PROCESSING

In 2007 SAMS built a dedicated processing facility, capable of freezing up to 21 tonnes per day of whole Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT) to -60 degrees celsius, processing fresh SBT for air or sea container shipment and processing value added products including tuna loins in either a fresh or frozen state.

The frozen processing line includes the removal of fins and gill plates, cleaning and drying before being loaded onto stillages for freezing. The line is designed to process approx 300 fish per hour.

A -30 degrees celsius pre freezer ensures the fish temperature continues to reduce until all the fish are loaded into the -60 degree blast freezer. Within 12 hours the fish are frozen to -60 degrees and removed from the blast freezer, re-weighed, glazed with fresh water and loaded into a -60 degree container for export.

The fresh processing line includes post harvest trimming, washing and drying before being loaded into boxes with chill packs.

The value added processing facility includes state of the art equipment for loining fish into smaller packages (100grams to 5kg). Shelf life is maximised using strict hygiene practices and vacuum packaging.