Food & Drink Processing & Packaging Issue 35 2021 | Page 67

Fish fresh for longer , less waste , more opportunities

The new standard for fish packaging

Antimicrobial technology developer , Parx Materials , has created a new technique to keep fish fresher for longer . Derived from the human immune system , the technique uses a trace element of the body that occurs naturally in products such as oysters , red meat and green vegetables . The breakthrough could help to reduce the estimated 6,800 tons of fish wasted from UK supermarkets each year .
The element used in the packaging is important in our diet and is vital for the human immune system . It has important functions in blood , bone , skin , cells , nails , etc . The material in question is the trace element of zinc . However , unlike other antimicrobial additives that use metals to kill bacteria , Parx Materials has developed a way for this micronutrient to become part of the packaging material without escaping or leaking out .
Due to this unique mechanism , it is therefore a safe and healthy element that does not escape from the packaging and cannot end up on the product . The effect of the technique can be compared to the way in which the skin makes people resistant to bacteria and viruses from the outside .
“ We only work with the most beautiful daily fresh products in Joelia and it was therefore a great surprise that the turbot that we had stored in vacuum for 6 days for this experiment came out of the package as good as fresh .” says Mario Ridder of Michelin star restaurant Joelia in Rotterdam .
The presence of the mineral in the skin and in the packaging ensures that bacteria cannot adhere to these surfaces . Bacteria are not killed , but by preventing adhesion , there is no accumulation or colony of bacteria on the surface . For most bacteria , attachment is necessary to enable them to take in food and to multiply . Without attachment , no new bacteria will appear and the bacteria already present will simply die according to their normal life cycle , which is an average period of about three to four hours .
“ The quality of fresh salmon and tuna that we package starts to decline after 7 days , and that determines the shelf life of the product .” says Martijn Spilt of Maxima Seafood , processor of fresh fish from IJmuiden . “ In the organoleptic tests that we carried out , the fish in the packaging with this technique turned out to receive the highest quality scores after 12 days . In particular , the total absence of fragrance and leakage fluid was remarkable . In addition , the product had a better color and gloss compared with the pieces packed in foil without technology . “
“ The fresh ray , a product that often does not keep well in vacuum packaging , came out of the packaging with technology after 5 days . There is no difference in smell compared to the fresh scent .” says Pierre Devriendt , owner of restaurant Oesterput in Blankenberge , Belgium .
“ We could also call the difference ‘ bizarre ’, the packaged fresh salmon was so much fresher after seven days in a pack with technology compared to normal . This provides an important added value for us ”, according to Seth van Dienst of fish trader Ruud den Haan in Rotterdam .
Fish is seen as a high value product . When the freshness can be maintained for longer , it provides additional opportunities for distribution and results in less food waste . For more information on Parx Materials and to enquire about the packaging , please visit www . parxmaterials . com
FDPP - www . fdpp . co . uk 67