709

Vessel 72672

2809 72704

Figure 5 Example of catch-production-transport links for frozen redfish filletsprocessed in UacuteA showing the different batches identifiers in each step

Catch Production Transport

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4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH

41 Introduction

Quality evaluation of fish is one of the most important aspects to be considered in thequality system of a fish processing plant The field study carried out at UacuteA provided agood opportunity to perform evaluations using the information available in the plantand taking samples to conduct the analysis thus gaining skills and experience

42 Materials and methods

Evaluation of raw material and fillets were carried out based on the quality system ofthe company Moreover sensory evaluation of the raw material using the QIM wasdone on samples from one fishing trip (November 21-27) of the vessel Arbakur

421 Evaluation of raw material

At UacuteA every batch of fish is evaluated at the moment of landing and reception in theplant A batch in this case is the fish of the same species from all the catch of onefishing trip The samples are taken randomly from different catching days andevaluated using the form shown in Table 5 This form includes the vessels name thenumber of the fishing trip and date of evaluation Once the evaluation has been carriedout a new form is filled with the final scores given to the parameters checked Theseresults are valid for the whole fishing trip (batch) A five score scheme is used Fishwith score 2 or less is unsuitable for processing

Information about the redfish received from the vessels for a period one month fromSeptember 23rd to October 24th was accessed and analysed Whole ungutted redfishfrom 8 batches was evaluated looking at the handling on board weight of fish and icewashing how the fish was aligned in the tub and icing ie fish-ice layers and icefishratio The data was recorded (Appendix 4) and analysed using the principalcomponent analysis technique (PCA) in Unscrambler (Camo Norway)

Table 5 Form for the evaluation of raw material (redfish) in the reception area

Ice

Cat

chin

g da

y

Spec

ies

Top

Mid

dle

Bot

tom

Ave

rage

Alig

nmen

t of

fishe

s in

tub

Was

hing

Oth

er sp

ecie

s

No

of f

ishe

s in

sam

ple

No

of d

efec

ts

Net

to k

g

Ice

kg

Bru

tto k

g

Ice

Fish

Con

tam

inat

ion

422 Evaluation of fillets

After trimming a random sample of fish fillets are checked for defects in appearance(bones parasites bloodspots bruises black membrane) Colour and smell are

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evaluated on a scale from 2 to 5 In this study data collection and evaluation werecarried out for redfish fillets after trimming

Data from the quality system on evaluation of fish fillets after trimming were studiedInformation was collected from ten processing days starting from September 26th toOctober 18th The raw material came from eight fishing trips of the three vessels thatthe company owns The data were recorded as shown in Table 7

423 Quality Index Method

Sensory evaluation of raw material using the QIM method was conducted underprocessing conditions as part of this study A batch consisting of three catching daysfrom one vessels fishing trip was sampled taking five samples from each catchingday The fishing trip in this case was 6 days long The samples came from the secondfourth and sixth catching days it means that they had been in ice for six four and twodays respectively (Table 8) The scores for each parameter were determined byconsensus of the two untrained assessors evaluating fish the author of this report andthe inspector in the reception area in the plant

43 Results and discussion431 Raw material

The current evaluation of raw material (redfish) mainly focuses on handlingparameters as shown in the form in Table 5 and in Appendix 4

PCA was done to study the main trend in the data set from evaluation of raw materialin the reception area This technique allows the analysis of different variables at thesame time In this evaluation the useful information is icing icefish ratio andcatching day Figure 6 shows two main grouping of the data which mean that sampleswith parameters of similar values are correlated PC1 explains 75 of the variation inthe data and is mainly giving information about the amount of icing which appears tobe related to the catching days Samples located on the right side of the plot aremainly from catching days 6 7 and 8 while those on the left side are from days 1 2and 3 The position of the samples with missing catching day on the plot gives an ideaof their catching day because they have similar values as those samples located closeto them One outlier (Arb 26-1) is observed at the bottom left side of the figureLooking in Appendix 4 we find that it corresponded to a tub of fish with a score of 1for icing This tub was overloaded with fish so the quantity of ice was insufficient tocool the fish properly Another outlier (Kaldb 23-2) is on the top right side of thefigure In this case the quantity of ice was more than the necessary

Current evaluation of redfish in the plant is focused on handling parameters There isno regular evaluation of freshness attributes of fish There may be two main reasonsfor this one is that the raw material is received from their own vessels The otherreason is that each tub of fish is labelled with the catching day which means that thedays fish has been in ice are known so the freshness of fish and the remaining shelflife can be determined

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-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

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trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

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Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

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5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

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Bisogni C A Ryan G J and Regenstein J M 1987 What is fish quality Can weincorporate consumer perceptions In Kramer D E and Liston J eds SeafoodQuality Determination Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Bonnell A D 1994 Quality Assurance in Seafood Processing A Practical GuideNew York London Chapman amp Hall

Botta J R 1995 Evaluation of seafood freshness quality New York VCHPublishers Inc

Bremner H A 1985 A convenient easy-to-use system for estimating the quality ofchilled seafood In Scott D N and Summers C eds Proceedings of the FishProcessing Conference Nelson New Zealand 23-25 April 1985 Fish ProcessingBulletin 759-70

Bremner H A 2000 Toward Practical Definitions of Quality for Food ScienceCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 40(1)83-90

Bykov B P 1983 Marine fishes Chemical composition and processing propertiesAmerind Publishing co PVT Ltd New Delhi [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Codex Alimentarius Commission- Joint FAOWHO Food Standards Programme1997 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and guidelinesfor its application Annex to CACRCP 1-1969 Rev 3 1997

Cuba Ministry of Fishery Industry (MIP) 2000 Cuban fishing industry in 1999[21082001] httpwww2cubamarcupescaipescahtm

Denton W 2001 Introduction to the Captured Fish Standard Traceability of FishProducts (Tracefish) EC-CA QLK1-2000-00164 [24122001]httpwwwtracefishorg

European Economic Community (EEC) 1994 Commission Decision 94356EC of 20May 1994 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive91493EEC as regards own health checks on fishery products Official Journal Ndeg L156 23061994

European Economic Community (EEC) 1991 Council Directive 91493 EEC of 22 ofJuly laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on themarket of fishery products Official Journal NdegL268 240991

European Commission Concerted Action on Fish Quality Labelling and MonitoringFAIR PL 98-4174 (FQLM) 2001 The Practical Problems to be overcome in thevessels ports and auction sectors in order to provide the quality information requiredfor the marketing of fish Working document for the FQLM Workshop Amsterdam[05122001] httpwwwfqlmnl

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Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 1995 21 CFR Parts 123 and 124 Proceduresfor the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery ProductsFinal Rule

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2001 HACCP A State-of-the-art Approach toFood Safety [08122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagov~lrdbghaccphtml

Hernaacutendez Torres D 2000 Role of government in HACCP audit a Cubanperspective Food Control 11 (5)365-369

Hureau J-C and Litvinenko N I 1986 Scorpaenidae In Whitehead P J PBauchot M-L Hureau J-C Nielsen J and Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of theNorth-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean UNESCO Paris Vol 3 [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Huss H H 1994 Assurance of Seafood Quality FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No348 RomeFAO

Huss H H 1995 Quality and quality changes on fresh fish FAO Fisheries TechnicalPaper No 334 Rome FAO

Iceland Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) Mission - Objectives[18122001]httpwwwfiskistofaisdirfishadminqualityhtml

International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2000 International Standard ISO90002000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

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Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

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APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

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ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 12: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 12

It was studied how the information about the process and products is generated howthis information is transmitted along the chain and how it is recorded and stored forthe purposes of traceability This means that information is available to attendcustomer claims recall of products and also to verify the quality and handling of theproducts Data and information were collected from evaluations conducted and fromthe records stored in the companys system This will be presented in chapter 4

31 The structure of the company and main products

The group consists of the parent company and four subsidiaries Laugafiskur ltdspecialising in drying fish Joumlkull ltd concentrating on the processing of whole-frozen pelagic fish Hoacutelmadrangur ltd for shrimp processing and GPG Saltfish ltdspecialising in the production of splitted salted fish The parent company operatestrawlers and processes demersal fish either on shore or on board factory trawlers (UacuteA2001a) The main species harvested are cod (Gadus morhua) redfish (Smarinusmentella) Greenland halibut (Reinhardtius hippoglossoides) and prawns(Pandalus borealis) In 2000 the total catch of company vessels was 22689 tons (UacuteA2001c)

The main products of the group are frozen seafood and dried fish products The totalproduction of the company in 2000 was more than 17000 tons with a value of ISK53 billion Table 1 shows the production by speciesproduct

UacuteA operates a sales and marketing department which is responsible for the groupsales of fresh and frozen products The access to fresh fish allows the company tooffer high quality products supported by a quality assurance system based onHACCP which ensures product safety The biggest markets for the group are in theUSA and UK Other important markets are Germany Nigeria Japan and TaiwanFrance and Denmark (UacuteA 2001a)

Table 1 Volume of production of UacuteA Seafood Group in 2000 (UacuteA 2001b)

ProductSpecies tonsCod 6086Redfish 2833Haddock 287Saithe 177Greenland halibut 1232Capelin roe 248Shrimp in the shell 3224Cooked and peeled shrimp 1255Total frozen products 15342Stockfish 2215Total 17557

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 13

The UacuteA parent company operates five fishing vessels and two land-based processingplants Three of the vessels are fresh fish trawlers supplying the factories in Akureyriand Greniviacutek one vessel is a freezing trawler for demersal fish and the fifth vessel isa shrimp-freezing trawler The fresh fish trawlers concentrate on the catching of cod(G morhua) haddock (Melanogammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) andsaithe (Pollachius virens) while the freezing trawlers focus on Greenland halibut (Rhippoglossoides) redfish (S marinusmentella) and shrimp (P borealis) (UacuteA 2001a)The UacuteA plant in Akureyri is one of the largest of its kind in the North Atlantic andspecialises in the processing of cod and redfish The plant in Greniviacutek is smaller andprocesses haddock saithe and cod

32 The quality system at UacuteA

The UacuteA Seafood company quality system was studied especially for redfish (Smarinusmentella) Data and information from the processing line was gatheredincluding information on the traceability system For effective quality and processcontrol the plant has implemented a quality system based on HACCP which isproperly described in the companys Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The handbookconsists of 19 sections The sections are listed in Table 2 and comments given onthose sections which are of particular relevance to the present study

33 Redfish processing

The redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella) is a temperate marine species inhabiting theNorth Atlantic ocean waters along the European and American coasts The twospecies of redfish ocean perch (S marinus) and deepwater redfish (S mentella) aredifficult to distinguish Ocean perch (S marinus) has a bright red skin and a chubbyshape it can attain a maximum length of 100 cm and weight up to 15 kg (Hureau andLitvinenko 1986) while deepwater redfish attains a maximum size of 55 cm Redfishis utilised fresh and frozen It is a good table fish with a firm and tasty flesh (Bykov1983) As a result of different storage studies it has been estimated that redfish kept inice at 0degC has a shelf life of 18 days granted that the fish was handled under goodmanufacturing practices on board the vessels (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001)

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 14

Table 2 Sections of the quality handbook of the UacuteA fish processing company withcomments on some of them according to its relevance to the study

Section Comments1 Organogram of thecompany2 Managementresponsibilities3 Flow charts See Figure 1 and a description of the process4 HACCP (own check)system specified in theHACCP handbook

See Appendix 1

5 Preventive measures Includes training of the staff in personal hygiene and operating procedures6 Cleaning andsanitising

Includes all the procedures for cleaning and sanitation of equipment andfacilities and the checklist

7 Quality policy The aim of UacuteA is to produce products of high quality and to be a leadingcompany in quality issues in the market

71 Description of finalproduct

Frozen and fresh products from cod (Gadus morhua) haddock(Melanogrammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) and otherspecies The fish is either whole or fillets skin-on or skin-less trimmedAll products are processed according to specifications required by thebuyers packed for retail or catering or for further processing (blocks) Allthe products should be cooked before consumption

8 Records Most of the data are recorded in computers using software from NavisionFinancial and Marel Every record or form should be filled accurately withall the information required and must have the date and signature of theperson responsible

9 Verification of thesystem

It can be by daily inspection on a regular basis or by audit The audit iscarried out 4 times a year Once per year the Directorate of Fisheriesperforms a verification

10 Marking andtraceability

All individual packages should be labelled with plant number andproduction date according to the rules of day coding as stated in theQuality Handbook Detailed information about marking master cases andpallets is in the Quality Handbook To trace the product it has to be labelledwith processing number (plant number) origin lot number EU plantnumber Also information about catch production and stock should beavailable

11 Recall system In case of something going wrong and a product has to be withdrawn orrecalled the Production Manager should take the appropriate actions andinform the inspection authority who decides what to do with the product

12 Claims andcomplaints13 Record keeping All records including those of traceability are stored for a minimum of two

years14 Sanitary andorhealth certification ofwater ice fishemployees

For certification samples should be taken and sent for analysis Frequencyfor water - once a year ice - once per month fish - 5 or 6 samples weekly

15 Personal hygiene All the employees and persons who enter the processing plant shouldfollow the rules set for personal hygiene The Quality Manager isresponsible to look after this

16 Microbiologicalguidelines

Good Defective RejectTPC 30degC 150 000 150 000 - 350 000 gt350 000Coliforms MPNg lt100 100 - 200 gt200E Coli MPNg 03 03 - 04 gt04Listeria in 25 g Negative Positive

17 Calibration18 Forms used19 Layout

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 15

331 Flow chart and description of redfish fillets production

Frozen redfish fillets are produced following the operations presented in Figure 2 Theraw material entering the process can be whole ungutted fresh fish or frozen at sea(FAS) fillets

whole ungutted redfishReceiving raw material

Cooler

Washing

FilletingSkinning

Trimming Trimming Cooler tanks Flowline Express line

fillets (FAS)Frozen storage Weighing

PackingUnpacking Breading

Plate freezers IQF freezer Size gradingSize grading

Glazing Glazing Batter and breading

Weighing Size grading IQF freezer

Packing Metal detector Weighing PackingWeighing

Packing Casing Labelling

Palletising

Frozen storage

Shipping

Figure 2 Flow chart for frozen redfish fillets processing modified from the flow chartfor fish processing in the Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The shaded boxes in the chartrepresent the CCPs the symbol indicates the CPs along the processing line

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 16

Receiving raw materialCooler From the fresh fish trawlers fish is received wholeungutted washed properly and iced in plastic tubs 460 litres capacity labelled withthe catching day Temperature in the cooler is kept at 0 to 4degCFrozen at sea (FAS) fillets are received and kept in frozen storage at ndash20 to ndash24degC

Washing The plastic tubs with fish are emptied into a hopper with sloping steelconveyor belt with fresh iced water The fish is washed there before grading intosizes There is a steady overflow of fresh water in the hopperAll fish entering to process in the same day is considered a batch A batch usuallyincludes several catching days from one vessel and rarely from different vessels

Filleting and skinning After grading the fish is filleted and skinned in the Baadermachines

Trimming The fillets enter the so-called express line where the quantity depends onthe infection rate by the copepod parasite Sphyrion lumpi If the fillets are free of thisparasite then the fillets go through a faster trimming process If the fillets need morecareful trimming for example because of parasite infection or because the filletshould be free of pin bones they are sent directly to the traditional trimming flow lineAfter trimming the fillets can go directly to the Individually Quick Frozen (IQF)freezer they can be pumped to cooler tanks where the fillets are iced properly forstorage at temperature around 05degC or they can be sent to produce fillet blocks

Weighing and packing Blocks Fillets blocks are packed directly into carton boxesThe cartons are labelled according to specifications with production date plantnumber product number and origin The packed products are placed into freezingpans or block frames The freezing pans are placed into racks

Plate freezers and depanning The freezing pans are taken from the racks and putinto the plate freezers Freezing time is usually 25-3 hours or until the coretemperature has reached ndash24degC at minimum After freezing the cartons are depanned

IQF fillets IQF freezerglazingFillets are placed on in-feed conveyor belt for the IQF freezer The core temperaturemust reach at least ndash24degC After leaving the IQF freezer the fillets are sprayed withpotable water to reach desirable glaze percentage if required

Breading A part of the redfish fillets either frozen at sea (FAS) or IQF frozen in theplant are breaded in a special batter and breading line The fillets are arranged on anin-feed conveyor belt where they are covered with batter that is continuously renewedand then the battered fillets are automatically covered with breadcrumbs Then thebreaded fillets enter an IQF freezer From there the fillets are transferred to thepacking area

IQF size gradingWeighingPacking Size grading is automatic Weighing can beeither automatic or manual The retail bags are closed by heat sealing codedaccording to specifications and passed through a metal detector Other IQF productsare put into plastic bag inside of a master case and closed with a tape

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 17

Casing labelling and palletising The cartons are packed in master cases taped orclosed with plastic straps and labelled according to specifications Master cases arestacked on pallets and strapped with plastic and labelled IQF products other thanretail packs are already in master cases and are therefore only labelled and palletisedat this stage

Frozen storage Palletised products are placed immediately into frozen storage at amaximum temperature of ndash24degC

Shipping Palletised product is taken directly from frozen storage to freezercontainers at ndash24degC

Specific operational procedures for each product are detailed on productspecifications

34 HACCP (own check) system of the company

The HACCP system also called own check system is fully described in the HACCPhandbook (UacuteA 1999) A scheme of the system is presented in Appendix 1 TheHACCP analysis and the HACCP plan are shown in Appendices 2 and 3 respectively

Control points are established to monitor both product and process in the own checksystem of the plant These points are located in the reception area after trimmingfreezing in casinglabellingpalletising after battering and breading for breadedproducts and finally in weighingpacking operation in IQF products At each controlpoint samples are taken and evaluated according to the specifications and proceduresQuality and processing parameters controlled are well described in Appendix 1

Temperature is monitored in every step of the process including frozen storage offinal products All the information generated is recorded electronically or in thecorresponding form for each operation or product

35 Labelling and traceability in the fish processing plant

From the moment the fish is brought on board the vessel information is generated andrecorded until the product reaches the end customer Part of the information will betransmitted from one link to the next attached to the unit The rest will remain in thelink for internal use and will be accessible if necessary Most of the informationoriginates in the catching and processing links

Redfish fillets blocks were chosen in our study as an example to illustrate theinformation recorded during each step of the processing and distribution chain First itis necessary to identify batches and units within the chain (See Table 3)

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 18

Table 3 Identification of batches and units in the processing and distribution chain forfrozen redfish fillets blocks exported to Europe

Step Batch UnitsCatching Catching day TubProduction Production day Cartons palletTransport to carrier Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerStorage at carrier (Eimskip) Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerTransport at sea (Eimskip) Shipment Pallet container kg or tonExport company (IFPC SIF) An order or shipment Pallet container kg or tonCustoms Shipment Kg tonDirectorate of Fisheries Catch - Fishing trip

Export - ShipmentPallet container kg or ton

Note IFPC is the abbreviation of Icelandic Freezing Plants Corporation

Figure 3 is a simple illustration of the chain for frozen redfish fillets blocks producedat UacuteA fish processing company and exported to Europe Major export companies forUacuteA fish products are IFPC and the SIF Group The shipping company is EIMSKIPwhich stores the product in frozen storage and freights it to Europe

Directorate of Fisheries Export company Customs

UacuteA Transport Shipping BuyerCatch Production company company

Figure 3 Scheme of production and distribution chain for frozen redfish fillets blocksexported to Europe showing the entities involved and the transmission ofinformation

UacuteA receives the raw material to be processed in the plant from its own fishing vesselsThe information about the catch and finished products sent for export is given to theDirectorate of Fisheries Information is transmitted between UacuteA and the exportcompany about the fish products available for export At the request of UacuteA thetransport company freights the product to frozen storage at the carrier (EIMSKIP)The export company interacts with the shipping company and the buyer in Europeregarding shipments The export company also provides the information requested bycustoms about shipment of products The information registered in each step ispresented in Figure 4

Part of the information is printed out on a label attached to the unit and transmitted tothe next link in the production and distribution chain This information variesaccording to the product type and packaging Table 4 shows this information forfrozen redfish fillets blocks

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 19

Catching ProcessingVessel name Information from catch Information from productionFishing trip number Vessel name Name of productTime of catch Fishing trip number Origin of raw materialFishing area Fishing area Plant numberFishing gear Fish species EU authorisation numberQuantity in a haul Units per catching day Product numbercodeHauling time Condition of fish Production datelot numberFish species Weight of fish Best before dateQuantity of fish (tubs) Icefish ratio WeightOther parameters Other parameters Temperature

Quality and processingparametersSensory evaluation resultsMicrobiological results

Transport and storage Export companyProducers name Product name andCarrier name numberExporter name EU author numberProduct name andnumber

Producers name andnumber

Pallet number Origin of the productTemperature during Order numbertransport and storage Shipment numberContainer number Invoice numberDates and places when Customs id numberreceived and delivered Name of buyer

Addresses

Customs Directorate of FisheriesFish species Information about catch Information about exportsProduct name and Species Speciesdescription Vessel name and Product name andOrigin of the product number descriptionDestination Date and place of Producers name

landing Country of destinationQuantity Carrier name

Departure dateQuantity

Figure 4 Information registered at each step in the chain for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 20

Table 4 Information provided in the label for frozen redfish fillets blocks exported toEuropeStep Unit Information attachedCatch Tub Catching dayProduction Case

Pallet

Production datelot numberPlant numberOriginEU authorisation numberPallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOrigin

Transport and storage Pallet container Pallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOriginContainer number

351 Example of the chain (Catch-Processing-Transport) for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Using the information collected during the field study an example of how the productcan be traced back and forward is illustrated in Figure 5 Starting with the catch rawmaterial from 6 catching days went to a new batch fishing trip 23 from the fishingtrawler Hardbakur The fish from this batch was processed in three differentproduction days or batches corresponding to September 26 27 and 28 productiondates as shown in the figure Product processed on September 26 was palletised inthree pallets that were finally transported as units of a new batch to storage at theshipping company to be exported to Europe Once the fish has entered to theprocessing line it is not longer possible to identify the catching day

BATCH BATCH BATCH BATCHCatching days Fishing trip Production date Pallet number Container number

72583

2609 72633110

726356 catching days Hardbakur 23 2709

Vessel 72672

2809 72704

Figure 5 Example of catch-production-transport links for frozen redfish filletsprocessed in UacuteA showing the different batches identifiers in each step

Catch Production Transport

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 21

4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH

41 Introduction

Quality evaluation of fish is one of the most important aspects to be considered in thequality system of a fish processing plant The field study carried out at UacuteA provided agood opportunity to perform evaluations using the information available in the plantand taking samples to conduct the analysis thus gaining skills and experience

42 Materials and methods

Evaluation of raw material and fillets were carried out based on the quality system ofthe company Moreover sensory evaluation of the raw material using the QIM wasdone on samples from one fishing trip (November 21-27) of the vessel Arbakur

421 Evaluation of raw material

At UacuteA every batch of fish is evaluated at the moment of landing and reception in theplant A batch in this case is the fish of the same species from all the catch of onefishing trip The samples are taken randomly from different catching days andevaluated using the form shown in Table 5 This form includes the vessels name thenumber of the fishing trip and date of evaluation Once the evaluation has been carriedout a new form is filled with the final scores given to the parameters checked Theseresults are valid for the whole fishing trip (batch) A five score scheme is used Fishwith score 2 or less is unsuitable for processing

Information about the redfish received from the vessels for a period one month fromSeptember 23rd to October 24th was accessed and analysed Whole ungutted redfishfrom 8 batches was evaluated looking at the handling on board weight of fish and icewashing how the fish was aligned in the tub and icing ie fish-ice layers and icefishratio The data was recorded (Appendix 4) and analysed using the principalcomponent analysis technique (PCA) in Unscrambler (Camo Norway)

Table 5 Form for the evaluation of raw material (redfish) in the reception area

Ice

Cat

chin

g da

y

Spec

ies

Top

Mid

dle

Bot

tom

Ave

rage

Alig

nmen

t of

fishe

s in

tub

Was

hing

Oth

er sp

ecie

s

No

of f

ishe

s in

sam

ple

No

of d

efec

ts

Net

to k

g

Ice

kg

Bru

tto k

g

Ice

Fish

Con

tam

inat

ion

422 Evaluation of fillets

After trimming a random sample of fish fillets are checked for defects in appearance(bones parasites bloodspots bruises black membrane) Colour and smell are

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 22

evaluated on a scale from 2 to 5 In this study data collection and evaluation werecarried out for redfish fillets after trimming

Data from the quality system on evaluation of fish fillets after trimming were studiedInformation was collected from ten processing days starting from September 26th toOctober 18th The raw material came from eight fishing trips of the three vessels thatthe company owns The data were recorded as shown in Table 7

423 Quality Index Method

Sensory evaluation of raw material using the QIM method was conducted underprocessing conditions as part of this study A batch consisting of three catching daysfrom one vessels fishing trip was sampled taking five samples from each catchingday The fishing trip in this case was 6 days long The samples came from the secondfourth and sixth catching days it means that they had been in ice for six four and twodays respectively (Table 8) The scores for each parameter were determined byconsensus of the two untrained assessors evaluating fish the author of this report andthe inspector in the reception area in the plant

43 Results and discussion431 Raw material

The current evaluation of raw material (redfish) mainly focuses on handlingparameters as shown in the form in Table 5 and in Appendix 4

PCA was done to study the main trend in the data set from evaluation of raw materialin the reception area This technique allows the analysis of different variables at thesame time In this evaluation the useful information is icing icefish ratio andcatching day Figure 6 shows two main grouping of the data which mean that sampleswith parameters of similar values are correlated PC1 explains 75 of the variation inthe data and is mainly giving information about the amount of icing which appears tobe related to the catching days Samples located on the right side of the plot aremainly from catching days 6 7 and 8 while those on the left side are from days 1 2and 3 The position of the samples with missing catching day on the plot gives an ideaof their catching day because they have similar values as those samples located closeto them One outlier (Arb 26-1) is observed at the bottom left side of the figureLooking in Appendix 4 we find that it corresponded to a tub of fish with a score of 1for icing This tub was overloaded with fish so the quantity of ice was insufficient tocool the fish properly Another outlier (Kaldb 23-2) is on the top right side of thefigure In this case the quantity of ice was more than the necessary

Current evaluation of redfish in the plant is focused on handling parameters There isno regular evaluation of freshness attributes of fish There may be two main reasonsfor this one is that the raw material is received from their own vessels The otherreason is that each tub of fish is labelled with the catching day which means that thedays fish has been in ice are known so the freshness of fish and the remaining shelflife can be determined

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-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

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trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

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Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

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5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 27

REFERENCES

Bisogni C A Ryan G J and Regenstein J M 1987 What is fish quality Can weincorporate consumer perceptions In Kramer D E and Liston J eds SeafoodQuality Determination Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Bonnell A D 1994 Quality Assurance in Seafood Processing A Practical GuideNew York London Chapman amp Hall

Botta J R 1995 Evaluation of seafood freshness quality New York VCHPublishers Inc

Bremner H A 1985 A convenient easy-to-use system for estimating the quality ofchilled seafood In Scott D N and Summers C eds Proceedings of the FishProcessing Conference Nelson New Zealand 23-25 April 1985 Fish ProcessingBulletin 759-70

Bremner H A 2000 Toward Practical Definitions of Quality for Food ScienceCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 40(1)83-90

Bykov B P 1983 Marine fishes Chemical composition and processing propertiesAmerind Publishing co PVT Ltd New Delhi [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Codex Alimentarius Commission- Joint FAOWHO Food Standards Programme1997 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and guidelinesfor its application Annex to CACRCP 1-1969 Rev 3 1997

Cuba Ministry of Fishery Industry (MIP) 2000 Cuban fishing industry in 1999[21082001] httpwww2cubamarcupescaipescahtm

Denton W 2001 Introduction to the Captured Fish Standard Traceability of FishProducts (Tracefish) EC-CA QLK1-2000-00164 [24122001]httpwwwtracefishorg

European Economic Community (EEC) 1994 Commission Decision 94356EC of 20May 1994 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive91493EEC as regards own health checks on fishery products Official Journal Ndeg L156 23061994

European Economic Community (EEC) 1991 Council Directive 91493 EEC of 22 ofJuly laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on themarket of fishery products Official Journal NdegL268 240991

European Commission Concerted Action on Fish Quality Labelling and MonitoringFAIR PL 98-4174 (FQLM) 2001 The Practical Problems to be overcome in thevessels ports and auction sectors in order to provide the quality information requiredfor the marketing of fish Working document for the FQLM Workshop Amsterdam[05122001] httpwwwfqlmnl

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Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 1995 21 CFR Parts 123 and 124 Proceduresfor the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery ProductsFinal Rule

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2001 HACCP A State-of-the-art Approach toFood Safety [08122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagov~lrdbghaccphtml

Hernaacutendez Torres D 2000 Role of government in HACCP audit a Cubanperspective Food Control 11 (5)365-369

Hureau J-C and Litvinenko N I 1986 Scorpaenidae In Whitehead P J PBauchot M-L Hureau J-C Nielsen J and Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of theNorth-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean UNESCO Paris Vol 3 [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Huss H H 1994 Assurance of Seafood Quality FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No348 RomeFAO

Huss H H 1995 Quality and quality changes on fresh fish FAO Fisheries TechnicalPaper No 334 Rome FAO

Iceland Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) Mission - Objectives[18122001]httpwwwfiskistofaisdirfishadminqualityhtml

International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2000 International Standard ISO90002000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

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Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

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APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

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APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

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APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

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ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 13: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 13

The UacuteA parent company operates five fishing vessels and two land-based processingplants Three of the vessels are fresh fish trawlers supplying the factories in Akureyriand Greniviacutek one vessel is a freezing trawler for demersal fish and the fifth vessel isa shrimp-freezing trawler The fresh fish trawlers concentrate on the catching of cod(G morhua) haddock (Melanogammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) andsaithe (Pollachius virens) while the freezing trawlers focus on Greenland halibut (Rhippoglossoides) redfish (S marinusmentella) and shrimp (P borealis) (UacuteA 2001a)The UacuteA plant in Akureyri is one of the largest of its kind in the North Atlantic andspecialises in the processing of cod and redfish The plant in Greniviacutek is smaller andprocesses haddock saithe and cod

32 The quality system at UacuteA

The UacuteA Seafood company quality system was studied especially for redfish (Smarinusmentella) Data and information from the processing line was gatheredincluding information on the traceability system For effective quality and processcontrol the plant has implemented a quality system based on HACCP which isproperly described in the companys Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The handbookconsists of 19 sections The sections are listed in Table 2 and comments given onthose sections which are of particular relevance to the present study

33 Redfish processing

The redfish (Sebastes marinusmentella) is a temperate marine species inhabiting theNorth Atlantic ocean waters along the European and American coasts The twospecies of redfish ocean perch (S marinus) and deepwater redfish (S mentella) aredifficult to distinguish Ocean perch (S marinus) has a bright red skin and a chubbyshape it can attain a maximum length of 100 cm and weight up to 15 kg (Hureau andLitvinenko 1986) while deepwater redfish attains a maximum size of 55 cm Redfishis utilised fresh and frozen It is a good table fish with a firm and tasty flesh (Bykov1983) As a result of different storage studies it has been estimated that redfish kept inice at 0degC has a shelf life of 18 days granted that the fish was handled under goodmanufacturing practices on board the vessels (Martinsdoacutettir et al 2001)

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 14

Table 2 Sections of the quality handbook of the UacuteA fish processing company withcomments on some of them according to its relevance to the study

Section Comments1 Organogram of thecompany2 Managementresponsibilities3 Flow charts See Figure 1 and a description of the process4 HACCP (own check)system specified in theHACCP handbook

See Appendix 1

5 Preventive measures Includes training of the staff in personal hygiene and operating procedures6 Cleaning andsanitising

Includes all the procedures for cleaning and sanitation of equipment andfacilities and the checklist

7 Quality policy The aim of UacuteA is to produce products of high quality and to be a leadingcompany in quality issues in the market

71 Description of finalproduct

Frozen and fresh products from cod (Gadus morhua) haddock(Melanogrammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) and otherspecies The fish is either whole or fillets skin-on or skin-less trimmedAll products are processed according to specifications required by thebuyers packed for retail or catering or for further processing (blocks) Allthe products should be cooked before consumption

8 Records Most of the data are recorded in computers using software from NavisionFinancial and Marel Every record or form should be filled accurately withall the information required and must have the date and signature of theperson responsible

9 Verification of thesystem

It can be by daily inspection on a regular basis or by audit The audit iscarried out 4 times a year Once per year the Directorate of Fisheriesperforms a verification

10 Marking andtraceability

All individual packages should be labelled with plant number andproduction date according to the rules of day coding as stated in theQuality Handbook Detailed information about marking master cases andpallets is in the Quality Handbook To trace the product it has to be labelledwith processing number (plant number) origin lot number EU plantnumber Also information about catch production and stock should beavailable

11 Recall system In case of something going wrong and a product has to be withdrawn orrecalled the Production Manager should take the appropriate actions andinform the inspection authority who decides what to do with the product

12 Claims andcomplaints13 Record keeping All records including those of traceability are stored for a minimum of two

years14 Sanitary andorhealth certification ofwater ice fishemployees

For certification samples should be taken and sent for analysis Frequencyfor water - once a year ice - once per month fish - 5 or 6 samples weekly

15 Personal hygiene All the employees and persons who enter the processing plant shouldfollow the rules set for personal hygiene The Quality Manager isresponsible to look after this

16 Microbiologicalguidelines

Good Defective RejectTPC 30degC 150 000 150 000 - 350 000 gt350 000Coliforms MPNg lt100 100 - 200 gt200E Coli MPNg 03 03 - 04 gt04Listeria in 25 g Negative Positive

17 Calibration18 Forms used19 Layout

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 15

331 Flow chart and description of redfish fillets production

Frozen redfish fillets are produced following the operations presented in Figure 2 Theraw material entering the process can be whole ungutted fresh fish or frozen at sea(FAS) fillets

whole ungutted redfishReceiving raw material

Cooler

Washing

FilletingSkinning

Trimming Trimming Cooler tanks Flowline Express line

fillets (FAS)Frozen storage Weighing

PackingUnpacking Breading

Plate freezers IQF freezer Size gradingSize grading

Glazing Glazing Batter and breading

Weighing Size grading IQF freezer

Packing Metal detector Weighing PackingWeighing

Packing Casing Labelling

Palletising

Frozen storage

Shipping

Figure 2 Flow chart for frozen redfish fillets processing modified from the flow chartfor fish processing in the Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The shaded boxes in the chartrepresent the CCPs the symbol indicates the CPs along the processing line

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 16

Receiving raw materialCooler From the fresh fish trawlers fish is received wholeungutted washed properly and iced in plastic tubs 460 litres capacity labelled withthe catching day Temperature in the cooler is kept at 0 to 4degCFrozen at sea (FAS) fillets are received and kept in frozen storage at ndash20 to ndash24degC

Washing The plastic tubs with fish are emptied into a hopper with sloping steelconveyor belt with fresh iced water The fish is washed there before grading intosizes There is a steady overflow of fresh water in the hopperAll fish entering to process in the same day is considered a batch A batch usuallyincludes several catching days from one vessel and rarely from different vessels

Filleting and skinning After grading the fish is filleted and skinned in the Baadermachines

Trimming The fillets enter the so-called express line where the quantity depends onthe infection rate by the copepod parasite Sphyrion lumpi If the fillets are free of thisparasite then the fillets go through a faster trimming process If the fillets need morecareful trimming for example because of parasite infection or because the filletshould be free of pin bones they are sent directly to the traditional trimming flow lineAfter trimming the fillets can go directly to the Individually Quick Frozen (IQF)freezer they can be pumped to cooler tanks where the fillets are iced properly forstorage at temperature around 05degC or they can be sent to produce fillet blocks

Weighing and packing Blocks Fillets blocks are packed directly into carton boxesThe cartons are labelled according to specifications with production date plantnumber product number and origin The packed products are placed into freezingpans or block frames The freezing pans are placed into racks

Plate freezers and depanning The freezing pans are taken from the racks and putinto the plate freezers Freezing time is usually 25-3 hours or until the coretemperature has reached ndash24degC at minimum After freezing the cartons are depanned

IQF fillets IQF freezerglazingFillets are placed on in-feed conveyor belt for the IQF freezer The core temperaturemust reach at least ndash24degC After leaving the IQF freezer the fillets are sprayed withpotable water to reach desirable glaze percentage if required

Breading A part of the redfish fillets either frozen at sea (FAS) or IQF frozen in theplant are breaded in a special batter and breading line The fillets are arranged on anin-feed conveyor belt where they are covered with batter that is continuously renewedand then the battered fillets are automatically covered with breadcrumbs Then thebreaded fillets enter an IQF freezer From there the fillets are transferred to thepacking area

IQF size gradingWeighingPacking Size grading is automatic Weighing can beeither automatic or manual The retail bags are closed by heat sealing codedaccording to specifications and passed through a metal detector Other IQF productsare put into plastic bag inside of a master case and closed with a tape

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 17

Casing labelling and palletising The cartons are packed in master cases taped orclosed with plastic straps and labelled according to specifications Master cases arestacked on pallets and strapped with plastic and labelled IQF products other thanretail packs are already in master cases and are therefore only labelled and palletisedat this stage

Frozen storage Palletised products are placed immediately into frozen storage at amaximum temperature of ndash24degC

Shipping Palletised product is taken directly from frozen storage to freezercontainers at ndash24degC

Specific operational procedures for each product are detailed on productspecifications

34 HACCP (own check) system of the company

The HACCP system also called own check system is fully described in the HACCPhandbook (UacuteA 1999) A scheme of the system is presented in Appendix 1 TheHACCP analysis and the HACCP plan are shown in Appendices 2 and 3 respectively

Control points are established to monitor both product and process in the own checksystem of the plant These points are located in the reception area after trimmingfreezing in casinglabellingpalletising after battering and breading for breadedproducts and finally in weighingpacking operation in IQF products At each controlpoint samples are taken and evaluated according to the specifications and proceduresQuality and processing parameters controlled are well described in Appendix 1

Temperature is monitored in every step of the process including frozen storage offinal products All the information generated is recorded electronically or in thecorresponding form for each operation or product

35 Labelling and traceability in the fish processing plant

From the moment the fish is brought on board the vessel information is generated andrecorded until the product reaches the end customer Part of the information will betransmitted from one link to the next attached to the unit The rest will remain in thelink for internal use and will be accessible if necessary Most of the informationoriginates in the catching and processing links

Redfish fillets blocks were chosen in our study as an example to illustrate theinformation recorded during each step of the processing and distribution chain First itis necessary to identify batches and units within the chain (See Table 3)

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 18

Table 3 Identification of batches and units in the processing and distribution chain forfrozen redfish fillets blocks exported to Europe

Step Batch UnitsCatching Catching day TubProduction Production day Cartons palletTransport to carrier Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerStorage at carrier (Eimskip) Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerTransport at sea (Eimskip) Shipment Pallet container kg or tonExport company (IFPC SIF) An order or shipment Pallet container kg or tonCustoms Shipment Kg tonDirectorate of Fisheries Catch - Fishing trip

Export - ShipmentPallet container kg or ton

Note IFPC is the abbreviation of Icelandic Freezing Plants Corporation

Figure 3 is a simple illustration of the chain for frozen redfish fillets blocks producedat UacuteA fish processing company and exported to Europe Major export companies forUacuteA fish products are IFPC and the SIF Group The shipping company is EIMSKIPwhich stores the product in frozen storage and freights it to Europe

Directorate of Fisheries Export company Customs

UacuteA Transport Shipping BuyerCatch Production company company

Figure 3 Scheme of production and distribution chain for frozen redfish fillets blocksexported to Europe showing the entities involved and the transmission ofinformation

UacuteA receives the raw material to be processed in the plant from its own fishing vesselsThe information about the catch and finished products sent for export is given to theDirectorate of Fisheries Information is transmitted between UacuteA and the exportcompany about the fish products available for export At the request of UacuteA thetransport company freights the product to frozen storage at the carrier (EIMSKIP)The export company interacts with the shipping company and the buyer in Europeregarding shipments The export company also provides the information requested bycustoms about shipment of products The information registered in each step ispresented in Figure 4

Part of the information is printed out on a label attached to the unit and transmitted tothe next link in the production and distribution chain This information variesaccording to the product type and packaging Table 4 shows this information forfrozen redfish fillets blocks

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 19

Catching ProcessingVessel name Information from catch Information from productionFishing trip number Vessel name Name of productTime of catch Fishing trip number Origin of raw materialFishing area Fishing area Plant numberFishing gear Fish species EU authorisation numberQuantity in a haul Units per catching day Product numbercodeHauling time Condition of fish Production datelot numberFish species Weight of fish Best before dateQuantity of fish (tubs) Icefish ratio WeightOther parameters Other parameters Temperature

Quality and processingparametersSensory evaluation resultsMicrobiological results

Transport and storage Export companyProducers name Product name andCarrier name numberExporter name EU author numberProduct name andnumber

Producers name andnumber

Pallet number Origin of the productTemperature during Order numbertransport and storage Shipment numberContainer number Invoice numberDates and places when Customs id numberreceived and delivered Name of buyer

Addresses

Customs Directorate of FisheriesFish species Information about catch Information about exportsProduct name and Species Speciesdescription Vessel name and Product name andOrigin of the product number descriptionDestination Date and place of Producers name

landing Country of destinationQuantity Carrier name

Departure dateQuantity

Figure 4 Information registered at each step in the chain for frozen redfish filletsblocks

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 20

Table 4 Information provided in the label for frozen redfish fillets blocks exported toEuropeStep Unit Information attachedCatch Tub Catching dayProduction Case

Pallet

Production datelot numberPlant numberOriginEU authorisation numberPallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOrigin

Transport and storage Pallet container Pallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOriginContainer number

351 Example of the chain (Catch-Processing-Transport) for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Using the information collected during the field study an example of how the productcan be traced back and forward is illustrated in Figure 5 Starting with the catch rawmaterial from 6 catching days went to a new batch fishing trip 23 from the fishingtrawler Hardbakur The fish from this batch was processed in three differentproduction days or batches corresponding to September 26 27 and 28 productiondates as shown in the figure Product processed on September 26 was palletised inthree pallets that were finally transported as units of a new batch to storage at theshipping company to be exported to Europe Once the fish has entered to theprocessing line it is not longer possible to identify the catching day

BATCH BATCH BATCH BATCHCatching days Fishing trip Production date Pallet number Container number

72583

2609 72633110

726356 catching days Hardbakur 23 2709

Vessel 72672

2809 72704

Figure 5 Example of catch-production-transport links for frozen redfish filletsprocessed in UacuteA showing the different batches identifiers in each step

Catch Production Transport

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 21

4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH

41 Introduction

Quality evaluation of fish is one of the most important aspects to be considered in thequality system of a fish processing plant The field study carried out at UacuteA provided agood opportunity to perform evaluations using the information available in the plantand taking samples to conduct the analysis thus gaining skills and experience

42 Materials and methods

Evaluation of raw material and fillets were carried out based on the quality system ofthe company Moreover sensory evaluation of the raw material using the QIM wasdone on samples from one fishing trip (November 21-27) of the vessel Arbakur

421 Evaluation of raw material

At UacuteA every batch of fish is evaluated at the moment of landing and reception in theplant A batch in this case is the fish of the same species from all the catch of onefishing trip The samples are taken randomly from different catching days andevaluated using the form shown in Table 5 This form includes the vessels name thenumber of the fishing trip and date of evaluation Once the evaluation has been carriedout a new form is filled with the final scores given to the parameters checked Theseresults are valid for the whole fishing trip (batch) A five score scheme is used Fishwith score 2 or less is unsuitable for processing

Information about the redfish received from the vessels for a period one month fromSeptember 23rd to October 24th was accessed and analysed Whole ungutted redfishfrom 8 batches was evaluated looking at the handling on board weight of fish and icewashing how the fish was aligned in the tub and icing ie fish-ice layers and icefishratio The data was recorded (Appendix 4) and analysed using the principalcomponent analysis technique (PCA) in Unscrambler (Camo Norway)

Table 5 Form for the evaluation of raw material (redfish) in the reception area

Ice

Cat

chin

g da

y

Spec

ies

Top

Mid

dle

Bot

tom

Ave

rage

Alig

nmen

t of

fishe

s in

tub

Was

hing

Oth

er sp

ecie

s

No

of f

ishe

s in

sam

ple

No

of d

efec

ts

Net

to k

g

Ice

kg

Bru

tto k

g

Ice

Fish

Con

tam

inat

ion

422 Evaluation of fillets

After trimming a random sample of fish fillets are checked for defects in appearance(bones parasites bloodspots bruises black membrane) Colour and smell are

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 22

evaluated on a scale from 2 to 5 In this study data collection and evaluation werecarried out for redfish fillets after trimming

Data from the quality system on evaluation of fish fillets after trimming were studiedInformation was collected from ten processing days starting from September 26th toOctober 18th The raw material came from eight fishing trips of the three vessels thatthe company owns The data were recorded as shown in Table 7

423 Quality Index Method

Sensory evaluation of raw material using the QIM method was conducted underprocessing conditions as part of this study A batch consisting of three catching daysfrom one vessels fishing trip was sampled taking five samples from each catchingday The fishing trip in this case was 6 days long The samples came from the secondfourth and sixth catching days it means that they had been in ice for six four and twodays respectively (Table 8) The scores for each parameter were determined byconsensus of the two untrained assessors evaluating fish the author of this report andthe inspector in the reception area in the plant

43 Results and discussion431 Raw material

The current evaluation of raw material (redfish) mainly focuses on handlingparameters as shown in the form in Table 5 and in Appendix 4

PCA was done to study the main trend in the data set from evaluation of raw materialin the reception area This technique allows the analysis of different variables at thesame time In this evaluation the useful information is icing icefish ratio andcatching day Figure 6 shows two main grouping of the data which mean that sampleswith parameters of similar values are correlated PC1 explains 75 of the variation inthe data and is mainly giving information about the amount of icing which appears tobe related to the catching days Samples located on the right side of the plot aremainly from catching days 6 7 and 8 while those on the left side are from days 1 2and 3 The position of the samples with missing catching day on the plot gives an ideaof their catching day because they have similar values as those samples located closeto them One outlier (Arb 26-1) is observed at the bottom left side of the figureLooking in Appendix 4 we find that it corresponded to a tub of fish with a score of 1for icing This tub was overloaded with fish so the quantity of ice was insufficient tocool the fish properly Another outlier (Kaldb 23-2) is on the top right side of thefigure In this case the quantity of ice was more than the necessary

Current evaluation of redfish in the plant is focused on handling parameters There isno regular evaluation of freshness attributes of fish There may be two main reasonsfor this one is that the raw material is received from their own vessels The otherreason is that each tub of fish is labelled with the catching day which means that thedays fish has been in ice are known so the freshness of fish and the remaining shelflife can be determined

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 23

-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 24

trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 25

Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 26

5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 27

REFERENCES

Bisogni C A Ryan G J and Regenstein J M 1987 What is fish quality Can weincorporate consumer perceptions In Kramer D E and Liston J eds SeafoodQuality Determination Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Bonnell A D 1994 Quality Assurance in Seafood Processing A Practical GuideNew York London Chapman amp Hall

Botta J R 1995 Evaluation of seafood freshness quality New York VCHPublishers Inc

Bremner H A 1985 A convenient easy-to-use system for estimating the quality ofchilled seafood In Scott D N and Summers C eds Proceedings of the FishProcessing Conference Nelson New Zealand 23-25 April 1985 Fish ProcessingBulletin 759-70

Bremner H A 2000 Toward Practical Definitions of Quality for Food ScienceCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 40(1)83-90

Bykov B P 1983 Marine fishes Chemical composition and processing propertiesAmerind Publishing co PVT Ltd New Delhi [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Codex Alimentarius Commission- Joint FAOWHO Food Standards Programme1997 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and guidelinesfor its application Annex to CACRCP 1-1969 Rev 3 1997

Cuba Ministry of Fishery Industry (MIP) 2000 Cuban fishing industry in 1999[21082001] httpwww2cubamarcupescaipescahtm

Denton W 2001 Introduction to the Captured Fish Standard Traceability of FishProducts (Tracefish) EC-CA QLK1-2000-00164 [24122001]httpwwwtracefishorg

European Economic Community (EEC) 1994 Commission Decision 94356EC of 20May 1994 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive91493EEC as regards own health checks on fishery products Official Journal Ndeg L156 23061994

European Economic Community (EEC) 1991 Council Directive 91493 EEC of 22 ofJuly laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on themarket of fishery products Official Journal NdegL268 240991

European Commission Concerted Action on Fish Quality Labelling and MonitoringFAIR PL 98-4174 (FQLM) 2001 The Practical Problems to be overcome in thevessels ports and auction sectors in order to provide the quality information requiredfor the marketing of fish Working document for the FQLM Workshop Amsterdam[05122001] httpwwwfqlmnl

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 28

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 1995 21 CFR Parts 123 and 124 Proceduresfor the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery ProductsFinal Rule

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2001 HACCP A State-of-the-art Approach toFood Safety [08122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagov~lrdbghaccphtml

Hernaacutendez Torres D 2000 Role of government in HACCP audit a Cubanperspective Food Control 11 (5)365-369

Hureau J-C and Litvinenko N I 1986 Scorpaenidae In Whitehead P J PBauchot M-L Hureau J-C Nielsen J and Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of theNorth-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean UNESCO Paris Vol 3 [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Huss H H 1994 Assurance of Seafood Quality FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No348 RomeFAO

Huss H H 1995 Quality and quality changes on fresh fish FAO Fisheries TechnicalPaper No 334 Rome FAO

Iceland Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) Mission - Objectives[18122001]httpwwwfiskistofaisdirfishadminqualityhtml

International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2000 International Standard ISO90002000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 29

Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme i

APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

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ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 14: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 14

Table 2 Sections of the quality handbook of the UacuteA fish processing company withcomments on some of them according to its relevance to the study

Section Comments1 Organogram of thecompany2 Managementresponsibilities3 Flow charts See Figure 1 and a description of the process4 HACCP (own check)system specified in theHACCP handbook

See Appendix 1

5 Preventive measures Includes training of the staff in personal hygiene and operating procedures6 Cleaning andsanitising

Includes all the procedures for cleaning and sanitation of equipment andfacilities and the checklist

7 Quality policy The aim of UacuteA is to produce products of high quality and to be a leadingcompany in quality issues in the market

71 Description of finalproduct

Frozen and fresh products from cod (Gadus morhua) haddock(Melanogrammus aeglefinus) redfish (S marinusmentella) and otherspecies The fish is either whole or fillets skin-on or skin-less trimmedAll products are processed according to specifications required by thebuyers packed for retail or catering or for further processing (blocks) Allthe products should be cooked before consumption

8 Records Most of the data are recorded in computers using software from NavisionFinancial and Marel Every record or form should be filled accurately withall the information required and must have the date and signature of theperson responsible

9 Verification of thesystem

It can be by daily inspection on a regular basis or by audit The audit iscarried out 4 times a year Once per year the Directorate of Fisheriesperforms a verification

10 Marking andtraceability

All individual packages should be labelled with plant number andproduction date according to the rules of day coding as stated in theQuality Handbook Detailed information about marking master cases andpallets is in the Quality Handbook To trace the product it has to be labelledwith processing number (plant number) origin lot number EU plantnumber Also information about catch production and stock should beavailable

11 Recall system In case of something going wrong and a product has to be withdrawn orrecalled the Production Manager should take the appropriate actions andinform the inspection authority who decides what to do with the product

12 Claims andcomplaints13 Record keeping All records including those of traceability are stored for a minimum of two

years14 Sanitary andorhealth certification ofwater ice fishemployees

For certification samples should be taken and sent for analysis Frequencyfor water - once a year ice - once per month fish - 5 or 6 samples weekly

15 Personal hygiene All the employees and persons who enter the processing plant shouldfollow the rules set for personal hygiene The Quality Manager isresponsible to look after this

16 Microbiologicalguidelines

Good Defective RejectTPC 30degC 150 000 150 000 - 350 000 gt350 000Coliforms MPNg lt100 100 - 200 gt200E Coli MPNg 03 03 - 04 gt04Listeria in 25 g Negative Positive

17 Calibration18 Forms used19 Layout

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331 Flow chart and description of redfish fillets production

Frozen redfish fillets are produced following the operations presented in Figure 2 Theraw material entering the process can be whole ungutted fresh fish or frozen at sea(FAS) fillets

whole ungutted redfishReceiving raw material

Cooler

Washing

FilletingSkinning

Trimming Trimming Cooler tanks Flowline Express line

fillets (FAS)Frozen storage Weighing

PackingUnpacking Breading

Plate freezers IQF freezer Size gradingSize grading

Glazing Glazing Batter and breading

Weighing Size grading IQF freezer

Packing Metal detector Weighing PackingWeighing

Packing Casing Labelling

Palletising

Frozen storage

Shipping

Figure 2 Flow chart for frozen redfish fillets processing modified from the flow chartfor fish processing in the Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The shaded boxes in the chartrepresent the CCPs the symbol indicates the CPs along the processing line

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Receiving raw materialCooler From the fresh fish trawlers fish is received wholeungutted washed properly and iced in plastic tubs 460 litres capacity labelled withthe catching day Temperature in the cooler is kept at 0 to 4degCFrozen at sea (FAS) fillets are received and kept in frozen storage at ndash20 to ndash24degC

Washing The plastic tubs with fish are emptied into a hopper with sloping steelconveyor belt with fresh iced water The fish is washed there before grading intosizes There is a steady overflow of fresh water in the hopperAll fish entering to process in the same day is considered a batch A batch usuallyincludes several catching days from one vessel and rarely from different vessels

Filleting and skinning After grading the fish is filleted and skinned in the Baadermachines

Trimming The fillets enter the so-called express line where the quantity depends onthe infection rate by the copepod parasite Sphyrion lumpi If the fillets are free of thisparasite then the fillets go through a faster trimming process If the fillets need morecareful trimming for example because of parasite infection or because the filletshould be free of pin bones they are sent directly to the traditional trimming flow lineAfter trimming the fillets can go directly to the Individually Quick Frozen (IQF)freezer they can be pumped to cooler tanks where the fillets are iced properly forstorage at temperature around 05degC or they can be sent to produce fillet blocks

Weighing and packing Blocks Fillets blocks are packed directly into carton boxesThe cartons are labelled according to specifications with production date plantnumber product number and origin The packed products are placed into freezingpans or block frames The freezing pans are placed into racks

Plate freezers and depanning The freezing pans are taken from the racks and putinto the plate freezers Freezing time is usually 25-3 hours or until the coretemperature has reached ndash24degC at minimum After freezing the cartons are depanned

IQF fillets IQF freezerglazingFillets are placed on in-feed conveyor belt for the IQF freezer The core temperaturemust reach at least ndash24degC After leaving the IQF freezer the fillets are sprayed withpotable water to reach desirable glaze percentage if required

Breading A part of the redfish fillets either frozen at sea (FAS) or IQF frozen in theplant are breaded in a special batter and breading line The fillets are arranged on anin-feed conveyor belt where they are covered with batter that is continuously renewedand then the battered fillets are automatically covered with breadcrumbs Then thebreaded fillets enter an IQF freezer From there the fillets are transferred to thepacking area

IQF size gradingWeighingPacking Size grading is automatic Weighing can beeither automatic or manual The retail bags are closed by heat sealing codedaccording to specifications and passed through a metal detector Other IQF productsare put into plastic bag inside of a master case and closed with a tape

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Casing labelling and palletising The cartons are packed in master cases taped orclosed with plastic straps and labelled according to specifications Master cases arestacked on pallets and strapped with plastic and labelled IQF products other thanretail packs are already in master cases and are therefore only labelled and palletisedat this stage

Frozen storage Palletised products are placed immediately into frozen storage at amaximum temperature of ndash24degC

Shipping Palletised product is taken directly from frozen storage to freezercontainers at ndash24degC

Specific operational procedures for each product are detailed on productspecifications

34 HACCP (own check) system of the company

The HACCP system also called own check system is fully described in the HACCPhandbook (UacuteA 1999) A scheme of the system is presented in Appendix 1 TheHACCP analysis and the HACCP plan are shown in Appendices 2 and 3 respectively

Control points are established to monitor both product and process in the own checksystem of the plant These points are located in the reception area after trimmingfreezing in casinglabellingpalletising after battering and breading for breadedproducts and finally in weighingpacking operation in IQF products At each controlpoint samples are taken and evaluated according to the specifications and proceduresQuality and processing parameters controlled are well described in Appendix 1

Temperature is monitored in every step of the process including frozen storage offinal products All the information generated is recorded electronically or in thecorresponding form for each operation or product

35 Labelling and traceability in the fish processing plant

From the moment the fish is brought on board the vessel information is generated andrecorded until the product reaches the end customer Part of the information will betransmitted from one link to the next attached to the unit The rest will remain in thelink for internal use and will be accessible if necessary Most of the informationoriginates in the catching and processing links

Redfish fillets blocks were chosen in our study as an example to illustrate theinformation recorded during each step of the processing and distribution chain First itis necessary to identify batches and units within the chain (See Table 3)

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Table 3 Identification of batches and units in the processing and distribution chain forfrozen redfish fillets blocks exported to Europe

Step Batch UnitsCatching Catching day TubProduction Production day Cartons palletTransport to carrier Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerStorage at carrier (Eimskip) Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerTransport at sea (Eimskip) Shipment Pallet container kg or tonExport company (IFPC SIF) An order or shipment Pallet container kg or tonCustoms Shipment Kg tonDirectorate of Fisheries Catch - Fishing trip

Export - ShipmentPallet container kg or ton

Note IFPC is the abbreviation of Icelandic Freezing Plants Corporation

Figure 3 is a simple illustration of the chain for frozen redfish fillets blocks producedat UacuteA fish processing company and exported to Europe Major export companies forUacuteA fish products are IFPC and the SIF Group The shipping company is EIMSKIPwhich stores the product in frozen storage and freights it to Europe

Directorate of Fisheries Export company Customs

UacuteA Transport Shipping BuyerCatch Production company company

Figure 3 Scheme of production and distribution chain for frozen redfish fillets blocksexported to Europe showing the entities involved and the transmission ofinformation

UacuteA receives the raw material to be processed in the plant from its own fishing vesselsThe information about the catch and finished products sent for export is given to theDirectorate of Fisheries Information is transmitted between UacuteA and the exportcompany about the fish products available for export At the request of UacuteA thetransport company freights the product to frozen storage at the carrier (EIMSKIP)The export company interacts with the shipping company and the buyer in Europeregarding shipments The export company also provides the information requested bycustoms about shipment of products The information registered in each step ispresented in Figure 4

Part of the information is printed out on a label attached to the unit and transmitted tothe next link in the production and distribution chain This information variesaccording to the product type and packaging Table 4 shows this information forfrozen redfish fillets blocks

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Catching ProcessingVessel name Information from catch Information from productionFishing trip number Vessel name Name of productTime of catch Fishing trip number Origin of raw materialFishing area Fishing area Plant numberFishing gear Fish species EU authorisation numberQuantity in a haul Units per catching day Product numbercodeHauling time Condition of fish Production datelot numberFish species Weight of fish Best before dateQuantity of fish (tubs) Icefish ratio WeightOther parameters Other parameters Temperature

Quality and processingparametersSensory evaluation resultsMicrobiological results

Transport and storage Export companyProducers name Product name andCarrier name numberExporter name EU author numberProduct name andnumber

Producers name andnumber

Pallet number Origin of the productTemperature during Order numbertransport and storage Shipment numberContainer number Invoice numberDates and places when Customs id numberreceived and delivered Name of buyer

Addresses

Customs Directorate of FisheriesFish species Information about catch Information about exportsProduct name and Species Speciesdescription Vessel name and Product name andOrigin of the product number descriptionDestination Date and place of Producers name

landing Country of destinationQuantity Carrier name

Departure dateQuantity

Figure 4 Information registered at each step in the chain for frozen redfish filletsblocks

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Table 4 Information provided in the label for frozen redfish fillets blocks exported toEuropeStep Unit Information attachedCatch Tub Catching dayProduction Case

Pallet

Production datelot numberPlant numberOriginEU authorisation numberPallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOrigin

Transport and storage Pallet container Pallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOriginContainer number

351 Example of the chain (Catch-Processing-Transport) for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Using the information collected during the field study an example of how the productcan be traced back and forward is illustrated in Figure 5 Starting with the catch rawmaterial from 6 catching days went to a new batch fishing trip 23 from the fishingtrawler Hardbakur The fish from this batch was processed in three differentproduction days or batches corresponding to September 26 27 and 28 productiondates as shown in the figure Product processed on September 26 was palletised inthree pallets that were finally transported as units of a new batch to storage at theshipping company to be exported to Europe Once the fish has entered to theprocessing line it is not longer possible to identify the catching day

BATCH BATCH BATCH BATCHCatching days Fishing trip Production date Pallet number Container number

72583

2609 72633110

726356 catching days Hardbakur 23 2709

Vessel 72672

2809 72704

Figure 5 Example of catch-production-transport links for frozen redfish filletsprocessed in UacuteA showing the different batches identifiers in each step

Catch Production Transport

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4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH

41 Introduction

Quality evaluation of fish is one of the most important aspects to be considered in thequality system of a fish processing plant The field study carried out at UacuteA provided agood opportunity to perform evaluations using the information available in the plantand taking samples to conduct the analysis thus gaining skills and experience

42 Materials and methods

Evaluation of raw material and fillets were carried out based on the quality system ofthe company Moreover sensory evaluation of the raw material using the QIM wasdone on samples from one fishing trip (November 21-27) of the vessel Arbakur

421 Evaluation of raw material

At UacuteA every batch of fish is evaluated at the moment of landing and reception in theplant A batch in this case is the fish of the same species from all the catch of onefishing trip The samples are taken randomly from different catching days andevaluated using the form shown in Table 5 This form includes the vessels name thenumber of the fishing trip and date of evaluation Once the evaluation has been carriedout a new form is filled with the final scores given to the parameters checked Theseresults are valid for the whole fishing trip (batch) A five score scheme is used Fishwith score 2 or less is unsuitable for processing

Information about the redfish received from the vessels for a period one month fromSeptember 23rd to October 24th was accessed and analysed Whole ungutted redfishfrom 8 batches was evaluated looking at the handling on board weight of fish and icewashing how the fish was aligned in the tub and icing ie fish-ice layers and icefishratio The data was recorded (Appendix 4) and analysed using the principalcomponent analysis technique (PCA) in Unscrambler (Camo Norway)

Table 5 Form for the evaluation of raw material (redfish) in the reception area

Ice

Cat

chin

g da

y

Spec

ies

Top

Mid

dle

Bot

tom

Ave

rage

Alig

nmen

t of

fishe

s in

tub

Was

hing

Oth

er sp

ecie

s

No

of f

ishe

s in

sam

ple

No

of d

efec

ts

Net

to k

g

Ice

kg

Bru

tto k

g

Ice

Fish

Con

tam

inat

ion

422 Evaluation of fillets

After trimming a random sample of fish fillets are checked for defects in appearance(bones parasites bloodspots bruises black membrane) Colour and smell are

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evaluated on a scale from 2 to 5 In this study data collection and evaluation werecarried out for redfish fillets after trimming

Data from the quality system on evaluation of fish fillets after trimming were studiedInformation was collected from ten processing days starting from September 26th toOctober 18th The raw material came from eight fishing trips of the three vessels thatthe company owns The data were recorded as shown in Table 7

423 Quality Index Method

Sensory evaluation of raw material using the QIM method was conducted underprocessing conditions as part of this study A batch consisting of three catching daysfrom one vessels fishing trip was sampled taking five samples from each catchingday The fishing trip in this case was 6 days long The samples came from the secondfourth and sixth catching days it means that they had been in ice for six four and twodays respectively (Table 8) The scores for each parameter were determined byconsensus of the two untrained assessors evaluating fish the author of this report andthe inspector in the reception area in the plant

43 Results and discussion431 Raw material

The current evaluation of raw material (redfish) mainly focuses on handlingparameters as shown in the form in Table 5 and in Appendix 4

PCA was done to study the main trend in the data set from evaluation of raw materialin the reception area This technique allows the analysis of different variables at thesame time In this evaluation the useful information is icing icefish ratio andcatching day Figure 6 shows two main grouping of the data which mean that sampleswith parameters of similar values are correlated PC1 explains 75 of the variation inthe data and is mainly giving information about the amount of icing which appears tobe related to the catching days Samples located on the right side of the plot aremainly from catching days 6 7 and 8 while those on the left side are from days 1 2and 3 The position of the samples with missing catching day on the plot gives an ideaof their catching day because they have similar values as those samples located closeto them One outlier (Arb 26-1) is observed at the bottom left side of the figureLooking in Appendix 4 we find that it corresponded to a tub of fish with a score of 1for icing This tub was overloaded with fish so the quantity of ice was insufficient tocool the fish properly Another outlier (Kaldb 23-2) is on the top right side of thefigure In this case the quantity of ice was more than the necessary

Current evaluation of redfish in the plant is focused on handling parameters There isno regular evaluation of freshness attributes of fish There may be two main reasonsfor this one is that the raw material is received from their own vessels The otherreason is that each tub of fish is labelled with the catching day which means that thedays fish has been in ice are known so the freshness of fish and the remaining shelflife can be determined

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-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

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trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

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Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

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5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

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Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 29

Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme i

APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

Palacios

ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 15: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 15

331 Flow chart and description of redfish fillets production

Frozen redfish fillets are produced following the operations presented in Figure 2 Theraw material entering the process can be whole ungutted fresh fish or frozen at sea(FAS) fillets

whole ungutted redfishReceiving raw material

Cooler

Washing

FilletingSkinning

Trimming Trimming Cooler tanks Flowline Express line

fillets (FAS)Frozen storage Weighing

PackingUnpacking Breading

Plate freezers IQF freezer Size gradingSize grading

Glazing Glazing Batter and breading

Weighing Size grading IQF freezer

Packing Metal detector Weighing PackingWeighing

Packing Casing Labelling

Palletising

Frozen storage

Shipping

Figure 2 Flow chart for frozen redfish fillets processing modified from the flow chartfor fish processing in the Quality Handbook (UacuteA 1999) The shaded boxes in the chartrepresent the CCPs the symbol indicates the CPs along the processing line

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 16

Receiving raw materialCooler From the fresh fish trawlers fish is received wholeungutted washed properly and iced in plastic tubs 460 litres capacity labelled withthe catching day Temperature in the cooler is kept at 0 to 4degCFrozen at sea (FAS) fillets are received and kept in frozen storage at ndash20 to ndash24degC

Washing The plastic tubs with fish are emptied into a hopper with sloping steelconveyor belt with fresh iced water The fish is washed there before grading intosizes There is a steady overflow of fresh water in the hopperAll fish entering to process in the same day is considered a batch A batch usuallyincludes several catching days from one vessel and rarely from different vessels

Filleting and skinning After grading the fish is filleted and skinned in the Baadermachines

Trimming The fillets enter the so-called express line where the quantity depends onthe infection rate by the copepod parasite Sphyrion lumpi If the fillets are free of thisparasite then the fillets go through a faster trimming process If the fillets need morecareful trimming for example because of parasite infection or because the filletshould be free of pin bones they are sent directly to the traditional trimming flow lineAfter trimming the fillets can go directly to the Individually Quick Frozen (IQF)freezer they can be pumped to cooler tanks where the fillets are iced properly forstorage at temperature around 05degC or they can be sent to produce fillet blocks

Weighing and packing Blocks Fillets blocks are packed directly into carton boxesThe cartons are labelled according to specifications with production date plantnumber product number and origin The packed products are placed into freezingpans or block frames The freezing pans are placed into racks

Plate freezers and depanning The freezing pans are taken from the racks and putinto the plate freezers Freezing time is usually 25-3 hours or until the coretemperature has reached ndash24degC at minimum After freezing the cartons are depanned

IQF fillets IQF freezerglazingFillets are placed on in-feed conveyor belt for the IQF freezer The core temperaturemust reach at least ndash24degC After leaving the IQF freezer the fillets are sprayed withpotable water to reach desirable glaze percentage if required

Breading A part of the redfish fillets either frozen at sea (FAS) or IQF frozen in theplant are breaded in a special batter and breading line The fillets are arranged on anin-feed conveyor belt where they are covered with batter that is continuously renewedand then the battered fillets are automatically covered with breadcrumbs Then thebreaded fillets enter an IQF freezer From there the fillets are transferred to thepacking area

IQF size gradingWeighingPacking Size grading is automatic Weighing can beeither automatic or manual The retail bags are closed by heat sealing codedaccording to specifications and passed through a metal detector Other IQF productsare put into plastic bag inside of a master case and closed with a tape

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 17

Casing labelling and palletising The cartons are packed in master cases taped orclosed with plastic straps and labelled according to specifications Master cases arestacked on pallets and strapped with plastic and labelled IQF products other thanretail packs are already in master cases and are therefore only labelled and palletisedat this stage

Frozen storage Palletised products are placed immediately into frozen storage at amaximum temperature of ndash24degC

Shipping Palletised product is taken directly from frozen storage to freezercontainers at ndash24degC

Specific operational procedures for each product are detailed on productspecifications

34 HACCP (own check) system of the company

The HACCP system also called own check system is fully described in the HACCPhandbook (UacuteA 1999) A scheme of the system is presented in Appendix 1 TheHACCP analysis and the HACCP plan are shown in Appendices 2 and 3 respectively

Control points are established to monitor both product and process in the own checksystem of the plant These points are located in the reception area after trimmingfreezing in casinglabellingpalletising after battering and breading for breadedproducts and finally in weighingpacking operation in IQF products At each controlpoint samples are taken and evaluated according to the specifications and proceduresQuality and processing parameters controlled are well described in Appendix 1

Temperature is monitored in every step of the process including frozen storage offinal products All the information generated is recorded electronically or in thecorresponding form for each operation or product

35 Labelling and traceability in the fish processing plant

From the moment the fish is brought on board the vessel information is generated andrecorded until the product reaches the end customer Part of the information will betransmitted from one link to the next attached to the unit The rest will remain in thelink for internal use and will be accessible if necessary Most of the informationoriginates in the catching and processing links

Redfish fillets blocks were chosen in our study as an example to illustrate theinformation recorded during each step of the processing and distribution chain First itis necessary to identify batches and units within the chain (See Table 3)

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 18

Table 3 Identification of batches and units in the processing and distribution chain forfrozen redfish fillets blocks exported to Europe

Step Batch UnitsCatching Catching day TubProduction Production day Cartons palletTransport to carrier Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerStorage at carrier (Eimskip) Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerTransport at sea (Eimskip) Shipment Pallet container kg or tonExport company (IFPC SIF) An order or shipment Pallet container kg or tonCustoms Shipment Kg tonDirectorate of Fisheries Catch - Fishing trip

Export - ShipmentPallet container kg or ton

Note IFPC is the abbreviation of Icelandic Freezing Plants Corporation

Figure 3 is a simple illustration of the chain for frozen redfish fillets blocks producedat UacuteA fish processing company and exported to Europe Major export companies forUacuteA fish products are IFPC and the SIF Group The shipping company is EIMSKIPwhich stores the product in frozen storage and freights it to Europe

Directorate of Fisheries Export company Customs

UacuteA Transport Shipping BuyerCatch Production company company

Figure 3 Scheme of production and distribution chain for frozen redfish fillets blocksexported to Europe showing the entities involved and the transmission ofinformation

UacuteA receives the raw material to be processed in the plant from its own fishing vesselsThe information about the catch and finished products sent for export is given to theDirectorate of Fisheries Information is transmitted between UacuteA and the exportcompany about the fish products available for export At the request of UacuteA thetransport company freights the product to frozen storage at the carrier (EIMSKIP)The export company interacts with the shipping company and the buyer in Europeregarding shipments The export company also provides the information requested bycustoms about shipment of products The information registered in each step ispresented in Figure 4

Part of the information is printed out on a label attached to the unit and transmitted tothe next link in the production and distribution chain This information variesaccording to the product type and packaging Table 4 shows this information forfrozen redfish fillets blocks

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 19

Catching ProcessingVessel name Information from catch Information from productionFishing trip number Vessel name Name of productTime of catch Fishing trip number Origin of raw materialFishing area Fishing area Plant numberFishing gear Fish species EU authorisation numberQuantity in a haul Units per catching day Product numbercodeHauling time Condition of fish Production datelot numberFish species Weight of fish Best before dateQuantity of fish (tubs) Icefish ratio WeightOther parameters Other parameters Temperature

Quality and processingparametersSensory evaluation resultsMicrobiological results

Transport and storage Export companyProducers name Product name andCarrier name numberExporter name EU author numberProduct name andnumber

Producers name andnumber

Pallet number Origin of the productTemperature during Order numbertransport and storage Shipment numberContainer number Invoice numberDates and places when Customs id numberreceived and delivered Name of buyer

Addresses

Customs Directorate of FisheriesFish species Information about catch Information about exportsProduct name and Species Speciesdescription Vessel name and Product name andOrigin of the product number descriptionDestination Date and place of Producers name

landing Country of destinationQuantity Carrier name

Departure dateQuantity

Figure 4 Information registered at each step in the chain for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 20

Table 4 Information provided in the label for frozen redfish fillets blocks exported toEuropeStep Unit Information attachedCatch Tub Catching dayProduction Case

Pallet

Production datelot numberPlant numberOriginEU authorisation numberPallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOrigin

Transport and storage Pallet container Pallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOriginContainer number

351 Example of the chain (Catch-Processing-Transport) for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Using the information collected during the field study an example of how the productcan be traced back and forward is illustrated in Figure 5 Starting with the catch rawmaterial from 6 catching days went to a new batch fishing trip 23 from the fishingtrawler Hardbakur The fish from this batch was processed in three differentproduction days or batches corresponding to September 26 27 and 28 productiondates as shown in the figure Product processed on September 26 was palletised inthree pallets that were finally transported as units of a new batch to storage at theshipping company to be exported to Europe Once the fish has entered to theprocessing line it is not longer possible to identify the catching day

BATCH BATCH BATCH BATCHCatching days Fishing trip Production date Pallet number Container number

72583

2609 72633110

726356 catching days Hardbakur 23 2709

Vessel 72672

2809 72704

Figure 5 Example of catch-production-transport links for frozen redfish filletsprocessed in UacuteA showing the different batches identifiers in each step

Catch Production Transport

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 21

4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH

41 Introduction

Quality evaluation of fish is one of the most important aspects to be considered in thequality system of a fish processing plant The field study carried out at UacuteA provided agood opportunity to perform evaluations using the information available in the plantand taking samples to conduct the analysis thus gaining skills and experience

42 Materials and methods

Evaluation of raw material and fillets were carried out based on the quality system ofthe company Moreover sensory evaluation of the raw material using the QIM wasdone on samples from one fishing trip (November 21-27) of the vessel Arbakur

421 Evaluation of raw material

At UacuteA every batch of fish is evaluated at the moment of landing and reception in theplant A batch in this case is the fish of the same species from all the catch of onefishing trip The samples are taken randomly from different catching days andevaluated using the form shown in Table 5 This form includes the vessels name thenumber of the fishing trip and date of evaluation Once the evaluation has been carriedout a new form is filled with the final scores given to the parameters checked Theseresults are valid for the whole fishing trip (batch) A five score scheme is used Fishwith score 2 or less is unsuitable for processing

Information about the redfish received from the vessels for a period one month fromSeptember 23rd to October 24th was accessed and analysed Whole ungutted redfishfrom 8 batches was evaluated looking at the handling on board weight of fish and icewashing how the fish was aligned in the tub and icing ie fish-ice layers and icefishratio The data was recorded (Appendix 4) and analysed using the principalcomponent analysis technique (PCA) in Unscrambler (Camo Norway)

Table 5 Form for the evaluation of raw material (redfish) in the reception area

Ice

Cat

chin

g da

y

Spec

ies

Top

Mid

dle

Bot

tom

Ave

rage

Alig

nmen

t of

fishe

s in

tub

Was

hing

Oth

er sp

ecie

s

No

of f

ishe

s in

sam

ple

No

of d

efec

ts

Net

to k

g

Ice

kg

Bru

tto k

g

Ice

Fish

Con

tam

inat

ion

422 Evaluation of fillets

After trimming a random sample of fish fillets are checked for defects in appearance(bones parasites bloodspots bruises black membrane) Colour and smell are

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 22

evaluated on a scale from 2 to 5 In this study data collection and evaluation werecarried out for redfish fillets after trimming

Data from the quality system on evaluation of fish fillets after trimming were studiedInformation was collected from ten processing days starting from September 26th toOctober 18th The raw material came from eight fishing trips of the three vessels thatthe company owns The data were recorded as shown in Table 7

423 Quality Index Method

Sensory evaluation of raw material using the QIM method was conducted underprocessing conditions as part of this study A batch consisting of three catching daysfrom one vessels fishing trip was sampled taking five samples from each catchingday The fishing trip in this case was 6 days long The samples came from the secondfourth and sixth catching days it means that they had been in ice for six four and twodays respectively (Table 8) The scores for each parameter were determined byconsensus of the two untrained assessors evaluating fish the author of this report andthe inspector in the reception area in the plant

43 Results and discussion431 Raw material

The current evaluation of raw material (redfish) mainly focuses on handlingparameters as shown in the form in Table 5 and in Appendix 4

PCA was done to study the main trend in the data set from evaluation of raw materialin the reception area This technique allows the analysis of different variables at thesame time In this evaluation the useful information is icing icefish ratio andcatching day Figure 6 shows two main grouping of the data which mean that sampleswith parameters of similar values are correlated PC1 explains 75 of the variation inthe data and is mainly giving information about the amount of icing which appears tobe related to the catching days Samples located on the right side of the plot aremainly from catching days 6 7 and 8 while those on the left side are from days 1 2and 3 The position of the samples with missing catching day on the plot gives an ideaof their catching day because they have similar values as those samples located closeto them One outlier (Arb 26-1) is observed at the bottom left side of the figureLooking in Appendix 4 we find that it corresponded to a tub of fish with a score of 1for icing This tub was overloaded with fish so the quantity of ice was insufficient tocool the fish properly Another outlier (Kaldb 23-2) is on the top right side of thefigure In this case the quantity of ice was more than the necessary

Current evaluation of redfish in the plant is focused on handling parameters There isno regular evaluation of freshness attributes of fish There may be two main reasonsfor this one is that the raw material is received from their own vessels The otherreason is that each tub of fish is labelled with the catching day which means that thedays fish has been in ice are known so the freshness of fish and the remaining shelflife can be determined

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 23

-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 24

trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 25

Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 26

5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 27

REFERENCES

Bisogni C A Ryan G J and Regenstein J M 1987 What is fish quality Can weincorporate consumer perceptions In Kramer D E and Liston J eds SeafoodQuality Determination Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Bonnell A D 1994 Quality Assurance in Seafood Processing A Practical GuideNew York London Chapman amp Hall

Botta J R 1995 Evaluation of seafood freshness quality New York VCHPublishers Inc

Bremner H A 1985 A convenient easy-to-use system for estimating the quality ofchilled seafood In Scott D N and Summers C eds Proceedings of the FishProcessing Conference Nelson New Zealand 23-25 April 1985 Fish ProcessingBulletin 759-70

Bremner H A 2000 Toward Practical Definitions of Quality for Food ScienceCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 40(1)83-90

Bykov B P 1983 Marine fishes Chemical composition and processing propertiesAmerind Publishing co PVT Ltd New Delhi [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Codex Alimentarius Commission- Joint FAOWHO Food Standards Programme1997 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and guidelinesfor its application Annex to CACRCP 1-1969 Rev 3 1997

Cuba Ministry of Fishery Industry (MIP) 2000 Cuban fishing industry in 1999[21082001] httpwww2cubamarcupescaipescahtm

Denton W 2001 Introduction to the Captured Fish Standard Traceability of FishProducts (Tracefish) EC-CA QLK1-2000-00164 [24122001]httpwwwtracefishorg

European Economic Community (EEC) 1994 Commission Decision 94356EC of 20May 1994 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive91493EEC as regards own health checks on fishery products Official Journal Ndeg L156 23061994

European Economic Community (EEC) 1991 Council Directive 91493 EEC of 22 ofJuly laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on themarket of fishery products Official Journal NdegL268 240991

European Commission Concerted Action on Fish Quality Labelling and MonitoringFAIR PL 98-4174 (FQLM) 2001 The Practical Problems to be overcome in thevessels ports and auction sectors in order to provide the quality information requiredfor the marketing of fish Working document for the FQLM Workshop Amsterdam[05122001] httpwwwfqlmnl

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 28

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 1995 21 CFR Parts 123 and 124 Proceduresfor the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery ProductsFinal Rule

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2001 HACCP A State-of-the-art Approach toFood Safety [08122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagov~lrdbghaccphtml

Hernaacutendez Torres D 2000 Role of government in HACCP audit a Cubanperspective Food Control 11 (5)365-369

Hureau J-C and Litvinenko N I 1986 Scorpaenidae In Whitehead P J PBauchot M-L Hureau J-C Nielsen J and Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of theNorth-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean UNESCO Paris Vol 3 [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Huss H H 1994 Assurance of Seafood Quality FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No348 RomeFAO

Huss H H 1995 Quality and quality changes on fresh fish FAO Fisheries TechnicalPaper No 334 Rome FAO

Iceland Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) Mission - Objectives[18122001]httpwwwfiskistofaisdirfishadminqualityhtml

International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2000 International Standard ISO90002000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 29

Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

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APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

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APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

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APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

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ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 16: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 16

Receiving raw materialCooler From the fresh fish trawlers fish is received wholeungutted washed properly and iced in plastic tubs 460 litres capacity labelled withthe catching day Temperature in the cooler is kept at 0 to 4degCFrozen at sea (FAS) fillets are received and kept in frozen storage at ndash20 to ndash24degC

Washing The plastic tubs with fish are emptied into a hopper with sloping steelconveyor belt with fresh iced water The fish is washed there before grading intosizes There is a steady overflow of fresh water in the hopperAll fish entering to process in the same day is considered a batch A batch usuallyincludes several catching days from one vessel and rarely from different vessels

Filleting and skinning After grading the fish is filleted and skinned in the Baadermachines

Trimming The fillets enter the so-called express line where the quantity depends onthe infection rate by the copepod parasite Sphyrion lumpi If the fillets are free of thisparasite then the fillets go through a faster trimming process If the fillets need morecareful trimming for example because of parasite infection or because the filletshould be free of pin bones they are sent directly to the traditional trimming flow lineAfter trimming the fillets can go directly to the Individually Quick Frozen (IQF)freezer they can be pumped to cooler tanks where the fillets are iced properly forstorage at temperature around 05degC or they can be sent to produce fillet blocks

Weighing and packing Blocks Fillets blocks are packed directly into carton boxesThe cartons are labelled according to specifications with production date plantnumber product number and origin The packed products are placed into freezingpans or block frames The freezing pans are placed into racks

Plate freezers and depanning The freezing pans are taken from the racks and putinto the plate freezers Freezing time is usually 25-3 hours or until the coretemperature has reached ndash24degC at minimum After freezing the cartons are depanned

IQF fillets IQF freezerglazingFillets are placed on in-feed conveyor belt for the IQF freezer The core temperaturemust reach at least ndash24degC After leaving the IQF freezer the fillets are sprayed withpotable water to reach desirable glaze percentage if required

Breading A part of the redfish fillets either frozen at sea (FAS) or IQF frozen in theplant are breaded in a special batter and breading line The fillets are arranged on anin-feed conveyor belt where they are covered with batter that is continuously renewedand then the battered fillets are automatically covered with breadcrumbs Then thebreaded fillets enter an IQF freezer From there the fillets are transferred to thepacking area

IQF size gradingWeighingPacking Size grading is automatic Weighing can beeither automatic or manual The retail bags are closed by heat sealing codedaccording to specifications and passed through a metal detector Other IQF productsare put into plastic bag inside of a master case and closed with a tape

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 17

Casing labelling and palletising The cartons are packed in master cases taped orclosed with plastic straps and labelled according to specifications Master cases arestacked on pallets and strapped with plastic and labelled IQF products other thanretail packs are already in master cases and are therefore only labelled and palletisedat this stage

Frozen storage Palletised products are placed immediately into frozen storage at amaximum temperature of ndash24degC

Shipping Palletised product is taken directly from frozen storage to freezercontainers at ndash24degC

Specific operational procedures for each product are detailed on productspecifications

34 HACCP (own check) system of the company

The HACCP system also called own check system is fully described in the HACCPhandbook (UacuteA 1999) A scheme of the system is presented in Appendix 1 TheHACCP analysis and the HACCP plan are shown in Appendices 2 and 3 respectively

Control points are established to monitor both product and process in the own checksystem of the plant These points are located in the reception area after trimmingfreezing in casinglabellingpalletising after battering and breading for breadedproducts and finally in weighingpacking operation in IQF products At each controlpoint samples are taken and evaluated according to the specifications and proceduresQuality and processing parameters controlled are well described in Appendix 1

Temperature is monitored in every step of the process including frozen storage offinal products All the information generated is recorded electronically or in thecorresponding form for each operation or product

35 Labelling and traceability in the fish processing plant

From the moment the fish is brought on board the vessel information is generated andrecorded until the product reaches the end customer Part of the information will betransmitted from one link to the next attached to the unit The rest will remain in thelink for internal use and will be accessible if necessary Most of the informationoriginates in the catching and processing links

Redfish fillets blocks were chosen in our study as an example to illustrate theinformation recorded during each step of the processing and distribution chain First itis necessary to identify batches and units within the chain (See Table 3)

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 18

Table 3 Identification of batches and units in the processing and distribution chain forfrozen redfish fillets blocks exported to Europe

Step Batch UnitsCatching Catching day TubProduction Production day Cartons palletTransport to carrier Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerStorage at carrier (Eimskip) Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerTransport at sea (Eimskip) Shipment Pallet container kg or tonExport company (IFPC SIF) An order or shipment Pallet container kg or tonCustoms Shipment Kg tonDirectorate of Fisheries Catch - Fishing trip

Export - ShipmentPallet container kg or ton

Note IFPC is the abbreviation of Icelandic Freezing Plants Corporation

Figure 3 is a simple illustration of the chain for frozen redfish fillets blocks producedat UacuteA fish processing company and exported to Europe Major export companies forUacuteA fish products are IFPC and the SIF Group The shipping company is EIMSKIPwhich stores the product in frozen storage and freights it to Europe

Directorate of Fisheries Export company Customs

UacuteA Transport Shipping BuyerCatch Production company company

Figure 3 Scheme of production and distribution chain for frozen redfish fillets blocksexported to Europe showing the entities involved and the transmission ofinformation

UacuteA receives the raw material to be processed in the plant from its own fishing vesselsThe information about the catch and finished products sent for export is given to theDirectorate of Fisheries Information is transmitted between UacuteA and the exportcompany about the fish products available for export At the request of UacuteA thetransport company freights the product to frozen storage at the carrier (EIMSKIP)The export company interacts with the shipping company and the buyer in Europeregarding shipments The export company also provides the information requested bycustoms about shipment of products The information registered in each step ispresented in Figure 4

Part of the information is printed out on a label attached to the unit and transmitted tothe next link in the production and distribution chain This information variesaccording to the product type and packaging Table 4 shows this information forfrozen redfish fillets blocks

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 19

Catching ProcessingVessel name Information from catch Information from productionFishing trip number Vessel name Name of productTime of catch Fishing trip number Origin of raw materialFishing area Fishing area Plant numberFishing gear Fish species EU authorisation numberQuantity in a haul Units per catching day Product numbercodeHauling time Condition of fish Production datelot numberFish species Weight of fish Best before dateQuantity of fish (tubs) Icefish ratio WeightOther parameters Other parameters Temperature

Quality and processingparametersSensory evaluation resultsMicrobiological results

Transport and storage Export companyProducers name Product name andCarrier name numberExporter name EU author numberProduct name andnumber

Producers name andnumber

Pallet number Origin of the productTemperature during Order numbertransport and storage Shipment numberContainer number Invoice numberDates and places when Customs id numberreceived and delivered Name of buyer

Addresses

Customs Directorate of FisheriesFish species Information about catch Information about exportsProduct name and Species Speciesdescription Vessel name and Product name andOrigin of the product number descriptionDestination Date and place of Producers name

landing Country of destinationQuantity Carrier name

Departure dateQuantity

Figure 4 Information registered at each step in the chain for frozen redfish filletsblocks

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 20

Table 4 Information provided in the label for frozen redfish fillets blocks exported toEuropeStep Unit Information attachedCatch Tub Catching dayProduction Case

Pallet

Production datelot numberPlant numberOriginEU authorisation numberPallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOrigin

Transport and storage Pallet container Pallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOriginContainer number

351 Example of the chain (Catch-Processing-Transport) for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Using the information collected during the field study an example of how the productcan be traced back and forward is illustrated in Figure 5 Starting with the catch rawmaterial from 6 catching days went to a new batch fishing trip 23 from the fishingtrawler Hardbakur The fish from this batch was processed in three differentproduction days or batches corresponding to September 26 27 and 28 productiondates as shown in the figure Product processed on September 26 was palletised inthree pallets that were finally transported as units of a new batch to storage at theshipping company to be exported to Europe Once the fish has entered to theprocessing line it is not longer possible to identify the catching day

BATCH BATCH BATCH BATCHCatching days Fishing trip Production date Pallet number Container number

72583

2609 72633110

726356 catching days Hardbakur 23 2709

Vessel 72672

2809 72704

Figure 5 Example of catch-production-transport links for frozen redfish filletsprocessed in UacuteA showing the different batches identifiers in each step

Catch Production Transport

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 21

4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH

41 Introduction

Quality evaluation of fish is one of the most important aspects to be considered in thequality system of a fish processing plant The field study carried out at UacuteA provided agood opportunity to perform evaluations using the information available in the plantand taking samples to conduct the analysis thus gaining skills and experience

42 Materials and methods

Evaluation of raw material and fillets were carried out based on the quality system ofthe company Moreover sensory evaluation of the raw material using the QIM wasdone on samples from one fishing trip (November 21-27) of the vessel Arbakur

421 Evaluation of raw material

At UacuteA every batch of fish is evaluated at the moment of landing and reception in theplant A batch in this case is the fish of the same species from all the catch of onefishing trip The samples are taken randomly from different catching days andevaluated using the form shown in Table 5 This form includes the vessels name thenumber of the fishing trip and date of evaluation Once the evaluation has been carriedout a new form is filled with the final scores given to the parameters checked Theseresults are valid for the whole fishing trip (batch) A five score scheme is used Fishwith score 2 or less is unsuitable for processing

Information about the redfish received from the vessels for a period one month fromSeptember 23rd to October 24th was accessed and analysed Whole ungutted redfishfrom 8 batches was evaluated looking at the handling on board weight of fish and icewashing how the fish was aligned in the tub and icing ie fish-ice layers and icefishratio The data was recorded (Appendix 4) and analysed using the principalcomponent analysis technique (PCA) in Unscrambler (Camo Norway)

Table 5 Form for the evaluation of raw material (redfish) in the reception area

Ice

Cat

chin

g da

y

Spec

ies

Top

Mid

dle

Bot

tom

Ave

rage

Alig

nmen

t of

fishe

s in

tub

Was

hing

Oth

er sp

ecie

s

No

of f

ishe

s in

sam

ple

No

of d

efec

ts

Net

to k

g

Ice

kg

Bru

tto k

g

Ice

Fish

Con

tam

inat

ion

422 Evaluation of fillets

After trimming a random sample of fish fillets are checked for defects in appearance(bones parasites bloodspots bruises black membrane) Colour and smell are

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 22

evaluated on a scale from 2 to 5 In this study data collection and evaluation werecarried out for redfish fillets after trimming

Data from the quality system on evaluation of fish fillets after trimming were studiedInformation was collected from ten processing days starting from September 26th toOctober 18th The raw material came from eight fishing trips of the three vessels thatthe company owns The data were recorded as shown in Table 7

423 Quality Index Method

Sensory evaluation of raw material using the QIM method was conducted underprocessing conditions as part of this study A batch consisting of three catching daysfrom one vessels fishing trip was sampled taking five samples from each catchingday The fishing trip in this case was 6 days long The samples came from the secondfourth and sixth catching days it means that they had been in ice for six four and twodays respectively (Table 8) The scores for each parameter were determined byconsensus of the two untrained assessors evaluating fish the author of this report andthe inspector in the reception area in the plant

43 Results and discussion431 Raw material

The current evaluation of raw material (redfish) mainly focuses on handlingparameters as shown in the form in Table 5 and in Appendix 4

PCA was done to study the main trend in the data set from evaluation of raw materialin the reception area This technique allows the analysis of different variables at thesame time In this evaluation the useful information is icing icefish ratio andcatching day Figure 6 shows two main grouping of the data which mean that sampleswith parameters of similar values are correlated PC1 explains 75 of the variation inthe data and is mainly giving information about the amount of icing which appears tobe related to the catching days Samples located on the right side of the plot aremainly from catching days 6 7 and 8 while those on the left side are from days 1 2and 3 The position of the samples with missing catching day on the plot gives an ideaof their catching day because they have similar values as those samples located closeto them One outlier (Arb 26-1) is observed at the bottom left side of the figureLooking in Appendix 4 we find that it corresponded to a tub of fish with a score of 1for icing This tub was overloaded with fish so the quantity of ice was insufficient tocool the fish properly Another outlier (Kaldb 23-2) is on the top right side of thefigure In this case the quantity of ice was more than the necessary

Current evaluation of redfish in the plant is focused on handling parameters There isno regular evaluation of freshness attributes of fish There may be two main reasonsfor this one is that the raw material is received from their own vessels The otherreason is that each tub of fish is labelled with the catching day which means that thedays fish has been in ice are known so the freshness of fish and the remaining shelflife can be determined

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 23

-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 24

trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 25

Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 26

5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 27

REFERENCES

Bisogni C A Ryan G J and Regenstein J M 1987 What is fish quality Can weincorporate consumer perceptions In Kramer D E and Liston J eds SeafoodQuality Determination Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Bonnell A D 1994 Quality Assurance in Seafood Processing A Practical GuideNew York London Chapman amp Hall

Botta J R 1995 Evaluation of seafood freshness quality New York VCHPublishers Inc

Bremner H A 1985 A convenient easy-to-use system for estimating the quality ofchilled seafood In Scott D N and Summers C eds Proceedings of the FishProcessing Conference Nelson New Zealand 23-25 April 1985 Fish ProcessingBulletin 759-70

Bremner H A 2000 Toward Practical Definitions of Quality for Food ScienceCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 40(1)83-90

Bykov B P 1983 Marine fishes Chemical composition and processing propertiesAmerind Publishing co PVT Ltd New Delhi [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Codex Alimentarius Commission- Joint FAOWHO Food Standards Programme1997 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and guidelinesfor its application Annex to CACRCP 1-1969 Rev 3 1997

Cuba Ministry of Fishery Industry (MIP) 2000 Cuban fishing industry in 1999[21082001] httpwww2cubamarcupescaipescahtm

Denton W 2001 Introduction to the Captured Fish Standard Traceability of FishProducts (Tracefish) EC-CA QLK1-2000-00164 [24122001]httpwwwtracefishorg

European Economic Community (EEC) 1994 Commission Decision 94356EC of 20May 1994 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive91493EEC as regards own health checks on fishery products Official Journal Ndeg L156 23061994

European Economic Community (EEC) 1991 Council Directive 91493 EEC of 22 ofJuly laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on themarket of fishery products Official Journal NdegL268 240991

European Commission Concerted Action on Fish Quality Labelling and MonitoringFAIR PL 98-4174 (FQLM) 2001 The Practical Problems to be overcome in thevessels ports and auction sectors in order to provide the quality information requiredfor the marketing of fish Working document for the FQLM Workshop Amsterdam[05122001] httpwwwfqlmnl

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 28

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 1995 21 CFR Parts 123 and 124 Proceduresfor the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery ProductsFinal Rule

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2001 HACCP A State-of-the-art Approach toFood Safety [08122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagov~lrdbghaccphtml

Hernaacutendez Torres D 2000 Role of government in HACCP audit a Cubanperspective Food Control 11 (5)365-369

Hureau J-C and Litvinenko N I 1986 Scorpaenidae In Whitehead P J PBauchot M-L Hureau J-C Nielsen J and Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of theNorth-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean UNESCO Paris Vol 3 [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Huss H H 1994 Assurance of Seafood Quality FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No348 RomeFAO

Huss H H 1995 Quality and quality changes on fresh fish FAO Fisheries TechnicalPaper No 334 Rome FAO

Iceland Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) Mission - Objectives[18122001]httpwwwfiskistofaisdirfishadminqualityhtml

International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2000 International Standard ISO90002000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 29

Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme i

APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

Palacios

ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 17: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 17

Casing labelling and palletising The cartons are packed in master cases taped orclosed with plastic straps and labelled according to specifications Master cases arestacked on pallets and strapped with plastic and labelled IQF products other thanretail packs are already in master cases and are therefore only labelled and palletisedat this stage

Frozen storage Palletised products are placed immediately into frozen storage at amaximum temperature of ndash24degC

Shipping Palletised product is taken directly from frozen storage to freezercontainers at ndash24degC

Specific operational procedures for each product are detailed on productspecifications

34 HACCP (own check) system of the company

The HACCP system also called own check system is fully described in the HACCPhandbook (UacuteA 1999) A scheme of the system is presented in Appendix 1 TheHACCP analysis and the HACCP plan are shown in Appendices 2 and 3 respectively

Control points are established to monitor both product and process in the own checksystem of the plant These points are located in the reception area after trimmingfreezing in casinglabellingpalletising after battering and breading for breadedproducts and finally in weighingpacking operation in IQF products At each controlpoint samples are taken and evaluated according to the specifications and proceduresQuality and processing parameters controlled are well described in Appendix 1

Temperature is monitored in every step of the process including frozen storage offinal products All the information generated is recorded electronically or in thecorresponding form for each operation or product

35 Labelling and traceability in the fish processing plant

From the moment the fish is brought on board the vessel information is generated andrecorded until the product reaches the end customer Part of the information will betransmitted from one link to the next attached to the unit The rest will remain in thelink for internal use and will be accessible if necessary Most of the informationoriginates in the catching and processing links

Redfish fillets blocks were chosen in our study as an example to illustrate theinformation recorded during each step of the processing and distribution chain First itis necessary to identify batches and units within the chain (See Table 3)

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 18

Table 3 Identification of batches and units in the processing and distribution chain forfrozen redfish fillets blocks exported to Europe

Step Batch UnitsCatching Catching day TubProduction Production day Cartons palletTransport to carrier Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerStorage at carrier (Eimskip) Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerTransport at sea (Eimskip) Shipment Pallet container kg or tonExport company (IFPC SIF) An order or shipment Pallet container kg or tonCustoms Shipment Kg tonDirectorate of Fisheries Catch - Fishing trip

Export - ShipmentPallet container kg or ton

Note IFPC is the abbreviation of Icelandic Freezing Plants Corporation

Figure 3 is a simple illustration of the chain for frozen redfish fillets blocks producedat UacuteA fish processing company and exported to Europe Major export companies forUacuteA fish products are IFPC and the SIF Group The shipping company is EIMSKIPwhich stores the product in frozen storage and freights it to Europe

Directorate of Fisheries Export company Customs

UacuteA Transport Shipping BuyerCatch Production company company

Figure 3 Scheme of production and distribution chain for frozen redfish fillets blocksexported to Europe showing the entities involved and the transmission ofinformation

UacuteA receives the raw material to be processed in the plant from its own fishing vesselsThe information about the catch and finished products sent for export is given to theDirectorate of Fisheries Information is transmitted between UacuteA and the exportcompany about the fish products available for export At the request of UacuteA thetransport company freights the product to frozen storage at the carrier (EIMSKIP)The export company interacts with the shipping company and the buyer in Europeregarding shipments The export company also provides the information requested bycustoms about shipment of products The information registered in each step ispresented in Figure 4

Part of the information is printed out on a label attached to the unit and transmitted tothe next link in the production and distribution chain This information variesaccording to the product type and packaging Table 4 shows this information forfrozen redfish fillets blocks

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 19

Catching ProcessingVessel name Information from catch Information from productionFishing trip number Vessel name Name of productTime of catch Fishing trip number Origin of raw materialFishing area Fishing area Plant numberFishing gear Fish species EU authorisation numberQuantity in a haul Units per catching day Product numbercodeHauling time Condition of fish Production datelot numberFish species Weight of fish Best before dateQuantity of fish (tubs) Icefish ratio WeightOther parameters Other parameters Temperature

Quality and processingparametersSensory evaluation resultsMicrobiological results

Transport and storage Export companyProducers name Product name andCarrier name numberExporter name EU author numberProduct name andnumber

Producers name andnumber

Pallet number Origin of the productTemperature during Order numbertransport and storage Shipment numberContainer number Invoice numberDates and places when Customs id numberreceived and delivered Name of buyer

Addresses

Customs Directorate of FisheriesFish species Information about catch Information about exportsProduct name and Species Speciesdescription Vessel name and Product name andOrigin of the product number descriptionDestination Date and place of Producers name

landing Country of destinationQuantity Carrier name

Departure dateQuantity

Figure 4 Information registered at each step in the chain for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 20

Table 4 Information provided in the label for frozen redfish fillets blocks exported toEuropeStep Unit Information attachedCatch Tub Catching dayProduction Case

Pallet

Production datelot numberPlant numberOriginEU authorisation numberPallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOrigin

Transport and storage Pallet container Pallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOriginContainer number

351 Example of the chain (Catch-Processing-Transport) for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Using the information collected during the field study an example of how the productcan be traced back and forward is illustrated in Figure 5 Starting with the catch rawmaterial from 6 catching days went to a new batch fishing trip 23 from the fishingtrawler Hardbakur The fish from this batch was processed in three differentproduction days or batches corresponding to September 26 27 and 28 productiondates as shown in the figure Product processed on September 26 was palletised inthree pallets that were finally transported as units of a new batch to storage at theshipping company to be exported to Europe Once the fish has entered to theprocessing line it is not longer possible to identify the catching day

BATCH BATCH BATCH BATCHCatching days Fishing trip Production date Pallet number Container number

72583

2609 72633110

726356 catching days Hardbakur 23 2709

Vessel 72672

2809 72704

Figure 5 Example of catch-production-transport links for frozen redfish filletsprocessed in UacuteA showing the different batches identifiers in each step

Catch Production Transport

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 21

4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH

41 Introduction

Quality evaluation of fish is one of the most important aspects to be considered in thequality system of a fish processing plant The field study carried out at UacuteA provided agood opportunity to perform evaluations using the information available in the plantand taking samples to conduct the analysis thus gaining skills and experience

42 Materials and methods

Evaluation of raw material and fillets were carried out based on the quality system ofthe company Moreover sensory evaluation of the raw material using the QIM wasdone on samples from one fishing trip (November 21-27) of the vessel Arbakur

421 Evaluation of raw material

At UacuteA every batch of fish is evaluated at the moment of landing and reception in theplant A batch in this case is the fish of the same species from all the catch of onefishing trip The samples are taken randomly from different catching days andevaluated using the form shown in Table 5 This form includes the vessels name thenumber of the fishing trip and date of evaluation Once the evaluation has been carriedout a new form is filled with the final scores given to the parameters checked Theseresults are valid for the whole fishing trip (batch) A five score scheme is used Fishwith score 2 or less is unsuitable for processing

Information about the redfish received from the vessels for a period one month fromSeptember 23rd to October 24th was accessed and analysed Whole ungutted redfishfrom 8 batches was evaluated looking at the handling on board weight of fish and icewashing how the fish was aligned in the tub and icing ie fish-ice layers and icefishratio The data was recorded (Appendix 4) and analysed using the principalcomponent analysis technique (PCA) in Unscrambler (Camo Norway)

Table 5 Form for the evaluation of raw material (redfish) in the reception area

Ice

Cat

chin

g da

y

Spec

ies

Top

Mid

dle

Bot

tom

Ave

rage

Alig

nmen

t of

fishe

s in

tub

Was

hing

Oth

er sp

ecie

s

No

of f

ishe

s in

sam

ple

No

of d

efec

ts

Net

to k

g

Ice

kg

Bru

tto k

g

Ice

Fish

Con

tam

inat

ion

422 Evaluation of fillets

After trimming a random sample of fish fillets are checked for defects in appearance(bones parasites bloodspots bruises black membrane) Colour and smell are

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 22

evaluated on a scale from 2 to 5 In this study data collection and evaluation werecarried out for redfish fillets after trimming

Data from the quality system on evaluation of fish fillets after trimming were studiedInformation was collected from ten processing days starting from September 26th toOctober 18th The raw material came from eight fishing trips of the three vessels thatthe company owns The data were recorded as shown in Table 7

423 Quality Index Method

Sensory evaluation of raw material using the QIM method was conducted underprocessing conditions as part of this study A batch consisting of three catching daysfrom one vessels fishing trip was sampled taking five samples from each catchingday The fishing trip in this case was 6 days long The samples came from the secondfourth and sixth catching days it means that they had been in ice for six four and twodays respectively (Table 8) The scores for each parameter were determined byconsensus of the two untrained assessors evaluating fish the author of this report andthe inspector in the reception area in the plant

43 Results and discussion431 Raw material

The current evaluation of raw material (redfish) mainly focuses on handlingparameters as shown in the form in Table 5 and in Appendix 4

PCA was done to study the main trend in the data set from evaluation of raw materialin the reception area This technique allows the analysis of different variables at thesame time In this evaluation the useful information is icing icefish ratio andcatching day Figure 6 shows two main grouping of the data which mean that sampleswith parameters of similar values are correlated PC1 explains 75 of the variation inthe data and is mainly giving information about the amount of icing which appears tobe related to the catching days Samples located on the right side of the plot aremainly from catching days 6 7 and 8 while those on the left side are from days 1 2and 3 The position of the samples with missing catching day on the plot gives an ideaof their catching day because they have similar values as those samples located closeto them One outlier (Arb 26-1) is observed at the bottom left side of the figureLooking in Appendix 4 we find that it corresponded to a tub of fish with a score of 1for icing This tub was overloaded with fish so the quantity of ice was insufficient tocool the fish properly Another outlier (Kaldb 23-2) is on the top right side of thefigure In this case the quantity of ice was more than the necessary

Current evaluation of redfish in the plant is focused on handling parameters There isno regular evaluation of freshness attributes of fish There may be two main reasonsfor this one is that the raw material is received from their own vessels The otherreason is that each tub of fish is labelled with the catching day which means that thedays fish has been in ice are known so the freshness of fish and the remaining shelflife can be determined

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 23

-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 24

trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 25

Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 26

5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 27

REFERENCES

Bisogni C A Ryan G J and Regenstein J M 1987 What is fish quality Can weincorporate consumer perceptions In Kramer D E and Liston J eds SeafoodQuality Determination Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Bonnell A D 1994 Quality Assurance in Seafood Processing A Practical GuideNew York London Chapman amp Hall

Botta J R 1995 Evaluation of seafood freshness quality New York VCHPublishers Inc

Bremner H A 1985 A convenient easy-to-use system for estimating the quality ofchilled seafood In Scott D N and Summers C eds Proceedings of the FishProcessing Conference Nelson New Zealand 23-25 April 1985 Fish ProcessingBulletin 759-70

Bremner H A 2000 Toward Practical Definitions of Quality for Food ScienceCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 40(1)83-90

Bykov B P 1983 Marine fishes Chemical composition and processing propertiesAmerind Publishing co PVT Ltd New Delhi [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Codex Alimentarius Commission- Joint FAOWHO Food Standards Programme1997 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and guidelinesfor its application Annex to CACRCP 1-1969 Rev 3 1997

Cuba Ministry of Fishery Industry (MIP) 2000 Cuban fishing industry in 1999[21082001] httpwww2cubamarcupescaipescahtm

Denton W 2001 Introduction to the Captured Fish Standard Traceability of FishProducts (Tracefish) EC-CA QLK1-2000-00164 [24122001]httpwwwtracefishorg

European Economic Community (EEC) 1994 Commission Decision 94356EC of 20May 1994 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive91493EEC as regards own health checks on fishery products Official Journal Ndeg L156 23061994

European Economic Community (EEC) 1991 Council Directive 91493 EEC of 22 ofJuly laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on themarket of fishery products Official Journal NdegL268 240991

European Commission Concerted Action on Fish Quality Labelling and MonitoringFAIR PL 98-4174 (FQLM) 2001 The Practical Problems to be overcome in thevessels ports and auction sectors in order to provide the quality information requiredfor the marketing of fish Working document for the FQLM Workshop Amsterdam[05122001] httpwwwfqlmnl

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 28

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 1995 21 CFR Parts 123 and 124 Proceduresfor the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery ProductsFinal Rule

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2001 HACCP A State-of-the-art Approach toFood Safety [08122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagov~lrdbghaccphtml

Hernaacutendez Torres D 2000 Role of government in HACCP audit a Cubanperspective Food Control 11 (5)365-369

Hureau J-C and Litvinenko N I 1986 Scorpaenidae In Whitehead P J PBauchot M-L Hureau J-C Nielsen J and Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of theNorth-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean UNESCO Paris Vol 3 [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Huss H H 1994 Assurance of Seafood Quality FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No348 RomeFAO

Huss H H 1995 Quality and quality changes on fresh fish FAO Fisheries TechnicalPaper No 334 Rome FAO

Iceland Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) Mission - Objectives[18122001]httpwwwfiskistofaisdirfishadminqualityhtml

International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2000 International Standard ISO90002000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 29

Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme i

APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

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APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 18: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

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Table 3 Identification of batches and units in the processing and distribution chain forfrozen redfish fillets blocks exported to Europe

Step Batch UnitsCatching Catching day TubProduction Production day Cartons palletTransport to carrier Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerStorage at carrier (Eimskip) Production date (Lot number) Pallet containerTransport at sea (Eimskip) Shipment Pallet container kg or tonExport company (IFPC SIF) An order or shipment Pallet container kg or tonCustoms Shipment Kg tonDirectorate of Fisheries Catch - Fishing trip

Export - ShipmentPallet container kg or ton

Note IFPC is the abbreviation of Icelandic Freezing Plants Corporation

Figure 3 is a simple illustration of the chain for frozen redfish fillets blocks producedat UacuteA fish processing company and exported to Europe Major export companies forUacuteA fish products are IFPC and the SIF Group The shipping company is EIMSKIPwhich stores the product in frozen storage and freights it to Europe

Directorate of Fisheries Export company Customs

UacuteA Transport Shipping BuyerCatch Production company company

Figure 3 Scheme of production and distribution chain for frozen redfish fillets blocksexported to Europe showing the entities involved and the transmission ofinformation

UacuteA receives the raw material to be processed in the plant from its own fishing vesselsThe information about the catch and finished products sent for export is given to theDirectorate of Fisheries Information is transmitted between UacuteA and the exportcompany about the fish products available for export At the request of UacuteA thetransport company freights the product to frozen storage at the carrier (EIMSKIP)The export company interacts with the shipping company and the buyer in Europeregarding shipments The export company also provides the information requested bycustoms about shipment of products The information registered in each step ispresented in Figure 4

Part of the information is printed out on a label attached to the unit and transmitted tothe next link in the production and distribution chain This information variesaccording to the product type and packaging Table 4 shows this information forfrozen redfish fillets blocks

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Catching ProcessingVessel name Information from catch Information from productionFishing trip number Vessel name Name of productTime of catch Fishing trip number Origin of raw materialFishing area Fishing area Plant numberFishing gear Fish species EU authorisation numberQuantity in a haul Units per catching day Product numbercodeHauling time Condition of fish Production datelot numberFish species Weight of fish Best before dateQuantity of fish (tubs) Icefish ratio WeightOther parameters Other parameters Temperature

Quality and processingparametersSensory evaluation resultsMicrobiological results

Transport and storage Export companyProducers name Product name andCarrier name numberExporter name EU author numberProduct name andnumber

Producers name andnumber

Pallet number Origin of the productTemperature during Order numbertransport and storage Shipment numberContainer number Invoice numberDates and places when Customs id numberreceived and delivered Name of buyer

Addresses

Customs Directorate of FisheriesFish species Information about catch Information about exportsProduct name and Species Speciesdescription Vessel name and Product name andOrigin of the product number descriptionDestination Date and place of Producers name

landing Country of destinationQuantity Carrier name

Departure dateQuantity

Figure 4 Information registered at each step in the chain for frozen redfish filletsblocks

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Table 4 Information provided in the label for frozen redfish fillets blocks exported toEuropeStep Unit Information attachedCatch Tub Catching dayProduction Case

Pallet

Production datelot numberPlant numberOriginEU authorisation numberPallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOrigin

Transport and storage Pallet container Pallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOriginContainer number

351 Example of the chain (Catch-Processing-Transport) for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Using the information collected during the field study an example of how the productcan be traced back and forward is illustrated in Figure 5 Starting with the catch rawmaterial from 6 catching days went to a new batch fishing trip 23 from the fishingtrawler Hardbakur The fish from this batch was processed in three differentproduction days or batches corresponding to September 26 27 and 28 productiondates as shown in the figure Product processed on September 26 was palletised inthree pallets that were finally transported as units of a new batch to storage at theshipping company to be exported to Europe Once the fish has entered to theprocessing line it is not longer possible to identify the catching day

BATCH BATCH BATCH BATCHCatching days Fishing trip Production date Pallet number Container number

72583

2609 72633110

726356 catching days Hardbakur 23 2709

Vessel 72672

2809 72704

Figure 5 Example of catch-production-transport links for frozen redfish filletsprocessed in UacuteA showing the different batches identifiers in each step

Catch Production Transport

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4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH

41 Introduction

Quality evaluation of fish is one of the most important aspects to be considered in thequality system of a fish processing plant The field study carried out at UacuteA provided agood opportunity to perform evaluations using the information available in the plantand taking samples to conduct the analysis thus gaining skills and experience

42 Materials and methods

Evaluation of raw material and fillets were carried out based on the quality system ofthe company Moreover sensory evaluation of the raw material using the QIM wasdone on samples from one fishing trip (November 21-27) of the vessel Arbakur

421 Evaluation of raw material

At UacuteA every batch of fish is evaluated at the moment of landing and reception in theplant A batch in this case is the fish of the same species from all the catch of onefishing trip The samples are taken randomly from different catching days andevaluated using the form shown in Table 5 This form includes the vessels name thenumber of the fishing trip and date of evaluation Once the evaluation has been carriedout a new form is filled with the final scores given to the parameters checked Theseresults are valid for the whole fishing trip (batch) A five score scheme is used Fishwith score 2 or less is unsuitable for processing

Information about the redfish received from the vessels for a period one month fromSeptember 23rd to October 24th was accessed and analysed Whole ungutted redfishfrom 8 batches was evaluated looking at the handling on board weight of fish and icewashing how the fish was aligned in the tub and icing ie fish-ice layers and icefishratio The data was recorded (Appendix 4) and analysed using the principalcomponent analysis technique (PCA) in Unscrambler (Camo Norway)

Table 5 Form for the evaluation of raw material (redfish) in the reception area

Ice

Cat

chin

g da

y

Spec

ies

Top

Mid

dle

Bot

tom

Ave

rage

Alig

nmen

t of

fishe

s in

tub

Was

hing

Oth

er sp

ecie

s

No

of f

ishe

s in

sam

ple

No

of d

efec

ts

Net

to k

g

Ice

kg

Bru

tto k

g

Ice

Fish

Con

tam

inat

ion

422 Evaluation of fillets

After trimming a random sample of fish fillets are checked for defects in appearance(bones parasites bloodspots bruises black membrane) Colour and smell are

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evaluated on a scale from 2 to 5 In this study data collection and evaluation werecarried out for redfish fillets after trimming

Data from the quality system on evaluation of fish fillets after trimming were studiedInformation was collected from ten processing days starting from September 26th toOctober 18th The raw material came from eight fishing trips of the three vessels thatthe company owns The data were recorded as shown in Table 7

423 Quality Index Method

Sensory evaluation of raw material using the QIM method was conducted underprocessing conditions as part of this study A batch consisting of three catching daysfrom one vessels fishing trip was sampled taking five samples from each catchingday The fishing trip in this case was 6 days long The samples came from the secondfourth and sixth catching days it means that they had been in ice for six four and twodays respectively (Table 8) The scores for each parameter were determined byconsensus of the two untrained assessors evaluating fish the author of this report andthe inspector in the reception area in the plant

43 Results and discussion431 Raw material

The current evaluation of raw material (redfish) mainly focuses on handlingparameters as shown in the form in Table 5 and in Appendix 4

PCA was done to study the main trend in the data set from evaluation of raw materialin the reception area This technique allows the analysis of different variables at thesame time In this evaluation the useful information is icing icefish ratio andcatching day Figure 6 shows two main grouping of the data which mean that sampleswith parameters of similar values are correlated PC1 explains 75 of the variation inthe data and is mainly giving information about the amount of icing which appears tobe related to the catching days Samples located on the right side of the plot aremainly from catching days 6 7 and 8 while those on the left side are from days 1 2and 3 The position of the samples with missing catching day on the plot gives an ideaof their catching day because they have similar values as those samples located closeto them One outlier (Arb 26-1) is observed at the bottom left side of the figureLooking in Appendix 4 we find that it corresponded to a tub of fish with a score of 1for icing This tub was overloaded with fish so the quantity of ice was insufficient tocool the fish properly Another outlier (Kaldb 23-2) is on the top right side of thefigure In this case the quantity of ice was more than the necessary

Current evaluation of redfish in the plant is focused on handling parameters There isno regular evaluation of freshness attributes of fish There may be two main reasonsfor this one is that the raw material is received from their own vessels The otherreason is that each tub of fish is labelled with the catching day which means that thedays fish has been in ice are known so the freshness of fish and the remaining shelflife can be determined

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-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

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trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

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Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

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5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

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UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme i

APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

Palacios

ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 19: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 19

Catching ProcessingVessel name Information from catch Information from productionFishing trip number Vessel name Name of productTime of catch Fishing trip number Origin of raw materialFishing area Fishing area Plant numberFishing gear Fish species EU authorisation numberQuantity in a haul Units per catching day Product numbercodeHauling time Condition of fish Production datelot numberFish species Weight of fish Best before dateQuantity of fish (tubs) Icefish ratio WeightOther parameters Other parameters Temperature

Quality and processingparametersSensory evaluation resultsMicrobiological results

Transport and storage Export companyProducers name Product name andCarrier name numberExporter name EU author numberProduct name andnumber

Producers name andnumber

Pallet number Origin of the productTemperature during Order numbertransport and storage Shipment numberContainer number Invoice numberDates and places when Customs id numberreceived and delivered Name of buyer

Addresses

Customs Directorate of FisheriesFish species Information about catch Information about exportsProduct name and Species Speciesdescription Vessel name and Product name andOrigin of the product number descriptionDestination Date and place of Producers name

landing Country of destinationQuantity Carrier name

Departure dateQuantity

Figure 4 Information registered at each step in the chain for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 20

Table 4 Information provided in the label for frozen redfish fillets blocks exported toEuropeStep Unit Information attachedCatch Tub Catching dayProduction Case

Pallet

Production datelot numberPlant numberOriginEU authorisation numberPallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOrigin

Transport and storage Pallet container Pallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOriginContainer number

351 Example of the chain (Catch-Processing-Transport) for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Using the information collected during the field study an example of how the productcan be traced back and forward is illustrated in Figure 5 Starting with the catch rawmaterial from 6 catching days went to a new batch fishing trip 23 from the fishingtrawler Hardbakur The fish from this batch was processed in three differentproduction days or batches corresponding to September 26 27 and 28 productiondates as shown in the figure Product processed on September 26 was palletised inthree pallets that were finally transported as units of a new batch to storage at theshipping company to be exported to Europe Once the fish has entered to theprocessing line it is not longer possible to identify the catching day

BATCH BATCH BATCH BATCHCatching days Fishing trip Production date Pallet number Container number

72583

2609 72633110

726356 catching days Hardbakur 23 2709

Vessel 72672

2809 72704

Figure 5 Example of catch-production-transport links for frozen redfish filletsprocessed in UacuteA showing the different batches identifiers in each step

Catch Production Transport

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 21

4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH

41 Introduction

Quality evaluation of fish is one of the most important aspects to be considered in thequality system of a fish processing plant The field study carried out at UacuteA provided agood opportunity to perform evaluations using the information available in the plantand taking samples to conduct the analysis thus gaining skills and experience

42 Materials and methods

Evaluation of raw material and fillets were carried out based on the quality system ofthe company Moreover sensory evaluation of the raw material using the QIM wasdone on samples from one fishing trip (November 21-27) of the vessel Arbakur

421 Evaluation of raw material

At UacuteA every batch of fish is evaluated at the moment of landing and reception in theplant A batch in this case is the fish of the same species from all the catch of onefishing trip The samples are taken randomly from different catching days andevaluated using the form shown in Table 5 This form includes the vessels name thenumber of the fishing trip and date of evaluation Once the evaluation has been carriedout a new form is filled with the final scores given to the parameters checked Theseresults are valid for the whole fishing trip (batch) A five score scheme is used Fishwith score 2 or less is unsuitable for processing

Information about the redfish received from the vessels for a period one month fromSeptember 23rd to October 24th was accessed and analysed Whole ungutted redfishfrom 8 batches was evaluated looking at the handling on board weight of fish and icewashing how the fish was aligned in the tub and icing ie fish-ice layers and icefishratio The data was recorded (Appendix 4) and analysed using the principalcomponent analysis technique (PCA) in Unscrambler (Camo Norway)

Table 5 Form for the evaluation of raw material (redfish) in the reception area

Ice

Cat

chin

g da

y

Spec

ies

Top

Mid

dle

Bot

tom

Ave

rage

Alig

nmen

t of

fishe

s in

tub

Was

hing

Oth

er sp

ecie

s

No

of f

ishe

s in

sam

ple

No

of d

efec

ts

Net

to k

g

Ice

kg

Bru

tto k

g

Ice

Fish

Con

tam

inat

ion

422 Evaluation of fillets

After trimming a random sample of fish fillets are checked for defects in appearance(bones parasites bloodspots bruises black membrane) Colour and smell are

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 22

evaluated on a scale from 2 to 5 In this study data collection and evaluation werecarried out for redfish fillets after trimming

Data from the quality system on evaluation of fish fillets after trimming were studiedInformation was collected from ten processing days starting from September 26th toOctober 18th The raw material came from eight fishing trips of the three vessels thatthe company owns The data were recorded as shown in Table 7

423 Quality Index Method

Sensory evaluation of raw material using the QIM method was conducted underprocessing conditions as part of this study A batch consisting of three catching daysfrom one vessels fishing trip was sampled taking five samples from each catchingday The fishing trip in this case was 6 days long The samples came from the secondfourth and sixth catching days it means that they had been in ice for six four and twodays respectively (Table 8) The scores for each parameter were determined byconsensus of the two untrained assessors evaluating fish the author of this report andthe inspector in the reception area in the plant

43 Results and discussion431 Raw material

The current evaluation of raw material (redfish) mainly focuses on handlingparameters as shown in the form in Table 5 and in Appendix 4

PCA was done to study the main trend in the data set from evaluation of raw materialin the reception area This technique allows the analysis of different variables at thesame time In this evaluation the useful information is icing icefish ratio andcatching day Figure 6 shows two main grouping of the data which mean that sampleswith parameters of similar values are correlated PC1 explains 75 of the variation inthe data and is mainly giving information about the amount of icing which appears tobe related to the catching days Samples located on the right side of the plot aremainly from catching days 6 7 and 8 while those on the left side are from days 1 2and 3 The position of the samples with missing catching day on the plot gives an ideaof their catching day because they have similar values as those samples located closeto them One outlier (Arb 26-1) is observed at the bottom left side of the figureLooking in Appendix 4 we find that it corresponded to a tub of fish with a score of 1for icing This tub was overloaded with fish so the quantity of ice was insufficient tocool the fish properly Another outlier (Kaldb 23-2) is on the top right side of thefigure In this case the quantity of ice was more than the necessary

Current evaluation of redfish in the plant is focused on handling parameters There isno regular evaluation of freshness attributes of fish There may be two main reasonsfor this one is that the raw material is received from their own vessels The otherreason is that each tub of fish is labelled with the catching day which means that thedays fish has been in ice are known so the freshness of fish and the remaining shelflife can be determined

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 23

-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 24

trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 25

Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 26

5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 27

REFERENCES

Bisogni C A Ryan G J and Regenstein J M 1987 What is fish quality Can weincorporate consumer perceptions In Kramer D E and Liston J eds SeafoodQuality Determination Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Bonnell A D 1994 Quality Assurance in Seafood Processing A Practical GuideNew York London Chapman amp Hall

Botta J R 1995 Evaluation of seafood freshness quality New York VCHPublishers Inc

Bremner H A 1985 A convenient easy-to-use system for estimating the quality ofchilled seafood In Scott D N and Summers C eds Proceedings of the FishProcessing Conference Nelson New Zealand 23-25 April 1985 Fish ProcessingBulletin 759-70

Bremner H A 2000 Toward Practical Definitions of Quality for Food ScienceCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 40(1)83-90

Bykov B P 1983 Marine fishes Chemical composition and processing propertiesAmerind Publishing co PVT Ltd New Delhi [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Codex Alimentarius Commission- Joint FAOWHO Food Standards Programme1997 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and guidelinesfor its application Annex to CACRCP 1-1969 Rev 3 1997

Cuba Ministry of Fishery Industry (MIP) 2000 Cuban fishing industry in 1999[21082001] httpwww2cubamarcupescaipescahtm

Denton W 2001 Introduction to the Captured Fish Standard Traceability of FishProducts (Tracefish) EC-CA QLK1-2000-00164 [24122001]httpwwwtracefishorg

European Economic Community (EEC) 1994 Commission Decision 94356EC of 20May 1994 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive91493EEC as regards own health checks on fishery products Official Journal Ndeg L156 23061994

European Economic Community (EEC) 1991 Council Directive 91493 EEC of 22 ofJuly laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on themarket of fishery products Official Journal NdegL268 240991

European Commission Concerted Action on Fish Quality Labelling and MonitoringFAIR PL 98-4174 (FQLM) 2001 The Practical Problems to be overcome in thevessels ports and auction sectors in order to provide the quality information requiredfor the marketing of fish Working document for the FQLM Workshop Amsterdam[05122001] httpwwwfqlmnl

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 28

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 1995 21 CFR Parts 123 and 124 Proceduresfor the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery ProductsFinal Rule

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2001 HACCP A State-of-the-art Approach toFood Safety [08122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagov~lrdbghaccphtml

Hernaacutendez Torres D 2000 Role of government in HACCP audit a Cubanperspective Food Control 11 (5)365-369

Hureau J-C and Litvinenko N I 1986 Scorpaenidae In Whitehead P J PBauchot M-L Hureau J-C Nielsen J and Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of theNorth-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean UNESCO Paris Vol 3 [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Huss H H 1994 Assurance of Seafood Quality FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No348 RomeFAO

Huss H H 1995 Quality and quality changes on fresh fish FAO Fisheries TechnicalPaper No 334 Rome FAO

Iceland Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) Mission - Objectives[18122001]httpwwwfiskistofaisdirfishadminqualityhtml

International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2000 International Standard ISO90002000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 29

Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme i

APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

Palacios

ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

Palacios

x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 20: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 20

Table 4 Information provided in the label for frozen redfish fillets blocks exported toEuropeStep Unit Information attachedCatch Tub Catching dayProduction Case

Pallet

Production datelot numberPlant numberOriginEU authorisation numberPallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOrigin

Transport and storage Pallet container Pallet numberProduct numberProduction datelot numberPlant numberEU authorisation numberOriginContainer number

351 Example of the chain (Catch-Processing-Transport) for frozen redfish filletsblocks

Using the information collected during the field study an example of how the productcan be traced back and forward is illustrated in Figure 5 Starting with the catch rawmaterial from 6 catching days went to a new batch fishing trip 23 from the fishingtrawler Hardbakur The fish from this batch was processed in three differentproduction days or batches corresponding to September 26 27 and 28 productiondates as shown in the figure Product processed on September 26 was palletised inthree pallets that were finally transported as units of a new batch to storage at theshipping company to be exported to Europe Once the fish has entered to theprocessing line it is not longer possible to identify the catching day

BATCH BATCH BATCH BATCHCatching days Fishing trip Production date Pallet number Container number

72583

2609 72633110

726356 catching days Hardbakur 23 2709

Vessel 72672

2809 72704

Figure 5 Example of catch-production-transport links for frozen redfish filletsprocessed in UacuteA showing the different batches identifiers in each step

Catch Production Transport

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 21

4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH

41 Introduction

Quality evaluation of fish is one of the most important aspects to be considered in thequality system of a fish processing plant The field study carried out at UacuteA provided agood opportunity to perform evaluations using the information available in the plantand taking samples to conduct the analysis thus gaining skills and experience

42 Materials and methods

Evaluation of raw material and fillets were carried out based on the quality system ofthe company Moreover sensory evaluation of the raw material using the QIM wasdone on samples from one fishing trip (November 21-27) of the vessel Arbakur

421 Evaluation of raw material

At UacuteA every batch of fish is evaluated at the moment of landing and reception in theplant A batch in this case is the fish of the same species from all the catch of onefishing trip The samples are taken randomly from different catching days andevaluated using the form shown in Table 5 This form includes the vessels name thenumber of the fishing trip and date of evaluation Once the evaluation has been carriedout a new form is filled with the final scores given to the parameters checked Theseresults are valid for the whole fishing trip (batch) A five score scheme is used Fishwith score 2 or less is unsuitable for processing

Information about the redfish received from the vessels for a period one month fromSeptember 23rd to October 24th was accessed and analysed Whole ungutted redfishfrom 8 batches was evaluated looking at the handling on board weight of fish and icewashing how the fish was aligned in the tub and icing ie fish-ice layers and icefishratio The data was recorded (Appendix 4) and analysed using the principalcomponent analysis technique (PCA) in Unscrambler (Camo Norway)

Table 5 Form for the evaluation of raw material (redfish) in the reception area

Ice

Cat

chin

g da

y

Spec

ies

Top

Mid

dle

Bot

tom

Ave

rage

Alig

nmen

t of

fishe

s in

tub

Was

hing

Oth

er sp

ecie

s

No

of f

ishe

s in

sam

ple

No

of d

efec

ts

Net

to k

g

Ice

kg

Bru

tto k

g

Ice

Fish

Con

tam

inat

ion

422 Evaluation of fillets

After trimming a random sample of fish fillets are checked for defects in appearance(bones parasites bloodspots bruises black membrane) Colour and smell are

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 22

evaluated on a scale from 2 to 5 In this study data collection and evaluation werecarried out for redfish fillets after trimming

Data from the quality system on evaluation of fish fillets after trimming were studiedInformation was collected from ten processing days starting from September 26th toOctober 18th The raw material came from eight fishing trips of the three vessels thatthe company owns The data were recorded as shown in Table 7

423 Quality Index Method

Sensory evaluation of raw material using the QIM method was conducted underprocessing conditions as part of this study A batch consisting of three catching daysfrom one vessels fishing trip was sampled taking five samples from each catchingday The fishing trip in this case was 6 days long The samples came from the secondfourth and sixth catching days it means that they had been in ice for six four and twodays respectively (Table 8) The scores for each parameter were determined byconsensus of the two untrained assessors evaluating fish the author of this report andthe inspector in the reception area in the plant

43 Results and discussion431 Raw material

The current evaluation of raw material (redfish) mainly focuses on handlingparameters as shown in the form in Table 5 and in Appendix 4

PCA was done to study the main trend in the data set from evaluation of raw materialin the reception area This technique allows the analysis of different variables at thesame time In this evaluation the useful information is icing icefish ratio andcatching day Figure 6 shows two main grouping of the data which mean that sampleswith parameters of similar values are correlated PC1 explains 75 of the variation inthe data and is mainly giving information about the amount of icing which appears tobe related to the catching days Samples located on the right side of the plot aremainly from catching days 6 7 and 8 while those on the left side are from days 1 2and 3 The position of the samples with missing catching day on the plot gives an ideaof their catching day because they have similar values as those samples located closeto them One outlier (Arb 26-1) is observed at the bottom left side of the figureLooking in Appendix 4 we find that it corresponded to a tub of fish with a score of 1for icing This tub was overloaded with fish so the quantity of ice was insufficient tocool the fish properly Another outlier (Kaldb 23-2) is on the top right side of thefigure In this case the quantity of ice was more than the necessary

Current evaluation of redfish in the plant is focused on handling parameters There isno regular evaluation of freshness attributes of fish There may be two main reasonsfor this one is that the raw material is received from their own vessels The otherreason is that each tub of fish is labelled with the catching day which means that thedays fish has been in ice are known so the freshness of fish and the remaining shelflife can be determined

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-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

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trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

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Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

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5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

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REFERENCES

Bisogni C A Ryan G J and Regenstein J M 1987 What is fish quality Can weincorporate consumer perceptions In Kramer D E and Liston J eds SeafoodQuality Determination Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Bonnell A D 1994 Quality Assurance in Seafood Processing A Practical GuideNew York London Chapman amp Hall

Botta J R 1995 Evaluation of seafood freshness quality New York VCHPublishers Inc

Bremner H A 1985 A convenient easy-to-use system for estimating the quality ofchilled seafood In Scott D N and Summers C eds Proceedings of the FishProcessing Conference Nelson New Zealand 23-25 April 1985 Fish ProcessingBulletin 759-70

Bremner H A 2000 Toward Practical Definitions of Quality for Food ScienceCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 40(1)83-90

Bykov B P 1983 Marine fishes Chemical composition and processing propertiesAmerind Publishing co PVT Ltd New Delhi [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Codex Alimentarius Commission- Joint FAOWHO Food Standards Programme1997 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and guidelinesfor its application Annex to CACRCP 1-1969 Rev 3 1997

Cuba Ministry of Fishery Industry (MIP) 2000 Cuban fishing industry in 1999[21082001] httpwww2cubamarcupescaipescahtm

Denton W 2001 Introduction to the Captured Fish Standard Traceability of FishProducts (Tracefish) EC-CA QLK1-2000-00164 [24122001]httpwwwtracefishorg

European Economic Community (EEC) 1994 Commission Decision 94356EC of 20May 1994 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive91493EEC as regards own health checks on fishery products Official Journal Ndeg L156 23061994

European Economic Community (EEC) 1991 Council Directive 91493 EEC of 22 ofJuly laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on themarket of fishery products Official Journal NdegL268 240991

European Commission Concerted Action on Fish Quality Labelling and MonitoringFAIR PL 98-4174 (FQLM) 2001 The Practical Problems to be overcome in thevessels ports and auction sectors in order to provide the quality information requiredfor the marketing of fish Working document for the FQLM Workshop Amsterdam[05122001] httpwwwfqlmnl

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 28

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 1995 21 CFR Parts 123 and 124 Proceduresfor the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery ProductsFinal Rule

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2001 HACCP A State-of-the-art Approach toFood Safety [08122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagov~lrdbghaccphtml

Hernaacutendez Torres D 2000 Role of government in HACCP audit a Cubanperspective Food Control 11 (5)365-369

Hureau J-C and Litvinenko N I 1986 Scorpaenidae In Whitehead P J PBauchot M-L Hureau J-C Nielsen J and Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of theNorth-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean UNESCO Paris Vol 3 [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Huss H H 1994 Assurance of Seafood Quality FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No348 RomeFAO

Huss H H 1995 Quality and quality changes on fresh fish FAO Fisheries TechnicalPaper No 334 Rome FAO

Iceland Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) Mission - Objectives[18122001]httpwwwfiskistofaisdirfishadminqualityhtml

International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2000 International Standard ISO90002000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 29

Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

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APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

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APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

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APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

Palacios

ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 21: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 21

4 EVALUATION OF DATA FROM THE QUALITY SYSTEM ANDFRESHNESS EVALUATION OF REDFISH

41 Introduction

Quality evaluation of fish is one of the most important aspects to be considered in thequality system of a fish processing plant The field study carried out at UacuteA provided agood opportunity to perform evaluations using the information available in the plantand taking samples to conduct the analysis thus gaining skills and experience

42 Materials and methods

Evaluation of raw material and fillets were carried out based on the quality system ofthe company Moreover sensory evaluation of the raw material using the QIM wasdone on samples from one fishing trip (November 21-27) of the vessel Arbakur

421 Evaluation of raw material

At UacuteA every batch of fish is evaluated at the moment of landing and reception in theplant A batch in this case is the fish of the same species from all the catch of onefishing trip The samples are taken randomly from different catching days andevaluated using the form shown in Table 5 This form includes the vessels name thenumber of the fishing trip and date of evaluation Once the evaluation has been carriedout a new form is filled with the final scores given to the parameters checked Theseresults are valid for the whole fishing trip (batch) A five score scheme is used Fishwith score 2 or less is unsuitable for processing

Information about the redfish received from the vessels for a period one month fromSeptember 23rd to October 24th was accessed and analysed Whole ungutted redfishfrom 8 batches was evaluated looking at the handling on board weight of fish and icewashing how the fish was aligned in the tub and icing ie fish-ice layers and icefishratio The data was recorded (Appendix 4) and analysed using the principalcomponent analysis technique (PCA) in Unscrambler (Camo Norway)

Table 5 Form for the evaluation of raw material (redfish) in the reception area

Ice

Cat

chin

g da

y

Spec

ies

Top

Mid

dle

Bot

tom

Ave

rage

Alig

nmen

t of

fishe

s in

tub

Was

hing

Oth

er sp

ecie

s

No

of f

ishe

s in

sam

ple

No

of d

efec

ts

Net

to k

g

Ice

kg

Bru

tto k

g

Ice

Fish

Con

tam

inat

ion

422 Evaluation of fillets

After trimming a random sample of fish fillets are checked for defects in appearance(bones parasites bloodspots bruises black membrane) Colour and smell are

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 22

evaluated on a scale from 2 to 5 In this study data collection and evaluation werecarried out for redfish fillets after trimming

Data from the quality system on evaluation of fish fillets after trimming were studiedInformation was collected from ten processing days starting from September 26th toOctober 18th The raw material came from eight fishing trips of the three vessels thatthe company owns The data were recorded as shown in Table 7

423 Quality Index Method

Sensory evaluation of raw material using the QIM method was conducted underprocessing conditions as part of this study A batch consisting of three catching daysfrom one vessels fishing trip was sampled taking five samples from each catchingday The fishing trip in this case was 6 days long The samples came from the secondfourth and sixth catching days it means that they had been in ice for six four and twodays respectively (Table 8) The scores for each parameter were determined byconsensus of the two untrained assessors evaluating fish the author of this report andthe inspector in the reception area in the plant

43 Results and discussion431 Raw material

The current evaluation of raw material (redfish) mainly focuses on handlingparameters as shown in the form in Table 5 and in Appendix 4

PCA was done to study the main trend in the data set from evaluation of raw materialin the reception area This technique allows the analysis of different variables at thesame time In this evaluation the useful information is icing icefish ratio andcatching day Figure 6 shows two main grouping of the data which mean that sampleswith parameters of similar values are correlated PC1 explains 75 of the variation inthe data and is mainly giving information about the amount of icing which appears tobe related to the catching days Samples located on the right side of the plot aremainly from catching days 6 7 and 8 while those on the left side are from days 1 2and 3 The position of the samples with missing catching day on the plot gives an ideaof their catching day because they have similar values as those samples located closeto them One outlier (Arb 26-1) is observed at the bottom left side of the figureLooking in Appendix 4 we find that it corresponded to a tub of fish with a score of 1for icing This tub was overloaded with fish so the quantity of ice was insufficient tocool the fish properly Another outlier (Kaldb 23-2) is on the top right side of thefigure In this case the quantity of ice was more than the necessary

Current evaluation of redfish in the plant is focused on handling parameters There isno regular evaluation of freshness attributes of fish There may be two main reasonsfor this one is that the raw material is received from their own vessels The otherreason is that each tub of fish is labelled with the catching day which means that thedays fish has been in ice are known so the freshness of fish and the remaining shelflife can be determined

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 23

-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 24

trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 25

Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 26

5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 27

REFERENCES

Bisogni C A Ryan G J and Regenstein J M 1987 What is fish quality Can weincorporate consumer perceptions In Kramer D E and Liston J eds SeafoodQuality Determination Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Bonnell A D 1994 Quality Assurance in Seafood Processing A Practical GuideNew York London Chapman amp Hall

Botta J R 1995 Evaluation of seafood freshness quality New York VCHPublishers Inc

Bremner H A 1985 A convenient easy-to-use system for estimating the quality ofchilled seafood In Scott D N and Summers C eds Proceedings of the FishProcessing Conference Nelson New Zealand 23-25 April 1985 Fish ProcessingBulletin 759-70

Bremner H A 2000 Toward Practical Definitions of Quality for Food ScienceCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 40(1)83-90

Bykov B P 1983 Marine fishes Chemical composition and processing propertiesAmerind Publishing co PVT Ltd New Delhi [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Codex Alimentarius Commission- Joint FAOWHO Food Standards Programme1997 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and guidelinesfor its application Annex to CACRCP 1-1969 Rev 3 1997

Cuba Ministry of Fishery Industry (MIP) 2000 Cuban fishing industry in 1999[21082001] httpwww2cubamarcupescaipescahtm

Denton W 2001 Introduction to the Captured Fish Standard Traceability of FishProducts (Tracefish) EC-CA QLK1-2000-00164 [24122001]httpwwwtracefishorg

European Economic Community (EEC) 1994 Commission Decision 94356EC of 20May 1994 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive91493EEC as regards own health checks on fishery products Official Journal Ndeg L156 23061994

European Economic Community (EEC) 1991 Council Directive 91493 EEC of 22 ofJuly laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on themarket of fishery products Official Journal NdegL268 240991

European Commission Concerted Action on Fish Quality Labelling and MonitoringFAIR PL 98-4174 (FQLM) 2001 The Practical Problems to be overcome in thevessels ports and auction sectors in order to provide the quality information requiredfor the marketing of fish Working document for the FQLM Workshop Amsterdam[05122001] httpwwwfqlmnl

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 28

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 1995 21 CFR Parts 123 and 124 Proceduresfor the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery ProductsFinal Rule

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2001 HACCP A State-of-the-art Approach toFood Safety [08122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagov~lrdbghaccphtml

Hernaacutendez Torres D 2000 Role of government in HACCP audit a Cubanperspective Food Control 11 (5)365-369

Hureau J-C and Litvinenko N I 1986 Scorpaenidae In Whitehead P J PBauchot M-L Hureau J-C Nielsen J and Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of theNorth-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean UNESCO Paris Vol 3 [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Huss H H 1994 Assurance of Seafood Quality FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No348 RomeFAO

Huss H H 1995 Quality and quality changes on fresh fish FAO Fisheries TechnicalPaper No 334 Rome FAO

Iceland Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) Mission - Objectives[18122001]httpwwwfiskistofaisdirfishadminqualityhtml

International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2000 International Standard ISO90002000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 29

Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

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APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

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ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 22: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 22

evaluated on a scale from 2 to 5 In this study data collection and evaluation werecarried out for redfish fillets after trimming

Data from the quality system on evaluation of fish fillets after trimming were studiedInformation was collected from ten processing days starting from September 26th toOctober 18th The raw material came from eight fishing trips of the three vessels thatthe company owns The data were recorded as shown in Table 7

423 Quality Index Method

Sensory evaluation of raw material using the QIM method was conducted underprocessing conditions as part of this study A batch consisting of three catching daysfrom one vessels fishing trip was sampled taking five samples from each catchingday The fishing trip in this case was 6 days long The samples came from the secondfourth and sixth catching days it means that they had been in ice for six four and twodays respectively (Table 8) The scores for each parameter were determined byconsensus of the two untrained assessors evaluating fish the author of this report andthe inspector in the reception area in the plant

43 Results and discussion431 Raw material

The current evaluation of raw material (redfish) mainly focuses on handlingparameters as shown in the form in Table 5 and in Appendix 4

PCA was done to study the main trend in the data set from evaluation of raw materialin the reception area This technique allows the analysis of different variables at thesame time In this evaluation the useful information is icing icefish ratio andcatching day Figure 6 shows two main grouping of the data which mean that sampleswith parameters of similar values are correlated PC1 explains 75 of the variation inthe data and is mainly giving information about the amount of icing which appears tobe related to the catching days Samples located on the right side of the plot aremainly from catching days 6 7 and 8 while those on the left side are from days 1 2and 3 The position of the samples with missing catching day on the plot gives an ideaof their catching day because they have similar values as those samples located closeto them One outlier (Arb 26-1) is observed at the bottom left side of the figureLooking in Appendix 4 we find that it corresponded to a tub of fish with a score of 1for icing This tub was overloaded with fish so the quantity of ice was insufficient tocool the fish properly Another outlier (Kaldb 23-2) is on the top right side of thefigure In this case the quantity of ice was more than the necessary

Current evaluation of redfish in the plant is focused on handling parameters There isno regular evaluation of freshness attributes of fish There may be two main reasonsfor this one is that the raw material is received from their own vessels The otherreason is that each tub of fish is labelled with the catching day which means that thedays fish has been in ice are known so the freshness of fish and the remaining shelflife can be determined

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 23

-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 24

trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 25

Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 26

5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 27

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Bonnell A D 1994 Quality Assurance in Seafood Processing A Practical GuideNew York London Chapman amp Hall

Botta J R 1995 Evaluation of seafood freshness quality New York VCHPublishers Inc

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Bremner H A 2000 Toward Practical Definitions of Quality for Food ScienceCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 40(1)83-90

Bykov B P 1983 Marine fishes Chemical composition and processing propertiesAmerind Publishing co PVT Ltd New Delhi [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Codex Alimentarius Commission- Joint FAOWHO Food Standards Programme1997 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and guidelinesfor its application Annex to CACRCP 1-1969 Rev 3 1997

Cuba Ministry of Fishery Industry (MIP) 2000 Cuban fishing industry in 1999[21082001] httpwww2cubamarcupescaipescahtm

Denton W 2001 Introduction to the Captured Fish Standard Traceability of FishProducts (Tracefish) EC-CA QLK1-2000-00164 [24122001]httpwwwtracefishorg

European Economic Community (EEC) 1994 Commission Decision 94356EC of 20May 1994 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive91493EEC as regards own health checks on fishery products Official Journal Ndeg L156 23061994

European Economic Community (EEC) 1991 Council Directive 91493 EEC of 22 ofJuly laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on themarket of fishery products Official Journal NdegL268 240991

European Commission Concerted Action on Fish Quality Labelling and MonitoringFAIR PL 98-4174 (FQLM) 2001 The Practical Problems to be overcome in thevessels ports and auction sectors in order to provide the quality information requiredfor the marketing of fish Working document for the FQLM Workshop Amsterdam[05122001] httpwwwfqlmnl

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 28

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Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2001 HACCP A State-of-the-art Approach toFood Safety [08122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagov~lrdbghaccphtml

Hernaacutendez Torres D 2000 Role of government in HACCP audit a Cubanperspective Food Control 11 (5)365-369

Hureau J-C and Litvinenko N I 1986 Scorpaenidae In Whitehead P J PBauchot M-L Hureau J-C Nielsen J and Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of theNorth-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean UNESCO Paris Vol 3 [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Huss H H 1994 Assurance of Seafood Quality FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No348 RomeFAO

Huss H H 1995 Quality and quality changes on fresh fish FAO Fisheries TechnicalPaper No 334 Rome FAO

Iceland Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) Mission - Objectives[18122001]httpwwwfiskistofaisdirfishadminqualityhtml

International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2000 International Standard ISO90002000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 29

Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme i

APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

Palacios

ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 23: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 23

-10

-05

0

05

10

-08 -06 -04 -02 0 02 04 06 08 10 haneval 1 X-expl 7511

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 1

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23 - 2

Kaldb 23

Kaldb 23

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 8Arb 24 - 8

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 0

Arb 24 - 8

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26

Arb 26 - 1Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 1

Arb 26 - 2 Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26Arb 26

Arb 26 - 4

Arb 26 - 4Arb 26 - 4

Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arbakur 23Arb 23 - 3

Kaldbakur 25

Kaldb 25 -6

Hardbakur 23

Hardb 23 -1Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23Hardb 23 -2

Hardb 23 -2Hardb 23 -3

Hardb 23 -2

Hardbakur 23 Hardbakur 24Hardb 24 - 8

Hardb 24 - 6

Hardb 24 - 7

Hardb 24 - 2

Hardb 25 - 7Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25 Hardbakur 25Hardbakur 25

Days in ice

Top

MidBot

Ave

IceFish

PC1

PC2 Bi-plot

Figure 6 Bi-plot of the principal component analysis model for the evaluation of rawmaterial in the reception area The labels mean the name of the vessel the fishing tripand the catching day Note that the 0 means that information about catching day ismissing

432 Fillets after trimming

In general the results in Table 7 of the evaluation of fillets after trimming show thatthe process was under control The overall quality of the fillets was good with a scoreof 4 for smell and colour In only two samples of 37 the specification for bones wasover the limit of 2 units in 5 lbs or 1 unitkg for fillet blocks as established in theguidelines presented in Table 6 for redfish The defects in bloodspots and bruises arerare in this control point indicating that they are accurately removed during trimming

Table 6 Guidelines for defects in appearance for redfish fillets and blocks (UacuteA 1999)Product Average in 5 lbs Maximum in 5 lbs

Bones FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Parasites FilletsBlocks

1020

2040

Bloodspots FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Bruises FilletsBlocks

2030

4060

Skin and black membrane Fillets and Blocks 30 60

The scores for colour and smell are surprisingly consistent It is difficult to evaluatethe small changes in colour in the fillets at this point which indicates that the gradingscheme is not very useful and to some extent too strict There is no score of 5 forcolour and smell The reason according to the companys managers could be that fishcaught by trawling loses quality because of stress and pressure in the codend of thetrawl Perhaps it will not be necessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after

11 Catching days 1 2 and3

13 Catching days 6 7 and8

12 Icin

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 24

trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 25

Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 26

5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 27

REFERENCES

Bisogni C A Ryan G J and Regenstein J M 1987 What is fish quality Can weincorporate consumer perceptions In Kramer D E and Liston J eds SeafoodQuality Determination Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Bonnell A D 1994 Quality Assurance in Seafood Processing A Practical GuideNew York London Chapman amp Hall

Botta J R 1995 Evaluation of seafood freshness quality New York VCHPublishers Inc

Bremner H A 1985 A convenient easy-to-use system for estimating the quality ofchilled seafood In Scott D N and Summers C eds Proceedings of the FishProcessing Conference Nelson New Zealand 23-25 April 1985 Fish ProcessingBulletin 759-70

Bremner H A 2000 Toward Practical Definitions of Quality for Food ScienceCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 40(1)83-90

Bykov B P 1983 Marine fishes Chemical composition and processing propertiesAmerind Publishing co PVT Ltd New Delhi [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Codex Alimentarius Commission- Joint FAOWHO Food Standards Programme1997 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and guidelinesfor its application Annex to CACRCP 1-1969 Rev 3 1997

Cuba Ministry of Fishery Industry (MIP) 2000 Cuban fishing industry in 1999[21082001] httpwww2cubamarcupescaipescahtm

Denton W 2001 Introduction to the Captured Fish Standard Traceability of FishProducts (Tracefish) EC-CA QLK1-2000-00164 [24122001]httpwwwtracefishorg

European Economic Community (EEC) 1994 Commission Decision 94356EC of 20May 1994 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive91493EEC as regards own health checks on fishery products Official Journal Ndeg L156 23061994

European Economic Community (EEC) 1991 Council Directive 91493 EEC of 22 ofJuly laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on themarket of fishery products Official Journal NdegL268 240991

European Commission Concerted Action on Fish Quality Labelling and MonitoringFAIR PL 98-4174 (FQLM) 2001 The Practical Problems to be overcome in thevessels ports and auction sectors in order to provide the quality information requiredfor the marketing of fish Working document for the FQLM Workshop Amsterdam[05122001] httpwwwfqlmnl

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 28

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 1995 21 CFR Parts 123 and 124 Proceduresfor the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery ProductsFinal Rule

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2001 HACCP A State-of-the-art Approach toFood Safety [08122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagov~lrdbghaccphtml

Hernaacutendez Torres D 2000 Role of government in HACCP audit a Cubanperspective Food Control 11 (5)365-369

Hureau J-C and Litvinenko N I 1986 Scorpaenidae In Whitehead P J PBauchot M-L Hureau J-C Nielsen J and Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of theNorth-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean UNESCO Paris Vol 3 [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Huss H H 1994 Assurance of Seafood Quality FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No348 RomeFAO

Huss H H 1995 Quality and quality changes on fresh fish FAO Fisheries TechnicalPaper No 334 Rome FAO

Iceland Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) Mission - Objectives[18122001]httpwwwfiskistofaisdirfishadminqualityhtml

International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2000 International Standard ISO90002000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 29

Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme i

APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

Palacios

ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 24: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 24

trimming if the freshness of the raw material was evaluated in the beginning Theconvenient QIM method is installed in the factory and sensory evaluation of the rawmaterial in the reception area is possible

Table 7 Evaluation of redfish fillets after trimming and the values for bones andparasites per kgSample Weight

gColourscore

Smellscore

Bonesunit

Parasitesunit

Bloodspunit

Bruisesunit

Membrunit

Boneskg Parasiteskg

1 3288 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 02 3354 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 03 3808 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 04 3856 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 05 3646 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 06 3746 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 07 3236 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 031 08 3502 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 09 3170 4 4 0 1 0 0 0 0 032

10 2458 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 081 011 2410 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 166 012 2440 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 013 2470 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 014 2432 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 041 04115 3360 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 03 016 7635 4 4 5 1 0 0 0 065 01317 7650 4 4 3 1 0 1 0 039 01318 3098 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 032 019 3338 4 4 1 0 0 1 0 03 020 3280 4 4 2 1 0 0 0 061 0321 2518 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 022 2412 4 4 1 1 0 0 1 041 04123 2600 4 4 0 0 0 1 0 0 024 2348 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 085 025 2968 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 034 026 3892 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 026 027 3634 4 4 1 0 0 2 0 028 028 2636 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 029 3406 4 4 1 0 0 0 0 029 030 3590 4 4 1 1 0 0 0 028 02831 3836 4 4 2 0 0 1 0 052 032 3331 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 06 033 2510 4 4 4 0 0 0 0 159 034 2540 4 4 2 0 0 0 0 079 035 2480 4 4 0 0 1 0 0 0 036 2554 4 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 037 2584 4 4 1 0 0 0 1 039 0

433 Quality Index Method

Results shown in Table 8 of sensory evaluation applying the QIM gave an averagescore of 10 7 and 6 to the fish The predicted days in ice are 11 8 and 7 which is nota good prediction for the fish that was stored for 6 4 and 2 days respectively

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 25

Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 26

5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 27

REFERENCES

Bisogni C A Ryan G J and Regenstein J M 1987 What is fish quality Can weincorporate consumer perceptions In Kramer D E and Liston J eds SeafoodQuality Determination Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Bonnell A D 1994 Quality Assurance in Seafood Processing A Practical GuideNew York London Chapman amp Hall

Botta J R 1995 Evaluation of seafood freshness quality New York VCHPublishers Inc

Bremner H A 1985 A convenient easy-to-use system for estimating the quality ofchilled seafood In Scott D N and Summers C eds Proceedings of the FishProcessing Conference Nelson New Zealand 23-25 April 1985 Fish ProcessingBulletin 759-70

Bremner H A 2000 Toward Practical Definitions of Quality for Food ScienceCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 40(1)83-90

Bykov B P 1983 Marine fishes Chemical composition and processing propertiesAmerind Publishing co PVT Ltd New Delhi [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Codex Alimentarius Commission- Joint FAOWHO Food Standards Programme1997 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and guidelinesfor its application Annex to CACRCP 1-1969 Rev 3 1997

Cuba Ministry of Fishery Industry (MIP) 2000 Cuban fishing industry in 1999[21082001] httpwww2cubamarcupescaipescahtm

Denton W 2001 Introduction to the Captured Fish Standard Traceability of FishProducts (Tracefish) EC-CA QLK1-2000-00164 [24122001]httpwwwtracefishorg

European Economic Community (EEC) 1994 Commission Decision 94356EC of 20May 1994 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive91493EEC as regards own health checks on fishery products Official Journal Ndeg L156 23061994

European Economic Community (EEC) 1991 Council Directive 91493 EEC of 22 ofJuly laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on themarket of fishery products Official Journal NdegL268 240991

European Commission Concerted Action on Fish Quality Labelling and MonitoringFAIR PL 98-4174 (FQLM) 2001 The Practical Problems to be overcome in thevessels ports and auction sectors in order to provide the quality information requiredfor the marketing of fish Working document for the FQLM Workshop Amsterdam[05122001] httpwwwfqlmnl

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 28

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 1995 21 CFR Parts 123 and 124 Proceduresfor the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery ProductsFinal Rule

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2001 HACCP A State-of-the-art Approach toFood Safety [08122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagov~lrdbghaccphtml

Hernaacutendez Torres D 2000 Role of government in HACCP audit a Cubanperspective Food Control 11 (5)365-369

Hureau J-C and Litvinenko N I 1986 Scorpaenidae In Whitehead P J PBauchot M-L Hureau J-C Nielsen J and Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of theNorth-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean UNESCO Paris Vol 3 [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Huss H H 1994 Assurance of Seafood Quality FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No348 RomeFAO

Huss H H 1995 Quality and quality changes on fresh fish FAO Fisheries TechnicalPaper No 334 Rome FAO

Iceland Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) Mission - Objectives[18122001]httpwwwfiskistofaisdirfishadminqualityhtml

International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2000 International Standard ISO90002000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 29

Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme i

APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

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viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

Palacios

ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

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x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 25: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 25

Table 8 Sensory evaluation of raw material (redfish) using the QI Method in thereception area

Catching day 2 2 2 2 2 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 6 6Sample number 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Days in ice (from catching day) 6 6 6 6 6 4 4 4 4 4 2 2 2 2 2Appearance Skin 1 1 0 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 1 1 1 1 1

Stiffness 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Eyes Cornea 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 1 0 1 0 1 0

Form 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0Colour of pupil 0 0 2 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Gills Colour 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Smell 2 0 1 2 2 2 2 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 1Mucus 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1

Viscera 1 0 1 0 0 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 1 0 1Flesh 0 0 1 0 0 1 0 0 1 1 0 1 1 0 1

QI 11 7 11 10 9 10 7 6 6 8 5 7 7 6 7Average QI 10 7 6Days in ice (Predicted) 11 8 7Remaining shelf life days 8 10 11

These results can be explained by insufficient training of the assessors andorimproper fish handling on board the fishing vessel The QIM method is not routinelyused in the plant QIM is useful if the origin of the raw material is not known ie fishfrom auctions This is the case for cod at UacuteA but not for redfish

Lack of training of both assessors is likely to be the main cause of the resultsobtained Untrained assessors tend to be too strict in evaluations The characteristicsmell of gills is a strong seaweedy odour in the beginning changing with timebecoming less strong If there is not a spoiled sample for comparison an untrainedassessor can evaluate wrongly the attributes of smell and colour This is observed inTable 8 where high scores were given for colour and smell of gills of fresh fish

As stated above the inspection of raw material focuses mainly on handlingparameters such as icing weight of fish and washing while the appearance is seldomassessed They rely on the fact that at the time of landing and reception the rawmaterial has been stored in ice for no more than 7-8 days and that it has not gonethrough any changes in freshness and quality Therefore they assume they havehomogeneous quality as can be seen by the consistent score of 4 for colour and smell(Table 7)

On the other hand the raw material can be affected if not well handled which impliesproper washing rapid cooling after catch using sufficient ice and no temperaturefluctuations Nevertheless a difference in the Quality Index corresponding to the time(days) the fish has been stored in ice was observed It can therefore be concluded thatthe freshness of the batch is not homogeneous

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 26

5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 27

REFERENCES

Bisogni C A Ryan G J and Regenstein J M 1987 What is fish quality Can weincorporate consumer perceptions In Kramer D E and Liston J eds SeafoodQuality Determination Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Bonnell A D 1994 Quality Assurance in Seafood Processing A Practical GuideNew York London Chapman amp Hall

Botta J R 1995 Evaluation of seafood freshness quality New York VCHPublishers Inc

Bremner H A 1985 A convenient easy-to-use system for estimating the quality ofchilled seafood In Scott D N and Summers C eds Proceedings of the FishProcessing Conference Nelson New Zealand 23-25 April 1985 Fish ProcessingBulletin 759-70

Bremner H A 2000 Toward Practical Definitions of Quality for Food ScienceCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 40(1)83-90

Bykov B P 1983 Marine fishes Chemical composition and processing propertiesAmerind Publishing co PVT Ltd New Delhi [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Codex Alimentarius Commission- Joint FAOWHO Food Standards Programme1997 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and guidelinesfor its application Annex to CACRCP 1-1969 Rev 3 1997

Cuba Ministry of Fishery Industry (MIP) 2000 Cuban fishing industry in 1999[21082001] httpwww2cubamarcupescaipescahtm

Denton W 2001 Introduction to the Captured Fish Standard Traceability of FishProducts (Tracefish) EC-CA QLK1-2000-00164 [24122001]httpwwwtracefishorg

European Economic Community (EEC) 1994 Commission Decision 94356EC of 20May 1994 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive91493EEC as regards own health checks on fishery products Official Journal Ndeg L156 23061994

European Economic Community (EEC) 1991 Council Directive 91493 EEC of 22 ofJuly laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on themarket of fishery products Official Journal NdegL268 240991

European Commission Concerted Action on Fish Quality Labelling and MonitoringFAIR PL 98-4174 (FQLM) 2001 The Practical Problems to be overcome in thevessels ports and auction sectors in order to provide the quality information requiredfor the marketing of fish Working document for the FQLM Workshop Amsterdam[05122001] httpwwwfqlmnl

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UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 28

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 1995 21 CFR Parts 123 and 124 Proceduresfor the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery ProductsFinal Rule

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2001 HACCP A State-of-the-art Approach toFood Safety [08122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagov~lrdbghaccphtml

Hernaacutendez Torres D 2000 Role of government in HACCP audit a Cubanperspective Food Control 11 (5)365-369

Hureau J-C and Litvinenko N I 1986 Scorpaenidae In Whitehead P J PBauchot M-L Hureau J-C Nielsen J and Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of theNorth-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean UNESCO Paris Vol 3 [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Huss H H 1994 Assurance of Seafood Quality FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No348 RomeFAO

Huss H H 1995 Quality and quality changes on fresh fish FAO Fisheries TechnicalPaper No 334 Rome FAO

Iceland Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) Mission - Objectives[18122001]httpwwwfiskistofaisdirfishadminqualityhtml

International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2000 International Standard ISO90002000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 29

Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme i

APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

Palacios

viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

Palacios

ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

Palacios

x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 26: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 26

5 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

A well implemented quality system based on HACCP results in high quality and safeseafood products The evaluations of products carried out at UacuteA for raw material andfillets showed that quality parameters were within the limits established in the owncheck system and the process was under control

A traceability system can be a valuable tool to trace the history of a product It isimportant to have a recording system for all the information generated in theprocessing and distribution chain Labelling and definition of batches and units is thekey for tracing back and forward and finding the information needed Problems existin the catching link because the units (catching day) are not identifiable once the fishenters the processing line

The quality of the raw material (redfish) received is generally good Nevertheless itcould be useful to evaluate the quality of the fish using other parameters thanhandling ie sensory evaluation applying the QIM method Maybe it will not benecessary to evaluate colour and smell of fillets after trimming if the QIM is used forthe raw material For instance it can reduce the cost of processing by rejecting rawmaterial that might be of doubtful quality in the first step of the production

The QIM is a fast and convenient method to determine the freshness of fish It is veryimportant that assessors conducting the evaluation are properly trained andexperienced to guarantee reliable results

The QIM method could be applied in the fisheries sector in Cuba In that case thecorresponding schemes for the commercial species from Cuban fishing groundswould have to be developed

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would like to thank all the people that contributed and helped me to succeed in thisproject My supervisors especially Guethruacuten Oacutelafsdoacutettir for their guidance and forbeing there every time I needed advice The managers and staff at UacuteA who made thisfield study possible to be conducted in their company and provided the informationrequested special thanks to Arnheiethur Eythornoacutersdoacutettir and Elvar Thorarensen I am alsodeeply grateful to Tumi Toacutemasson and Thor Aacutesgeirsson for supporting me all alongthis course and for their comments and suggestions on this report

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 27

REFERENCES

Bisogni C A Ryan G J and Regenstein J M 1987 What is fish quality Can weincorporate consumer perceptions In Kramer D E and Liston J eds SeafoodQuality Determination Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Bonnell A D 1994 Quality Assurance in Seafood Processing A Practical GuideNew York London Chapman amp Hall

Botta J R 1995 Evaluation of seafood freshness quality New York VCHPublishers Inc

Bremner H A 1985 A convenient easy-to-use system for estimating the quality ofchilled seafood In Scott D N and Summers C eds Proceedings of the FishProcessing Conference Nelson New Zealand 23-25 April 1985 Fish ProcessingBulletin 759-70

Bremner H A 2000 Toward Practical Definitions of Quality for Food ScienceCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 40(1)83-90

Bykov B P 1983 Marine fishes Chemical composition and processing propertiesAmerind Publishing co PVT Ltd New Delhi [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Codex Alimentarius Commission- Joint FAOWHO Food Standards Programme1997 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and guidelinesfor its application Annex to CACRCP 1-1969 Rev 3 1997

Cuba Ministry of Fishery Industry (MIP) 2000 Cuban fishing industry in 1999[21082001] httpwww2cubamarcupescaipescahtm

Denton W 2001 Introduction to the Captured Fish Standard Traceability of FishProducts (Tracefish) EC-CA QLK1-2000-00164 [24122001]httpwwwtracefishorg

European Economic Community (EEC) 1994 Commission Decision 94356EC of 20May 1994 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive91493EEC as regards own health checks on fishery products Official Journal Ndeg L156 23061994

European Economic Community (EEC) 1991 Council Directive 91493 EEC of 22 ofJuly laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on themarket of fishery products Official Journal NdegL268 240991

European Commission Concerted Action on Fish Quality Labelling and MonitoringFAIR PL 98-4174 (FQLM) 2001 The Practical Problems to be overcome in thevessels ports and auction sectors in order to provide the quality information requiredfor the marketing of fish Working document for the FQLM Workshop Amsterdam[05122001] httpwwwfqlmnl

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 28

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 1995 21 CFR Parts 123 and 124 Proceduresfor the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery ProductsFinal Rule

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2001 HACCP A State-of-the-art Approach toFood Safety [08122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagov~lrdbghaccphtml

Hernaacutendez Torres D 2000 Role of government in HACCP audit a Cubanperspective Food Control 11 (5)365-369

Hureau J-C and Litvinenko N I 1986 Scorpaenidae In Whitehead P J PBauchot M-L Hureau J-C Nielsen J and Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of theNorth-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean UNESCO Paris Vol 3 [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Huss H H 1994 Assurance of Seafood Quality FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No348 RomeFAO

Huss H H 1995 Quality and quality changes on fresh fish FAO Fisheries TechnicalPaper No 334 Rome FAO

Iceland Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) Mission - Objectives[18122001]httpwwwfiskistofaisdirfishadminqualityhtml

International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2000 International Standard ISO90002000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 29

Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme i

APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

Palacios

viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

Palacios

ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

Palacios

x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 27: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 27

REFERENCES

Bisogni C A Ryan G J and Regenstein J M 1987 What is fish quality Can weincorporate consumer perceptions In Kramer D E and Liston J eds SeafoodQuality Determination Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Bonnell A D 1994 Quality Assurance in Seafood Processing A Practical GuideNew York London Chapman amp Hall

Botta J R 1995 Evaluation of seafood freshness quality New York VCHPublishers Inc

Bremner H A 1985 A convenient easy-to-use system for estimating the quality ofchilled seafood In Scott D N and Summers C eds Proceedings of the FishProcessing Conference Nelson New Zealand 23-25 April 1985 Fish ProcessingBulletin 759-70

Bremner H A 2000 Toward Practical Definitions of Quality for Food ScienceCritical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition 40(1)83-90

Bykov B P 1983 Marine fishes Chemical composition and processing propertiesAmerind Publishing co PVT Ltd New Delhi [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Codex Alimentarius Commission- Joint FAOWHO Food Standards Programme1997 Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) system and guidelinesfor its application Annex to CACRCP 1-1969 Rev 3 1997

Cuba Ministry of Fishery Industry (MIP) 2000 Cuban fishing industry in 1999[21082001] httpwww2cubamarcupescaipescahtm

Denton W 2001 Introduction to the Captured Fish Standard Traceability of FishProducts (Tracefish) EC-CA QLK1-2000-00164 [24122001]httpwwwtracefishorg

European Economic Community (EEC) 1994 Commission Decision 94356EC of 20May 1994 laying down detailed rules for the application of Council Directive91493EEC as regards own health checks on fishery products Official Journal Ndeg L156 23061994

European Economic Community (EEC) 1991 Council Directive 91493 EEC of 22 ofJuly laying down the health conditions for the production and the placing on themarket of fishery products Official Journal NdegL268 240991

European Commission Concerted Action on Fish Quality Labelling and MonitoringFAIR PL 98-4174 (FQLM) 2001 The Practical Problems to be overcome in thevessels ports and auction sectors in order to provide the quality information requiredfor the marketing of fish Working document for the FQLM Workshop Amsterdam[05122001] httpwwwfqlmnl

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 28

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 1995 21 CFR Parts 123 and 124 Proceduresfor the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery ProductsFinal Rule

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2001 HACCP A State-of-the-art Approach toFood Safety [08122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagov~lrdbghaccphtml

Hernaacutendez Torres D 2000 Role of government in HACCP audit a Cubanperspective Food Control 11 (5)365-369

Hureau J-C and Litvinenko N I 1986 Scorpaenidae In Whitehead P J PBauchot M-L Hureau J-C Nielsen J and Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of theNorth-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean UNESCO Paris Vol 3 [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Huss H H 1994 Assurance of Seafood Quality FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No348 RomeFAO

Huss H H 1995 Quality and quality changes on fresh fish FAO Fisheries TechnicalPaper No 334 Rome FAO

Iceland Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) Mission - Objectives[18122001]httpwwwfiskistofaisdirfishadminqualityhtml

International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2000 International Standard ISO90002000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 29

Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme i

APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

Palacios

viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

Palacios

ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

Palacios

x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 28: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 28

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 1995 21 CFR Parts 123 and 124 Proceduresfor the Safe and Sanitary Processing and Importing of Fish and Fishery ProductsFinal Rule

Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 2001 HACCP A State-of-the-art Approach toFood Safety [08122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagov~lrdbghaccphtml

Hernaacutendez Torres D 2000 Role of government in HACCP audit a Cubanperspective Food Control 11 (5)365-369

Hureau J-C and Litvinenko N I 1986 Scorpaenidae In Whitehead P J PBauchot M-L Hureau J-C Nielsen J and Tortonese E (eds) Fishes of theNorth-eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean UNESCO Paris Vol 3 [26122001]httpwwwfishbaseorgCountry

Huss H H 1994 Assurance of Seafood Quality FAO Fisheries Technical Paper No348 RomeFAO

Huss H H 1995 Quality and quality changes on fresh fish FAO Fisheries TechnicalPaper No 334 Rome FAO

Iceland Directorate of Fisheries (DOF) Mission - Objectives[18122001]httpwwwfiskistofaisdirfishadminqualityhtml

International Standard Organisation (ISO) 2000 International Standard ISO90002000 Quality Management Systems - Fundamentals and vocabulary

Martinsdoacutettir E Sveinsdoacutettir K Luten J Schelvis-Smit R and Hyldig G 2001Sensory Evaluation of Fish Freshness Reference Manual for the Fish Sector QIMEurofish

Mortimore S 2001 How to make HACCP really work in practice Food Control12(4) 209-215 [11122001] httpwwwelseviercomlocatefoodcont

National Advisory Committee on Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF)1997 HACCP Principles and Application Guidelines Adopted August 14 1997[18122001] httpwwwcfsanfdagovcommnacmcfphtml

Oehlenschlager J 1997 Sensory evaluation in inspection In Oacutelafsdoacutettir G LutenJ Dalgaard P Careche M Verrez-Bagnis V Martinsdoacutettir E and Heia K edsMethods to determine the freshness of fish in research and industry ParisInternational Institute of Refrigeration

Oacutelafsdoacutettir G Martinsdoacutettir E Oehlenschlager J Dalgaard P Jensen BUndeland I Mackie I M Henehan G Nielsen J and Nilsen H 1997 Methods toevaluate fish freshness in research and industry Trends in Food Science ampTechnology 8258-265

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 29

Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme i

APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

Palacios

viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

Palacios

ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

Palacios

x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 29: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme 29

Olsen P 2001 Traceability of fish products 1st Tracefish Conference CopenhagenMay 2001

Paacutelsson P G and Oacutelafsdoacutettir G 2001 Model for batches attributes and informationflow for the captured fish chain in Iceland Report for Captured Fish Workgroupmeeting in Amsterdam August 2001

Paacutelsson P G Storoumly J Fredriksen M and Olsen P 2000 Traceability andelectronic transmission of qualitative data for fish products Icelandic FisheriesLaboratories (IFL) 2001

Sakaguchi M and Koike A 1992 Freshness assessment of fish fillets using theTorrymeter and k-value In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds QualityAssurance in the Fish Industry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Soslashrensen N 1992 Physical and instrumental methods for assessing seafood qualityIn Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Tall A 2001 Traceability procedures based on FDA and CFIA regulations - anunderstanding Infofish International 549-51

Tracefish 2001 European Commission Concerted Action Project QLK1-2000-00164Traceability of Fish Products Second Draft Information Standard for the CapturedFish Distribution Chains [05122001] httpwww tracefishorg

UacuteA 1999 UacuteA Parent Company Quality Handbook Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001a UacuteA Seafood Group Your Seafood Partner Akureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001b UacuteA Seafood Group Convenience Frozen Seafood Packed at sourceAkureyri UacuteA Seafood Group

UacuteA 2001c UacuteA Seafood Group Close to the source Capitalising on access to premiumraw material Iceland Business 8(2)19

USA United States Department of Commerce (USDC) 1990 Seafood InspectionProgram 55 CFR Part 263 United States Standards for Grades of Fish Fillets[10122001] httpseafoodnmfsnoaagov263SubpartAhtm

Valdimarsson G 1992 Developments in fish processing - technological aspects ofquality In Huss HH Jakobsen M and Liston J eds Quality Assurance in the FishIndustry Amsterdam Elsevier Science Publishers B V

Whittle KJ Hardy R and Hobbs G 1990 Chilled Fish and Fishery Products InGormley TR ed Chilled Foods The state of the art London and New YorkElsevier Applied Science

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme i

APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

Palacios

viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

Palacios

ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

Palacios

x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 30: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme i

APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)

ProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Receiving

Overall quality ofraw materialContamination

Temperature recordingUse of iceSensory properties-general visualinspectionEach lot

Chilling of raw material onboard vesselGeneral rules of handling onboard

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material 0-4degCContamination -none

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed andcontaminated raw materialdestroyed

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction ManagerQuality Manager

Traceability Day catch labellingAll containers

Correct labelling of catch onboard vessel

None Unlabelled raw materialevaluated specially

Raw materialpurchasing rules

Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

ChillerDecomposition

TemperatureContinuous monitoring

Raw material well icedKeep door to chiller closedas much as possibleSanitation according to plan

Raw materialassessmentacceptable orbetter Ice visibleTemperature inraw material0 - 4degC

Raw material chilled iniced water sensoryevaluationDecomposed raw materialdestroyed

Quality manual Foreman in receptionProduction Manager

Filletingskinning

Raw materialquality

Evaluation of 10 wholefish and 20 fillets

Handling and conditiongood

Sensory evaluation3 or higher on a 5point scale

Raw material notaccording tospecifications report toQuality managerProduction manager

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

TrimmingMicrobial growth

Temperature of filletsevery time a sample istaken

Production flow good nobottlenecksLines emptied in longerstops and rinsedSanitation according to plan

Temperature notover 7 degC

Report to ProductionmanagerFilleting stopped linesemptiedRaw material chilled ifnecessary

Code of practice Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

Palacios

viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

Palacios

ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

Palacios

x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 31: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme ii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Bones parasitesblood spotsbruisesCookedevaluation of rawmaterial

Continuous control Training of staff Average faultsaccording tospecificationsCooked evaluationscore according tospecifications

Raw material reworkedIncrease inspection

Specifications Quality control

CuttingForming Continuous monitoringof the nuggets

Training of staff Make surethat enough formingmaterial is in the machine

No misshapenalso that nuggetsdo not lie together

Remove misshapen andpieces which lie together

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Batter andbreading

Pick-up viscositymeasured every hourBreading defects every15 minutes

Training of staffAdjust machinerySanitation according to plan

According tospecifications

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Specifications Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Pre frying Temperature and timeevery hour Colour ofthe product every 15minutes

Check the oil heat beforeusing the fryerCheck oil level andcirculation

Colour goldenTemperature 195-200 degC

Notify foreman inbreading area which willadjust the machinery

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

IQF freezerTemperature inproduct

Continuous monitoringof temperature in IQFTemperature measuredin product every time asample is taken

Keep door to IQF closed Temperaturelt-18degC

Slow down the IQFfreezerIncrease cooling

Quality manual Quality controlForeman in breadingarea

Packing

Microbial growth

Temperature in product Time in freezer correctProduct placed in cold storedirectly

Temperature inproduct not higherthan -18 degC whenplaced in coldstore

If temperature is lowerthan -18 degC then adjustflow and temperature offreezer

Quality manual Quality control

Weighing Weight of bagcaseBag and case closureEvery hour

Grader correctly adjustedTraining of staff

According tospecifications

Adjust graderRegrade since lastinspection

Specifications Quality controlProduction managerQuality manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

Palacios

viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

Palacios

ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

Palacios

x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 32: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iii

APPENDIX 1 - ContinuedProductionstepHazard

Monitoring frequency Preventive measures Parameter rangeControl limits

Actions Reference OperationResponsible

Metal detector

Metal fragments

Continuous A sliver of metal gt2mm inlength is passed through themetal detector three timesper day

gt2mm in length The foreman or thequality manager is calledHe inspects the packageand tries to trace theorigin to eliminate thesource

Quality manual Quality control

Labelling Labels inspected oneach product number

Adjust printerInformation on labelcompared to specificationsand ISI production almanac

None Labelling not correct thenre-label all packs

Specifications Quality control

Cold storage

Temperature

Continuous recordingof temperature in coldstorage

Temperature lt-25 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperaturelt-18degC

Adjust temperature in coldstore

Quality manual Foreman at cold store

Transport

Temperature ofproduct

Temperature of productat time of dispatch

Temperature lt-22 degCLimit time that doors areopen De-ice regularly

Temperature ofproduct lt-20degC

Evaluate with transportcompany the fitness of theproduct for transport

Quality manualTransportcompany code ofpractice

Foreman at cold storeProduction manager

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

Palacios

viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

Palacios

ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

Palacios

x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 33: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme iv

APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)

(1)Ingredient Processing

step

(2)Potential hazards

introducedcontrolled or

enhanced at thisstep

(3)Are anypotential

food-safetyhazards

significant(yesno)

(4)Justify yourdecision for column3

(5)What preventativemeasures can beapplied to preventthe significanthazards

(6)Is this step a

critical controlpoint

(yesno)

Reception andcooler

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Glass

Chemicaloils lubricantsdetergents andsanitizers

No

Yes

No

No

Raw materialremains in thereceiving area for ashort period of timeand is cooled whileit waits to beprocessed (0-4degC)Products cookedbefore consumption

Metal fibres fromthe wires of thefishing gear canpossibly enter fishflesh

No history of glassControlled bySSOP

Chemicals such aslubricants andhydraulic fluid cancontaminate fish onboard the vesselContaminated rawmaterial can not becarried undetectedinto processing dueto the strong odourof the chemicalsDetergents andsanitizers are keptin closedcompartments

Inspected oncandling tables intrimming and or inmetal detector

No

No

No

No

Washing Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalglass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Water and icequality controlledby SSOP

No history Notlikely because ofSSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

No

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

Palacios

viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

Palacios

ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

Palacios

x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 34: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme v

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Heading filletingskinning

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicallubricants

No

Yes

No

Product is cookedbefore consumption

Fractures frommachine blades etccould enter fishflesh

Only lubricantsaccepted for foodprocessing are used

Regular inspectionof machine bladesInspection of everyfillet on candlingtables Metaldetection of retailpacks

No

No

No

Trimmingflow line

Biological parasitesnematodes andSphyrion lumpi

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Parasites are killedat -35degC in 18 hoursand at -20degC in 7days They also arekilled when cooked

One can notguarantee 100boneless productbecause bones areremoved manuallyBones in seafoodproducts are notmentioned inNational HACCPAlliance Educationand Training Guideas a potentialhazard but asuncontrollablequality defects thatshould be kept atminimum

Can be carried toraw material fromthe fishing gear orfrom the processingline

Controlled bySSOP

Only chemicalsaccepted for foodprocessing usedKept in closedcompartmentsduring processing

Every fillet isvisually inspectedon a candling tableMetal detection ofretail packs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

Palacios

viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

Palacios

ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

Palacios

x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 35: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vi

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Trimmingexpress line

Biologicalbacterial pathogensparasites

Physicalbones

metal fragments

glass

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Fillets eitherboneless or withpin bones - in Seein Trimming flowline

Metal fibres fromwires of the fishinggear or from theprocessing line egfractures frommachine blades canbe carried to thefish

Controlled bySSOP

Controlled bySSOP

Fillets are inspectedon a candling tableforeign objectsincluded Part of theproduction goesthrough a metaldetector Regularinspection ofmachine bladesProcessing linethoroughly washedafter repairs

No

No

Yes

No

No

Cooler tanks Biologicalbacterial pathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

Weighing andpacking

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Cooked beforeconsumption

Not reasonablylikely at this stage

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Freezers(plate freezersand IQFfreezers)

Biologicalpathogens

Physicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No

No

No growthcondition

Ammonium leak isimmediatelydetected due to itsstrong odour Notharmful for foodcontact

No

No

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

Palacios

viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

Palacios

ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

Palacios

x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 36: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Palacios

UNU-Fisheries Training Programme vii

APPENDIX 2 - Continued

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)Glazing Biological

bacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Water qualitycontrolled Cookedbefore consumption

No

Batter andbreading

Biologicalbacterial pathogens

PhysicalnoneChemicalnone

No Cooked beforeconsumptionContinuously freshbatter added

No

Weighing andpacking( IQF line)

Biologicalnone

PhysicalChemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No Product is frozen atthis step No growthconditions

No

Metal detector Biologicalnone

Physicalmetal fragments

Chemicalnone

Yes Metal objects canbe hazardous toconsumersrsquo healthMake sure that thedetector is in goodworking condition

All retail packs areexamined with ametal detector

Yes

Casingpalletising

Biologicalbacterialcontamination ofpacking materialdue to rodents

Physicalforeign objects

Chemicaldetergents andsanitizers

No

No

No

Regular rodentcontrol Theproduct is cookedbefore consumption

All master cases areinspected beforecasing

Controlled bySSOP

No

No

No

Frozenstorage

BiologicalnonePhysicalnone

Chemicalammonium

No Ammonium isdetectedimmediately due toa strong odour

No

Palacios

viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

Palacios

ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

Palacios

x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
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Palacios

viii

APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)Criticalcontrolpointprocessingstages

SignificantHazard

Critical limits foreach preventivemeasure

MonitoringWhat How Frequency Who

Corrective actions Records Verification

TrimmingFlow lineexpress line

Metalfragments

No metal fragmentsgt 5 mm in length

Metal Inspection Continuous Trimmersfragments on candling tables

All visible metal fragmentsremoved at trimming If ametal fragment is found bya trimmer then theproduction should bestopped and the origintraced if possible and thesource eliminatedIf a QC inspector finds ametal fragment then heisolates the productionfrom last inspection andputs ldquoOn holdrdquo on theisolated cases Afterwardsthese cases will be runthrough a metal detector

QCinspectionforms

Continuous QCinspections by QCstaffThe QualityManager examinesthe register daily

Metaldetector

Metalfragments

No metalfragments gt 2mmin length

Metal By metal Continuous QCstafffragments detector

The package in question isplaced to one side TheForeman is called Heinspects the package with ametal detector Hesearches the product formetal fragments and triesto trace the origin toeliminate the source

Metaldetector log

A sliver of metalgt 2mm in length ispassed through themetal detectorthree times duringday whileprocessingThe QualityManager examinesthe daily records

Palacios

ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

Palacios

x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 38: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Palacios

ix

APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

Kaldbakur 23 1 8 3 3 4 3 3095 305 3400 91 8 4 3 4 4 2875 400 3275 121 8 4 2 3 3 3130 235 3365 71 8 4 3 4 4 2940 550 3490 161 8 2 3 4 3 3085 220 3305 71 8 3 3 3 3 3000 330 3330 101 8 1 3 4 3 2955 220 3175 71 8 4 3 3 3 2920 405 3325 122 7 3 2 4 3 2540 410 2950 141 8 4 3 4 4 2830 480 3310 150 - 3 2 4 3 2815 290 3105 90 - 4 3 4 4 2755 495 3250 152 7 5 4 5 5 2720 715 3435 212 7 4 2 3 3 2825 310 3135 100 - 4 4 4 4 2820 625 3445 180 - 2 3 4 3 2975 320 3295 10

Arbakur 24 8 1 5 4 5 5 2775 785 3560 228 1 5 5 5 5 2680 845 3525 240 - 5 5 5 5 2730 825 3555 238 1 4 4 5 4 2785 720 3505 210 - 4 4 5 4 2650 715 3365 218 1 4 4 5 4 2770 710 3480 208 1 4 4 5 4 2620 740 3360 228 1 4 4 5 4 2695 955 3650 260 - 5 4 5 5 2575 1105 3680 308 1 4 4 5 4 2180 1285 3465 378 1 5 4 5 5 2765 805 3570 238 1 5 5 5 5 2760 925 3685 250 - 4 4 4 4 2970 650 3620 180 - 3 2 4 3 3240 340 3580 90 - 3 3 4 3 3170 415 3585 128 1 4 3 4 4 3050 500 3550 14

Arbakur 26 1 4 1 1 2 1 3445 135 3580 41 4 3 3 3 3 3205 420 3625 121 4 4 4 4 4 2960 745 3705 201 4 4 4 5 4 3260 630 3890 161 4 4 4 4 4 3120 600 3720 161 4 4 3 4 4 3140 480 3620 130 - 3 3 4 3 2890 410 3300 121 4 2 3 4 3 3385 270 3655 71 4 2 3 3 3 3410 295 3705 81 4 3 3 3 3 3180 465 3645 131 4 4 4 5 4 2690 745 3435 222 3 3 2 3 3 2795 435 3230 134 1 4 4 4 4 2805 545 3350 160 - 4 4 5 4 2675 655 3330 200 - 4 4 5 4 2695 615 3310 19

Palacios

x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception
Page 39: STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM …innri.unuftp.is/proj01/MariaRitaPRF.pdfPO Box 1390, Skulagata 4 120 Reykjavik, Iceland Final Project 2001 STUDY OF THE QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Palacios

x

APPENDIX 4 - Continued

Icing Weight kg IceFishVessel nameand fishing trip

number

Catchday

Daysin ice

Top Mid Bot Ave Netto Ice Brutto

4 1 3 4 5 4 2675 560 3235 174 1 4 4 5 4 2855 580 3435 174 1 4 3 4 4 2710 510 3220 16

Arbakur 23 0 - 1790 605 2395 250 - 2740 670 3410 200 - 1775 690 3465 203 6 2145 345 2490 14

Kaldbakur 25 0 - 1360 760 2120 366 4 2975 290 3265 9

Hardbakur 23 0 - 580 70 650 111 8 2730 475 3205 152 7 2820 690 3510 202 7 2880 375 3255 122 7 2855 640 3495 182 7 2875 295 3170 92 7 2920 395 3315 122 7 2870 360 3230 112 7 3015 360 3375 112 7 3100 165 3265 52 7 2860 280 3140 92 7 2995 360 3355 112 7 2720 485 3205 150 - 3010 85 3095 32 7 2985 245 3230 82 7 2865 345 3210 113 6 2975 410 3385 122 7 2870 450 3320 140 - 3060 360 3420 11

Hardbakur 24 0 - 1660 315 1975 168 1 2640 900 3540 256 3 2895 1005 3900 267 2 2955 585 3540 172 7 2810 505 3315 15

Hardbakur 25 7 3 2830 660 3490 190 - 2400 590 2990 200 - 2365 940 3305 280 - 2970 535 3505 150 - 3055 865 3920 220 - 2925 815 3740 22

Note The catching days represented with 0 mean that the label on the tub wasmissing and consequently the days in ice are not determined

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  • REFERENCES
  • APPENDIX 1 Own check system of the company UacuteA (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 2 Hazard analysis for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 3 HACCP plan form for fillet processing (UacuteA 1999)
    • APPENDIX 4 Results of the evaluation of raw material in the reception