Product Info

From Sea to Shelf: Salmon Processing

1 Fish Receiving

Fish are delivered to processing facilities on ice or in refrigerated brine. Quality evaluations are performed during unloading, which include monitoring the temperature and condition of the fish and conducting sensory evaluations. Fish found unacceptable are rejected. Fish are sorted by species and size.

2 Cold Storage

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

3 Butchering

During the butchering operation, the head, tails, fins, eggs and viscera are removed. All fish are thoroughly washed. Each fish is evaluated by trained staff for physical characteristics associated with decomposition or contamination, and any found unacceptable are rejected.

4 Can Filling

Cleaned salmon are fed into filling machines where prescribed amounts of fish are placed into cans. Via a separate system, empty cans are conveyed to filling machines after having been inverted and flushed with air jets and/or water sprays.

5 Ingredient Addition

Cans are conveyed past points where prescribed amounts of salt (as needed) are added.

6 Can Sealing

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

7 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.

8 Finished Product Evaluation

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

9 Labeling & Casing

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

10 Warehousing & Shipping

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