A Strategy for improved temperature control in the supply and processing stages of Surimi cold chain in India

Abstract

Supply of raw material (fish) to the land-based Surimi processing plants in India involves harvesting of various fish species by motorized boats, mainly from the Arabian Sea. The catch is stored in compartments with ice for an average trip duration of 10 days. The raw material changes hand at the dock. The fish is washed with fresh water, manually unloaded, weighed and re-packed in iced crates. It is then transported in insulated trucks, either as whole fish or after it is manually headed and gutted (by pre-processors). Once inside the plant, the Surimi processing is essentially automated employing standard machinery. Ammonia based vapour compression systems are mostly used for supplying ice, for chilling of fresh water required during processing and deep freezing of Surimi slabs for storage. This paper explores improvement strategies for temperature control during the non-standard cold chain and also for meeting the in-plant cooling demand to improve product quality and energy efficiency.