3X Technology, Matís and the fish processing company Jakob Valgeir ehf. have jointly been in charge of a research project this summer where a new device, Rotex, has been tested for bleeding cod.
Preliminary results are now available which show a decisive difference in the quality of landed fish that have been bled into Rotex equipment. Traditional bleeding on board longliners in the small boat system is that fish is bled into sludge in a tank which is then discharged by landing into another tank before the fish is taken for gutting. 3X Technology has developed a bleeding device, Rotex, which controls the bleeding process before the fish is processed in a sludge tank on a train, and the company has already obtained a patent for the device.
Increases the quality of landed catch
"There are now results of research on fresh produce, all of which indicate that Rotex equipment can significantly increase the quality of landed catch. The fish was whiter, less blood was measured in it and the quality of the raw material that passed through the equipment turned out to be much more even. Three methods are used to assess quality; sensory evaluation team that relies on subjective evaluation by experts, color analysis with special equipment that relies on objective evaluation of quality and finally the latest methods for evaluation of blood emptying, measurement of red blood cells. The effects of bleeding on frozen products will continue to be monitored for the next eighteen months, and the results will be published later, "says Gunnar Þórðarson, Matís' station manager in Ísafjörður.
It is clear that this is of great interest as the landed catch of small boats is less than 100 thousand tonnes per year, and the increased quality of that catch can be of great importance to the fishing industry and society. The nation's quality of life is largely based on the performance of its most important resource, and it is therefore important to maximize the value that the fisheries sector produces.
The future is based on research and development
"It can be said that the cooperation of parties in the market is the backbone of success in such projects. In this particular project have worked together; the equipment manufacturer 3X Technology, the fish manufacturer Jakob Valgeir ehf. and the research company Matís. However, such projects will not exist without the involvement of research funds, but the project is funded by the AVS Research Fund and the Westfjords Growth Agreement. The future of the Icelandic fisheries sector will be based on research and development to strengthen market competitiveness and ensure sales in the highest paying markets in the future.
Apart from bleeding, cooling the raw material immediately after fishing can be very important. 3X Technology has already developed, in collaboration with Íslandssaga in Suðureyri, sludge equipment for larger boats to quickly cool the catch after bleeding. This delays death stiffening, but no damage processes begin before but after it ends. By delaying the death solidification, it is possible to ensure that gutting, which is carried out on land, does not take place during it, as this causes a great deterioration in the quality of raw materials. The company will continue to develop equipment that is suitable on board boats in the small boat system, "Gunnar concludes.
For further information Gunnar Þórðarson, station manager at Matís.