thomas e. rippen university of maryland sea grant andrew tolley equipment project coordinator bill...
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Thomas E. RippenUniversity of Maryland Sea Grant
Andrew TolleyEquipment Project Coordinator
Bill SielingChesapeake Bay Seafood Industries Association
Strengths◦ Can produce fresh, unpasteurized crabmeat◦ Growing demand for local, fresh foods◦ Local crabmeat recognized for high quality
Weaknesses◦ Crabs are seasonal, best crabs when demand◦ Still need a way to extend shelf-life and inventory
products◦ Pasteurized crabmeat perceived as more highly
processed, less fresh◦ Traditional cans are expensive, available from only
one manufacturer - must have a seamer for 401
Appropriated by Congress Administered in Maryland by MD DNR Subcontracted to University of Maryland to
implement Current funds allocated in two awards for
equipment, assistance (MCQAP and other projects), marketing
Find alternative to pasteurizing in cans◦ $392,000 for purchasing equipment
Crabmeat containers
1 lb plastic cup
Fresh pack, used
for freezing in this test.
401 diameter
pasteurized can
307 diameter pasteurized can
307 diameter MD pasteurized can
Panama 307 closing machine
Canco 60P 401 closing machine
$27,400, between “as is and rebuilt” condition (Alard)
Dehydration◦ Water migration and recrystallization◦ Hydrophobic interactions
Concentration of reactants (What happened to Q10?)◦ Enzymatic softening in some fish◦ Formation of cross-links (e.g. formaldehyde from TMAO)◦ Oxidation of oils (rancidity)
Protein denaturation and structural damage – ◦ Toughening◦ Excessive drip◦ Bland flavor
Oxidative changes◦ Yellowing◦ Off-flavors and odors
Pass through 27-15F quickly. Target final equilibrium temp = storage temp Use good barrier packaging Hold storage temperatures steady
◦ Fluctuating vapor pressure accelerates sublimation and accretion of ice crystals (a-axis and c-axis growth)
Hold storage temperature as cold as commercially feasible.
Rapid freezing Currently used in Maryland and elsewhere with
good experience Product is thawed and sold as previously frozen Studies show reduced tissue damage
◦ SEM (Giddings and Hall, 1976) And improved sensory quality for short-term
holding (1½ months)◦ Webb, et. al. 1976
Beyond 5-6 mos. pasteurization may be better option
Mini Freezer
Liquid
Nitrogen
Dewar
Vent
Relief
Valve
LN2 Hose
Time Termperature of Freezing
Center of Can Temperature
Temp º F
Time
0
10
20
30
-10
-20-30
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40 45 50 55 60
(Minutes)
3 Lbs
75 lbs
87 lbs
95 lbs
104 lbs
112 lbs
Cabinet Readout
70 75 80 85 90 95 100 105
25
Process, 75 lbs @ 60 minutes
Freezer Readout
-100
(Goal)
65
Interpretation of Data
Pasteurization as Baseline
3 Year Payback
Comparison of Equipment Combinations
Basic Information Generated from Phase 1
1 Process was determined for this equipment
Initial temperature, 31-34 º F
Freezer cabinet was set at -100 º F
The process time was 60 minutes
The batch size was 75 pounds
2 Liquid nitrogen usage was determined
5.2 pounds of crabmeat were frozen per gallon of liquid nitrogen
LN2 cost $4.98 per gallon
Approximately 19 batches of crabmeat were frozen (1425 lbs)
The cost of LN2 (without equipment or other charges) is $.96 per lb of crabmeat
3 Other equipment and storage options identified
Mini freezer (75 lb capacity) used in Phase 1
Batch freezer, single door (200 lb capacity)*
Batch freezer, double door (400 lb capacity)*
LN2 Dewars, 41 gallon, used in Phase 1
LN2 Bulk tank, 1500 gallon
4 Pros and Cons of equipment
5 Extended costs of equipment options
Fixed cost - outright purchase of freezers and installation
Lease costs-( 5 year contract) for bulk tank
Consumable costs- liquid nitrogen used for freezing
Basic Data Generated from Phase 1, con’t
1
3
2Mini and Bulk
Mini and ewar
Mini Cabinet Batch Cabinet
75 lb max capacity 200 lb max capacity
75 x 8 hours = 600 lbs per day 200 x 8 hours = 1600 lbs per day
Minimum vent requirements - flexible
Fixed vent through roof
Requires stooping to load and unload
Can utilize portable cart
Portable Fixed location
Comparison
Bulk Tanks for Liquid Nitrogen
Pros Cons
Inventory management is less complicated
Higher cost of concrete pad
Relief exhaust not in process area
Higher piping installation costs
“Lower pressure” nitrogen is colder
5 year lease arrangement, due 12 months per year even if not in production
Nitrogen costs 1/5 of dewar inventory
Space will be dedicated to bulk tank pad and fence
Not necessary to change tanks in middle of process
Nitrogen is delivered by semi-truck
Tanks are “Pressure vessels” and are owned and inspected by nitrogen supplier
Used smaller tanks (are available) for purchase but subject to owner inspection
Mini Freezer
75 lbs capacity
Batch Freezer
200 lb capacity
Double Door Freezer
400 lb capacity
Too Small Too LargeJust Right
Freezer Cabinets
Liquid Nitrogen Storage
Dewars
BulkTank
41 Gallon Capacity
1500 Gallon
Capacity
Cheap LN2 vs 5 yr leaseExpensive NL2 vs low rent
Recommendation:
Bulk and batch cabinet
Pasteurized vs Batch/Bulk NL2Fixed Cost and Variable Cost
2,500
5,000
7,500
10,000
12,500
15,000
17,500
20,000$2.00
$4.00
$6.00
$8.00
$10.00
Variable Cost of Pasteurizing
Fixed Cost of Pasteurizing
Variable Cost of Batch Freezer/Bulk Tank
Fixed Cost of Batch Freezer/Bulk Tank
Conclusion
• Mini Cabinet is too small
• Dewars are not practical for LN2 storage for crabmeat processors
• A batch cabinet and bulk tank system are recommended
• A production range for a LN2 freezer system is at least 7,500 lbs to 10,000 lbs per year (either in a single operation or a combination)
Compared to traditional packaging (metal can) how
would you rate this plastic tray?
Much poorer packaging
Poorer packingNo difference
Better packaging
Much better packaging
0
10
20
30
40
50
Num
ber
of R
espo
nses
Compared to traditional packaging (metal can) how would you
rate this plastic tray?
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
Much betterpackaging
BetterPackaging
No difference Poorerpackaging
Extremely poorerpackaging
Num
ber
of R
espo
nses
Consumers indicating that the tray was better or much better than the metal can
Eastern Shore: 68 percentWestern Shore: 48 percent
CSF consumer survey ◦ Survey Taken During Seafood Cooking
Demonstrations at Harbor Day Event◦ 64 completed the survey
Community Supported Agriculture◦ Exploring potential for adding a seafood
option◦ Survey instrument prepared and sent to 350
members of existing CSA on Eastern Shore
1. Which locally caught species would make you more likely to participate in a CSF program in your area. Crabmeat 44; Striped bass 31; Live crab 26, Clams 25; Shucked oysters 20; Live oysters 20
2. I prefer: fillets/steaks 41; whole fish 16; headed/gutted 10; no preference 6
3. How often would your prefer to have these
types of seafood available (mixed products each week/seasonally). Bi-weekly 32; weekly 20; monthly 5; quarterly 1.
4. Product available for pickup by you at set time and location. Average drive miles – 10; weekday afternoons - 33; weekend mornings - 30
5. On a scale of 1 to 10, would you sign up for a
CSF arrangement/contract based on the species you chose above.One (very unlikely) - 4; Two- 4 ; Three-3; Four-4; Five-4; Six-0; Seven - 13; Eight - 3; Nine - 4; Ten (very likely) - 22
Evaluate batch freezer performance under commercial conditions.
Conduct retail sales study comparing skin-pack trays to metal cans.
Conduct and monitor one or more alternative marketing strategies, e.g. CSF.