The Global Tuna Industry: A Comparative Analysis of Tuna Producing Countries
The Global Tuna Industry: A Comparative Analysis of Tuna Producing Countries Seamerco research
Due to the infrastructure and process of the canned tuna production line, this production line can be implemented for all kinds of meat products such as canned chicken and meat feed.
SEAMERCO Industrial Group offers this production line with a capacity of 25,000 cans per day in a semi-automatic format and a capacity of 50,000 to 70,000 cans per day in a fully automatic format.
The meat cooking process in this production line takes place in 2 stages. The first stage occurs in the cooking kettle and is done by steam, which softens the meat texture and prepares it for the packaging process. The second stage is carried out in the autoclave on the final sealed can. The cans are placed inside the autoclave for 45 minutes under a pressure of 1.2 atmospheres and at a temperature of 121 degrees Celsius. This way, final cooking and sterilization are performed on them.
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Fish must be thawed or defrosted after being taken out of the cold store; for this purpose, special stainless steel tubs filled with lukewarm water are used.
The fish enter these tubs in a steamed state, and after a specified period of time, when the ice separates from the bodies of the fish and the texture loosens, they are removed from the tubs. This entire process is carried out manually by operators.
These tubs are standardized and constructed with a capacity of 700 liters in a semi-circular shape, equipped with specific water outlets and fixtures.
A saw is used for cutting and chopping fish or meat.
Various types of beef, lamb, fish, and chicken are chopped using this device.
This device has a special saw for cutting soft or frozen meat, which is placed on the stainless steel tray of the machine and brought close to the saw by the operator.
The rotating saw with its sharp teeth allows the operator to cut the meat into desired pieces.
After cutting the defrosted fish into pieces, they must be placed in the cooking kettle for initial cooking. For this purpose, the operator places the cut fish on the special trays of the cooking kettle trolleys and puts the trolleys into the cooking kettle. The fish are cooked in steam for a specified time and are then transferred to the next stage for skin and bone separation.
The fish cooking kettle has a cylindrical tank and trolleys equipped with trays. The industrial cooking kettle, using a mechanism for introducing saturated steam, allows for the cooking of various meat products in production lines for canned meat, such as the tuna production line, the canned meat and chicken production line, and the pet food canned production line. This device is also known as the primary cooking kettle.
Cooked meat is transferred from the cooking pot to the work table for cleaning by human labor. In this section, skin, bones, and waste are separated, and the main meat is moved to the filling section.
The fish cleaning table is used by operators to manually separate waste such as skin, fish bones, and scales from the meat.
Before the product is filled into containers by the filling machine, the cans or bottles must be removed from the pallet and placed on the feeding rail. To prevent this process from being repeated one by one for each container, a traffic tray machine is used.
Empty containers are removed by the operator from the pallet in groups (4 to 6) and placed on the rotating tray of this machine. The rotating tray, with each turn, uses the centrifugal force it creates to guide the containers to the side of the machine. The containers exit from an opening located on one side of the tray and are placed consecutively on the conveyor belt of the next machine.
This machine is used for various types of cans, bottles, and PETs.
Before the product is filled, the cans must be sterilized, which is done by a can sterilization machine or, in other words, a can washer.
Throughout the transfer path of the cans in the steam can washer, a steam pipe is installed so that when the cans are placed upside down and during their transfer to the next machine (filler), the compressed steam washes and sterilizes the inside of the cans. This process occurs each time the cans pass over the steam outlet nozzle along the transfer path to ensure the cans are sterilized.
Fish filling machines are used for packing tuna into cans.
This device can automatically fill various types of gader and hover fish in weights of 120, 180, and 200 grams.
This device performs the filling process automatically but requires management of the injection of raw materials (fish) into the machine.
This device is designed and built in two ways, vertically and horizontally, with the horizontal machine usually being several times faster than the vertical one.
The fish filler operates according to the texture and dimensions of the expected tuna and cannot be used for meat or chicken.
Cans filled with fish are placed on the inspection belt after filling for control of the filling amount and weighing by operators or specialized weighing sensors to be inspected.
These belts usually have a special rubber band and a guide (separator) installed in the middle of the belt so that when weighing and adding or reducing their weight by the operator, they are placed in this section to be transferred to the next device. Usually, all filled cans are weighed to ensure the accuracy of their weight.
After the amount of tuna is filled into the cans, hot oil, water, and salt must be added to the cans as necessary, which is done by the pneumatic solution dispenser.
Oil in the tuna canning production line, water and salt in the tuna canning production line, sauce in the canned legumes production line, syrup in the compote production line, vinegar in the pickling production line, olives, pickles, made by the formulation machine or storage tanks, must be transferred to the containers by the pneumatic solution dispenser.
It is called a pneumatic solution dispenser because the nozzles open and close to a defined amount with the help of a pneumatic (air) system and introduce the desired solution into the specified containers.
After the amount of tuna is filled into the cans, hot oil, water, and salt must be added to the cans as necessary, which is done by the pneumatic solution dispenser.
Oil in the tuna canning production line, water and salt in the tuna canning production line, sauce in the canned legumes production line, syrup in the compote production line, vinegar in the pickling production line, olives, pickles, made by the formulation machine or storage tanks, must be transferred to the containers by the pneumatic solution dispenser.
It is called a pneumatic solution dispenser because the nozzles open and close to a defined amount with the help of a pneumatic (air) system and introduce the desired solution into the specified containers.
One of the important aspects of conservation is removing the air present in containers. The oxygen in the containers causes mold and spoilage of the product.
Containers filled with product and solution usually occupy 80 to 90 percent of a container’s volume, so to remove the remaining air, an extractor device should be used.
The extractor device consists of a stainless steel transport belt resistant to temperature and perforated pipes for injecting the steam required by the device.
The expansion created in the extractor for the contents inside the container and the contraction of the contents inside the container by the autoclave or pasteurization tunnel will lead to the creation of a vacuum in the container. Additionally, the conversion of steam trapped in the container to condensate during cooling will also create a vacuum.
The metal can sealing machine performs the sealing of metal can lids onto the body of the can based on the criteria of ISO 1881 established by the National Standard Organization.
The operations of this machine are carried out automatically and without human intervention; the only action the operator takes is to fill the lid magazine, although there is also the possibility for the lids to be automatically fed into the machine.
Once the can enters the sealing machine, the sealing operation of a can is performed with the precise and accurate functioning of the machine’s main components, including the inlet star, lid placing mechanism, pedal, first and second pulleys, and outlet star. Therefore, to maintain the coordination of the components of this machine over a long period and with a sealing speed between 80 and 200 cans per minute, all of them must be controlled by a single main mechanical axis.
Since the exterior surfaces of the containers may become dirty during the sauce or liquid pouring stage or when transferring filled containers during the canning process, after sealing the lid, the containers are washed with warm water in this machine.
This machine has a transport belt for moving containers, a tank for storing warm water or washing solution, and perforated pipes for compressing water.
Containers enter the machine via the transport belt, the machine’s water pump transfers the solution or hot water from the tank to the pipes, the perforated pipes are precisely placed on the sides and above the transport belt, and as the containers pass through the machine, they are washed on their bodies and lids by the water pressure.
This machine is used in the production line for canned tuna, canned legumes and beans, and canned pet food.
The main goal of placing canned goods in autoclave machines is to cook the contents of the can and sterilize it for longer shelf life.
Cans, after going through the preparation and production stages, and being filled and sealed, require final cooking and sterilization, which is done by the autoclave. If the autoclave process is not performed on the canned goods, the microbial load of the product will cause mold and spoilage of the contents inside the can.
The autoclave operates at a working temperature of 121 degrees Celsius and with a steam pressure of 1.2 bars for a period of 50 to 70 minutes to carry out the cooking and sterilization process.
Cooking meat, fish, or legumes until the tissues soften and all bacteria and enzymes that may be present in the can are inactivated. Of course, the temperature and time required to inactivate bacteria are greater than those necessary for cooking fish and inactivating the enzymes.
The jet printer is used to print production information on the body or lid of the final product.
Production information usually includes details regarding the production date, expiration date, consumer price, warehouse codes, or product codes.
The jet printer is available in laser, inkjet, or cartridge types.
With each pass of the product under the nozzle of the device, the desired information is printed on the product.
The jet printer has the ability to store product information in its memory, eliminating the need to enter this information each time.
The shrink packaging machine wraps the final packaged products that are arranged in multiple layouts next to each other with stretch film or plastic.
The plastic films or stretch films that are placed on the packages take shape and form the final packaging due to the heat of the machine’s tunnel, preventing the products from getting mixed up during transportation.
Usually, the last machine used in the production line is the shrink packaging machine. After passing through all the production stages and getting ready for storage in the warehouse, the products are arranged in multiples (9, 12, 24) on a base made of cardboard or plastic so that they can be stretch-wrapped and prepared for storage.
SEAMERCO Industrial Group had the honor of participating in the launch of 170 domestic and 37 foreign factories so far.
Canned Tuna
Canned Tuna
Canned Tuna
Frequently asked questions about Canned Tuna production line
The technical experts of SEAMERCO, by gathering the most important questions that have arisen from years of interaction with entrepreneurs active in the food production sector, have attempted to find a model that can address such concerns. Based on Simarco’s proposed model for establishing a production line, the journey of entrepreneurs from the moment an idea is formed to the production of the final product includes the following steps.
Step one: specialized consulting and initial feasibility study
Step two: providing a feasibility plan and obtaining an establishment license
Step three: designing and constructing machinery
Step four: implementing infrastructure and launching the production line
Step five: pilot production of the product and obtaining an operating license
Step six: obtaining health permits
Step seven: training and consulting
Step eight: final production, marketing, and selling the product
In the case of simultaneous operation of the canned tuna and chicken meat production line, the type of operation and its production capacity must be specified. In general, 80% of the machinery in meat canning is used in common. Only in the preparation section for cleaning and separation, initial cooking, and filling are changes made to the equipment.
No, considering that a significant portion of the fish used in canned tuna is caught in the Indian Ocean, the location of establishing a factory depends on the founder’s approach to marketing and selling the product (merely a producer or a producer and seller). If the factory is near the sea, the costs of sourcing raw materials will be lower, but access to larger markets will be possible with higher transportation costs. If the factory is far from the sea, the costs of sourcing raw materials will be higher, while access to the market will be better.
The capacity that not only justifies the ongoing fixed costs but can also introduce your produced product to the market.
The stages that are usually mentioned as standard in targeted phase planning are as follows:
Phase one: The founder’s understanding of the production process and becoming familiar with the related environment and obstacles ahead, obtaining solutions to overcome obstacles, opportunities, and challenges faced in the first year is experienced.
Phase two: Advertising and continuous presence and utilizing opportunities and offering sales deals with minimum profit and maximum volume, familiarizing distributors and sellers with the produced product in the second year.
Phase three: Diversification in products and reduction of commercial costs, reduction of production costs, focusing on creating a target market considering the data obtained over the past two years is realized in the third year.
Phase four: An appropriate response to customer requests based on commercial and sales feedback, establishing domestic and foreign representation, producing products with consideration of the environment and target market and customer orders, exporting competitive products.
In the canned tuna production line, there is the possibility of canning different types of fish such as Hoor, Gider, Kallika, and Trout with various formulations. For example, canned tuna in olive oil, canned tuna with aromatic vegetables, canned tuna with spicy pepper…
The Global Tuna Industry: A Comparative Analysis of Tuna Producing Countries Seamerco research
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