Fish processing workshop: equipment, technologies

The organization of the technical part of the fish processing enterprise is a complex and responsible task. It would seem that this can be said about any similar department whose work is related to food production. However, in the case of seafood there are many nuances that require a special technological approach in providing production processes and related operations. As a rule, the fish processing workshop is a room provided with a wide range of specialized equipment. This complex includes machines for receiving products, and power units for direct movement, as well as devices for cleaning and further processing. It may seem that for the successful operation of such an enterprise it is sufficient to purchase a set of necessary technical equipment. This is true, but the selection process itself is impossible without an understanding of technological processes. To understand them, it is necessary to consider the stages of processing carried out at different production sites.

Technological stages of processing

The branch of production of seafood products is quite extensive and includes enterprises of different orientations. The average fish processing plant involves several stages, but small organizations are also common, whose activities are focused on individual operations. So, among the most common types of processing are the following:

• Preserving.
• Drying and smoking.
• Cutting and slicing.
• Ambassador.
• Cold treatment.
• Preparation of minced meat and other products.
• Collection and processing of fish waste.

Far from always, each of these operations becomes the last before the release of products to the market. In particular, a shop for processing fish by cutting and slicing can only be a preparatory stage before the product's ambassador. This approach is also convenient for the manufacturers themselves, as it allows them to be integrated into long technological chains without investing much effort in organizing cost-effective production facilities. Now it is necessary to move to the organization of key sites in production, which allow producing quality processed fish.

Shop for the preparation of live fish

Live fish need to provide fairly complex processes for organizing its transportation and storage. With proper compliance with requirements, it is possible to obtain quality raw materials for further production of ice cream or a cooled product. Usually, fish processing plants are supplied with special cages and storage tanks for seafood. The most important thing at this stage is to ensure strict division of fish by species and to observe the necessary conditions for her life. That is, they separately sort the predatory species, stitching, with the presence of sharp bugs, etc. Storage of chilled and fresh fish is carried out in shops where the temperature regime is 0 ° C.

Given the transportation time, which is usually on the order of 3 days, the product content in the company should not exceed 2 days. Proceeding from this, the fish processing shop must have the appropriate discharge devices in terms of capacity and pace of operation.

Cooling and freezing

There are different approaches to freezing and cooling the product. For example, freezing is provided by flow and cyclic devices. In the first case, it is continuously fast-freezing devices (tunnels) that function in a continuous mode. Cyclic devices include cameras with the possibility of stopping work to perform intermediate unloading or loading. Refrigeration equipment for fish processing at Russian enterprises is usually assembled on the principle of a continuous technological chain. That is, the product from the moment of primary harvesting and to the direct sale to the consumer is in the conditions of constant exposure to cold. This is one of the most important aspects in the production of fish, since only its observance makes it possible to obtain high-quality food products.

Equipment for defrosting and cutting

Again, there are many different technologies for defrosting, but advanced plants use special apparatuses whose productivity is about 1,000 kg of fish per hour. There are also methods of defrosting by means of an electric current. But, despite their effectiveness, shortcomings in the form of complex design and configuration still limit the range of application of such installations. The resulting raw material is called defrosted and enters the cutting shop for processing fish and other seafood. In the list of mandatory equipment of such sites is indicated the conveyor or the table on which the cutting is carried out. When performing such operations, the fish are removed internals, head, tail and fins. Also, abdominal surfaces are cleaned with removal of kidneys and blood. To perform the cutting use band saws, special units for cutting heads and skins.

Making minced meat, fillets and salting

The most common food products from fish are fillets and minced meat. For the fillet production the primary raw materials are thawed, washed, separated from the ice and fed for processing. Further, evisceration, scaling, pruning and salt treatment with the necessary additives takes place. Industrial equipment for the processing of fish and seafood for the purpose of the subsequent production of minced meat is represented on the market by meat-and-bone separators. These are the so-called neopresses, due to which the muscle tissue is pushed through the smallest holes in the working device of the unit. For salting, dispensers are used in which a mixture for processing the product was previously formed. The fish is placed in special jars, in which light pressing and sealing takes place. As a rule, the period of salinity in this form is about a month.

Mini-shop for processing - what is special about?

Organization of production with a full cycle can afford only a few entrepreneurs. Therefore, many focus on work in a specific specialized format. This is how the average mini-shop for fish processing functions, allowing to service 1,000 kg of products. At the same time, the range of processing directions is not limited - small fish enterprises are engaged in the initial preparation of raw materials, the production of semi-finished products, ambassador and smoking. Actually, in terms of functionality, the equipment used in mini-shops does not differ from middle-level analogs, but in performance, of course, it loses.

What is a modular workshop?

Save the advantages of mini-plants and at the same time not reduce the degree of productivity will allow the modular workshop for processing fish, the price of which on average varies from 1 to 3 million rubles. These are complete complexes and rooms that are ready to provide the processes of drying, drying, cutting, smoking, etc. As can be seen, they are multifunctional, but at the same time they are compact shops with well thought out communication support. The cost of modular plants, as a rule, is determined by the volume of the load. For example, models per 100 kg cost an average of 1 million rubles. And variants over 300 kg are valued at more than 2 million rubles.

Conclusion

The technical support of fish production involves not only the preparation, storage, manufacture and performance of other operations directly related to products. These include auxiliary devices, containers, tools and units involved in the operation and maintenance of the enterprise. For example, equipment for fish processing requires regular cleaning and timely delivery of raw materials. For these events, appropriate equipment and containers are used. Separately it is necessary to note and packing shops. Such branches are not directly related to the processing processes, however, they bear a great responsibility. After all, do not forget that fish - a product that is perishable, and therefore everything that is related to its content before entering the counter, can be attributed to technologically important processes.