TECHNOLOGY AND LIVELIHOOD EDUCATION

FOOD PROCESSING 10
PACKAGING PROCESSED FISH BY BOTTLING

Lesson 3: Perform Post Packaging Procedures

FISH PACKING
Packaging fish understands the importance of providing a strong, moisture
resistant and hygienic packaging solution.
Fish boxes are used in cold and damp conditions.

PALLET STRAPPING, or BANDING is the process of using a

metal or plastic strap to unitize, palletize or bundle products together.
Strapping is used in a variety of industries from shipping large industrial equipment and lumber to
reinforcing cases in e-commerce fulfilment centers. For this reason, there are many grades and types
of materials on the market today.
Strapping is applied either manually with a hand tool or automatically with a strapping machine . In
both cases, a strap or band is feed around the product and pulled taught. A fastening method then
secures the ends of the strap around the product and the excess material is removed.

CHECK BOTTLED FISH PRODUCTS OF CERTAIN CONDITIONS IN ACCORDANCE TO

ESTABLISHED STANDARDS
QUALITY CONTROL, QC, began in the engineering industry as a means of regulating production of large
numbers of uniform articles, and the technique has spread to other industries, including the food industry.
QC in some form is now common in the fish industry and its use is increasing steadily as demand for
uniformly high-quality products increases. Since fish is more variable than most other foods, the need to
apply QC is correspondingly greater. As customers and governments become more particular about their
food requirements, the fish industry must keep pace with these requirements if it is not to lose out in
competition with other foods; it is therefore important that the principles of QC become widely appreciated
in the industry.
Quality control can be defined simply as 'maintenance of quality at a level that satisfies the
customer and that is economical to the producer or seller'.
Process specification is a written description, mainly for the benefit of the producer, of how the
product is to be made.
Product specification is a written description of what the customer wants.
Inspection is part of QC and means examination of raw material or finished product to make sure it
meets the specification. Inspection is normally a commercial activity, but some official inspection of fish and
fish products is required by law.
Process control is part of QC; it means checking the process, as distinct from the raw material or
finished product, to ensure that all operations on the fish are done correctly and consistently to a set
standard that is usually described in the process specification.

Four main stages at which QC is applied can be identified:

1. Drawing up a product specification - is primarily the responsibility of the customer, but it may be
necessary for QC staff to give advice in the drafting. Where there is no specific customer, it is useful
to write the specification in collaboration with people in the company who are familiar with what the
customer may require, for example sales or marketing staff. 

2. Inspecting or testing raw material - The quality aspects that need checking are usually evident
from the product specification but nevertheless they should be written as a separate raw material
specification, preferably after consultation with the buyer.

3. Processing - involves monitoring the process at points where the quality controller or fish
technologist knows quality may be affected; expert advice may be needed when choosing these
points.

4. Inspecting or testing finished products - involves checking the product to make sure it meets the
product specification. What is written in the specification defines the limits of QC; it is normally
wasteful to check aspects in which the customer is not interested or that are not covered by
legislation.

STORAGE PROCESS

If lids are tightly vacuum-sealed on cooled jars

 Remove screw bands.

 Wash the lid and jar to remove food residue.
 Rinse and dry jars.
 Label and date the jars.
 Store them in a clean, cool, dark, dry place.
 Don’t store jars above 95 F. Don’t store near hot pipes, a range, a furnace, in an uninsulated
attic, or in direct sunlight. Under these conditions, food will lose quality in a few weeks or
months and may spoil.
 Dampness may corrode metal lids, break seals, and allow recontamination and spoilage.
Accidental freezing of bottled foods will not cause spoilage unless jars become unsealed and re-
contaminated. However, freezing and thawing may soften food. If jars must be stored where they may
freeze, wrap them in newspapers, place them in heavy cartons, and cover with more newspapers and
blankets.

Identifying and Handling Spoiled Bottled Packaged Fish Products

Do not taste food from a jar with an unsealed lid or food which shows signs of spoilage. You can more
easily detect some types of spoilage in jars stored without screw bands. Growth of spoilage bacteria
and yeast produces gas which pressurizes the food, swells lid and breaks jar seals.

Spoilage warning signs

Never use foods from containers with these signs:

 Loose or bulging lids on jars.

 Bulging, leaking or badly dented cans (especially along the top, side and bottom seams).
 Foul odor.

Check each jar thoroughly

1. As each stored jar is selected for use, examine its lid for tightness and vacuum. Lids with
concave centers have good seals.
2. Next, while holding the jar upright at eye level, rotate the jar and examine its outside surface
for streaks of dried food originating at the top of the jar.
3. Look at the contents for rising air bubbles and unnatural color.
4. While opening the jar, smell for unnatural odors and look for spurting liquid and cotton-like
mold growth (white, blue, black or green) on the top food surface and underside of lid