1 Fish Receiving

Fish are delivered to canneries on ice or refrigerated. Quality evaluations are performed during unloading, which include monitoring the temperature and condition of the fish and collecting samples for chemical analysis. Fish found unacceptable are rejected.

2 Cold Storage

Fish are either processed immediately or held iced or refrigerated until ready for canning.

3 Evisceration

Mackerel are placed into machines designed to mechanically remove the heads and entrails and, using suction, any remaining viscera. The fish are then flumed (conveyed in water) to the next processing step.

4 Can Filling

Empty cans are conveyed to filling tables after having been cleaned by being inverted and flushed with air jets and/or water sprays. Cans are then filled by hand with a prescribed number of mackerel.

5 Exhausting

Filled cans are conveyed to an exhaust box where they pass through steam in order to heat the product, remove some of the natural liquid and better assure adequate can vacuum during sealing.

6 Brine Addition

Prescribed amounts of water and salt (as needed) are added to cans.

7 Can Sealing

Heated cans are conveyed to sealing machines where lids are put in place and the cans hermetically sealed. Each can or lid is affixed with a permanent production code that identifies plant, product, date packed and other pertinent information. The integrity of the hermetic seal is evaluated at frequent intervals during processing to ensure product safety.

8 Thermal Processing

Sealed cans are retorted (cooked) under pressure utilizing process time and temperature schedules designed by processing experts to render the product commercially sterile. All aspects of thermal processing are strictly monitored and controlled.

9 Finished Product Evaluation

Samples of each finished production code receive qualitative (e.g., color, odor, flavor, texture and cleaning) and quantitative evaluations prior to being released for labeling.

10 Labeling & Casing

Product lots meeting finished product evaluation criteria are labeled and cased. Cased products are appropriately marked with information necessary to facilitate product tracing.

11 Warehousing & Shipping

Cased products are shipped or staged in warehouses for later shipment.