Quality seafood packaging for transportation

Fishes and shrimps are the most consumed seafood across the world as the nutrition value of the fish is high in omega-3 fatty acids. Fish is one of the most perishable and temperature ,sensitive product. To maintain the quality of the fish at the desired standards, seafood packaging for transportation play major role in improving the shelf life of the product. Seafood products have different packaging requirements and it is important to choose quality packaging material accordingly.

Why is seafood packaging important for transportation?

• Packaging maintains quality, and facilitates handling of fish during transportation
• Packaging provides information on Product identity & origin
• On how to use & store and provides nutritional information.
• Good packaging should keep the product contaminant free.
• Add value to the product with high quality and attractive packaging.
• Helps to minimize the cost of product.
• Helps to extend shelf-life of product.

What are the types of seafood packaging?

Types fish packaging – 4 common types

1. Bulk packaging
2. Wholesale packaging
3. Retail packaging
4. Air freight packaging


BULK PACKAGING MATERIAL SHOULD BE

• Suitable size to handle any type of fish comfortably
• Designed with proper insulation to maintain temperature
• Designed to allow draining out of melted water
• Protect the fish from crushing, spoilage, environmental pollution and pilferage
• Easy to store and effective for transporting chilled fish
• Available at a reasonable cost.


BULK PACKAGING

In recent years, wooden and woven bamboo baskets are replaced by plastic boxes. Plastic boxes – more hygienic, lighter and stronger.

Material used for plastic boxes

• Low density polyethylene (LDPE)
• High density polyethylene (HDPE)
• Polypropylene (PP)
• Aluminum steel and fiber glass also used for insulated containers.
  


BULK PACKAGING – FRESH FISH/

• Fresh fish – Fish or fishery products that have received no preserving treatment other than chilling
• Local transport – Insulated corrugated plastic container – last for 5 trips, light weight & easy to handle.
  Cycle hawkers – U shaped box (100kg capacity) made of HDPE.
• rail and road – Wooden box (20-120kg) generally used in western India – looses insulation property once it get sweat.
  For long distance – Fiberboard container – keep the fish fresh for 60hr covering 1700 km – used for freshwater fishes
  

WHOLESALE PACKAGING & RETAIL PACKAGING – FROZEN FISH

Frozen fish – Fish that have been subjected to freezing in a manner to preserve the inherent quality of the fish by reducing the average temperature to -18°C or lower and which are then kept at a temperature of -18°C or lower.

Frozen shrimp which includes shrimps, means the product frozen raw or partially or fully cooked, peeled or unpeeled.

Domestic / Export – transported in refrigerated fright container/ Reefer container (-18°C).

Retail pack required for house hold purpose.
wholesale packaging used for restaurants, repacking and catering services.


FROZEN FISH packaging material should be

• Protect the products from moisture and aroma loss
• Oxidation and rancidity
• Should not become brittle and torn
• Low water vapor permeability
• Low oxygen permeability rates
• Able to withstand sub-zero temperatures
• Retain the odor inside the package

PACKAGING – FROZEN FISH AND FISHERY PRODUCTS

Packaging of frozen products are classfied as:-

• Primary packaging
• Secondary packaging
• Tertiary packaging

Most common packaging material used for frozen fish

i. Polystyrene trays over-wrapped with polyethylene/ polypropylene film

ii. Polyethylene bag

iii. Plastic bag inside carton box

iv. Waxed paper box

v. interlocking, printed, polycoated and corrugated fiber-board carton

FROZEN FISH/SURIMI/SHRIMP Block- – PRIMARY PACKAGING

• A plastic unit pouch or wrapper is used as a primary pack

• Pouches vary in capacities ranging from 200 grams to 10 kgs.

• 100 gauge LDPE used for wrap; 200 gauge used for bag.
• High Molecular High Density Polyethylene (HM-HDPE) film (60 & 120 gauge) is also used

Materials used for the construction of the unit pouches

• Monolayered LDPE or LLDPE (Linear low density polyethylene) film-Co-extruded LLDPE – LDPE,

• Two-layered film -Co-extruded LLDPE – B – polyamide – B – LLDPE

• Five layered film- Polyester / LDPE laminate

FROZEN FISH/SHRIMP /cuttle fish– INDIVIDUAL QUICK FROZEN (IQF) – PRIMARY PACKAGING

Plastic Trays: Some of the processors use plastic trays of Expanded Polystyrene (EPS) or Polyethylene Terephthalate (PET).
Specially for head-on shrimps, lobsters, butterfly shrimps.
The trays are either placed in a plastic pouch, which is heat-sealed, or in printed paperboard cartons with see-through windows.
For butterfly shrimps, after the product is placed on the EPS tray and frozen, they are skin packed with a high barrier plastic film.

13.  PRIMARY PACKAGING – MODIFIED ATMOSPHERE PACKAGING (MAP)- FRESH FISH

Product shelf-life can be extended by modified atmosphere packaging (MAP)
It depend on the species, fat content, initial bacterial load, gas mixture, type of packaging material and, especially important, the temperature of storage.

MAP should be strictly controlled by:

• Monitoring the gas–product ratio
• Types and ratio of gas mixtures used
• Type of film used
• Type and integrity of the seal
• Temperature control of product during storage
• Fresh fish foam material trays MAP packaging in tray sealing — ULMA Packaging

IS : 10146 – 9845 SPECIFICATION FOR POLYETHYLENE –PRIMARY PACKAGING (FSSAI REQUIREMENT)

• Water vapour transmission rate-18 gm/sqm / 90 ± 2% RH /24 h / 37 °C
• Tensile strength- Not less than 120kg/cm2 in the machine direction
• Elongation at break- 100% in machine direction- 350% in cross direction
• Overall migration residue- 60 mg/l or 10 mg/dm2
• Specification for primary contact with food material- High Quality HDPE and LDPE Customized Packing Film

SECONDARY PACKAGING – FROZEN PRODUCTS

• Cartons can be a primary packages or secondary packages.
• Kraft boards – Frequently used for packaging frozen foods -usually made from fully bleached materials
• strong good appearance & suitable for direct contact with food
• Folding box boards – One fully bleached side which is suitable for direct contact with food.

16 SECONDARY / TERTIARY PACKAGING – CARTONS

4 types of cartons used for seafood products

Top opening type – filling is done from the top – mainly for filling larger pieces of fish and cephalopods.

End opening type – product is smaller and free flowing (e.g. fish curry or fish soup).

End loading – product are loaded from one end into a horizontal glued carton. End flaps are heat sealed or closed by tucks in flap.

Tray type – Polypropylene trays – heat sealed –used for frozen precooked products

AIR FREIGHT PACKAGING

• Packing materials used on airlines must withstand leakage, vibration, shock, stacking and changes in temperature and atmospheric pressure.
• Insulating materials can help to maintain temperature.
• Absorbent pads help to remove liquid drip which can be a medium for bacterial growth.
• Outer packaging materials should be multi-walled, wax impregnated fiber board/cardboard boxes with fan folded corners.
  Heavy corrugated or solid fiberboard cartons or sturdy expanded polystyrene boxes lined with polybags are used.
• Boxes that are wax saturated, wax coated or treated with some other water resistant process are desirable.
  

Things That Are Used For Packaging Seafood

 The things you need to pack for shipping frozen fish are: 

1. Outer corrugated box 
2. Insulated container 
3. 2-mil plastic liner 
4. DryIce/ gel pack/wet ice  
5. Dry Ice labels 
6. Insulated container lid 
7. Absorbent mat/towel 
8. Zip-tie or another tie 
9. 3-4 plastic bags at least 4mm thick 

How To Pack Frozen Seafood?

• First, you put your frozen fish or seafood in protective plastic bags at least 4mm thick and puncture-resistant.
• Use zip-ties or other ties to secure the bag to prevent leaks and spills.
• Twisting, folding, removing excess air, and tying the bag tightly.
• Repeat this process once more, add frozen gel packs in the next plastic bag in the bottom, and place the seafood packet on an absorbent mat inside the box and bagging, twisting, folding, and tying.
• Prepare an insulated container, make space for dry ice, keep seafood packages into the container with dry ice, and fill space with loose-fill packing peanuts or mic-pack polyform.
• Close the insulated container lid but not fully closed because of dry ice. It makes carbon dioxide gas so it must be allowed to vent.
• Finally, place the insulated container box into the outer corrugated box then pack this box with the H-taping method and apply it to all flaps and seams.

E-Type Container

Fish and seafood are usually packed in E-Type ULD containers like EH, E, and EO and are supplied by carrier services standards in the airline industry.

SPECIFICATION DUPLEX CARTONS – SECONDARY PACKAGING

• Style of carton- One piece staple
• Grammage- 300 g/m2 ( minimum)
• Bursting strength- 4 kg/cm2
• Wax coating- Inner & outer side-10g/m2 on each side (minimum)
• Polyethylene coating-20gsm on each side
• Ring stiffness -270 N
• Printing details-Brand name, product type, net content, size grade,

MASTER CARTON (CORRUGATED FIBREBOARD) – TERTIARY PACKAGING

• Style of box- Constructed from one piece of board
• No of plies- 3 or 5 ply corrugated paper board
• Type of flute-Vertical
• Bursting strength- 14 kg/cm2 min
• Puncture resistance- 160 oz in/ tear in
• Cobb value (30 min)- 120g/m2 ma
• Compression strength (kg)- 350 (minimum)
• Manufactures joint- Staples on the outside. Overlap not less than 3 that 6 cm apart and not further than
  2.5 cm from beginning and end of joint
• Type of glue- Water resistant, preferable starch based or any other neutral adhesive
• Wax coating- Inside and outside of 20 g/m2 (min) on each side
• Printing details- Product details, country & packer/exporter details

PACKAGING OF THERMAL PROCESSED FISH PRODUCTS

• 
  Sulphur resistant lacquered cans are generally used for fish products.
• Common materials used for manufacturing containers for fish products are tinplate, aluminum and tin free steel (TFS)
• Retortable/flexible laminated pouches are also used.
  The material should be superior barrier properties for a long shelf life, seal integrity.
• must also withstand the rigors of thermal processing.

Retort Pouch Packaging

PACKAGING OF DRIED/SMOKED FISHERY PRODUCTS

• Packaging material – inert and should not allow any moisture and gas to enter the product.
• Dried fish normally are having sharp edges and spines. They will puncture the packaging material So, the packaging material should be strong enough to withstand normal puncture.
• High density polythene woven gusseted bags laminated with 100 gauge low density polythene are found quite suitable for bulk packaging of dried fish.
• Consumer packs of dry fish are low density polythene or polypropyleneand Polyester polythene laminated pouches.

ACCELERATED FREEZE DRIED (AFD) PRODUCTS

• AFD or lyophilized product – removes moisture from raw, frozen product through a vacuum system. Products are very fragile.
• It can easily undergo chemical reactions with air leading to oxidation, deterioration of color, absorption of water etc.
• Generally packed under an inert gas to exclude air and oxygen.
  Main requirements in the packaging employed are low oxygen and water vapor transmission to protect the product from rancidity and absorption of moisture.
• Sufficient mechanical strength to protect from shock.
• Paper/aluminium foil/polythene laminates or metalised polyester/polythene laminated pouches and in some cases metal cans are recommended for these freeze dried products.

REEFER TRUCKS FOR BULK TRANSPORTATATION OF FISH


fish is one of the most perishable of all foods the best package cannot improve the quality of the contents And so the fish must be of high quality prior to packaging. preserving the quality attracts bigger markets for sale.