Presentación de nuestro producto Crustaxyl para tratamiento a bordo de la flota de Barcos de CNFC en Mozambique para tratamiento de crustáceos sin sulfitos. Reunión con los clientes para explicar las ventajas que conlleva el tratamiento sin sulfitos tanto para la comodidad en el trabajo abordo como para temas legislativos. Se embarcan los técnicos de pH7 para enseñar el manejo del producto: dosis y tiempos de tratamiento, al igual que los parámetros que hay que tener en cuenta para una mejora de la calidad de la materia prima.

A su vez se aprovecha el viaje para realizar una serie de pruebas con nuevos prototipos de desarrollos antimelanósicos, siendo los resultados muy satisfactorios. Un gran avance para la recta final de un nuevo producto complementario para el tratamiento de la melanosis que la erradicará por completo, eliminando de raíz el problema de pardeamiento enzimático que tienen los clientes que trabajan con marisco.

El equipo de pH7 se desplaza a Albania para conocer de cerca la calidad de la gamba blanca local. Entre sus aguas ricas, encontramos productos de alta calidad que convierte a Albania en un país mediterráneo con un gran potencial de pesca. Pese a ello, la pesca en Albania es una actividad fundamentalmente artesanal y escasamente mecanizada, que se limita a las aguas próximas. La industria está fuertemente orientada a la exportación, con un mercado interior muy poco desarrollado pero con una clara tendencia al auge en los últimos años.

pH7 presenta su aditivo antimelanósico libre de sulfitos, Crustaxyl, apto para todo tipo de crustáceos y afianza su presencia en el país con soluciones para el engorde y blanqueamiento de cefalópodos obteniendo un excelente rendimiento conseguido en la planta de elaboración de nuestros clientes.

pH7 Food Technology estará presente como expositor (stand E31) en la 20th India International Seafood Show 2016 (Visakhapatnam, India) los próximos 23-25 de Septiembre presentando los siguientes productos:

1. Crustáceos:

     Antimelanósicos Q-20, Crustaxyl y Crustakeeper

     Hidratantes: Q-30 plus-Q-100 New 

2. Cefalópodos: Sepia y calamar

     Blanqueantes: T-40 W y T-40 Octopus

     Hidratantes: T-50 SEA/ T-65 SEA/ T-10/ T-20/ T-85 SEA/ T-70 SEA

3. Pescado Entero:

     Texmel

4. Filete de pescado

    Blanqueantes: Pex

    Hidratantes: Pex B2

5. Glaseantes

     Glass 10 y Glass 20

Para más información consultar:

India International Seafood Show Web

India International Seafood Show Plano

Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) Killybegs, Ireland

Untreated prawns can develop an unsightly, but harmless condition called black-spot, or melanosis, which can render the product unsaleable. Traditionally this has been controlled by dipping whole prawns in a solution of sodium metabisulphite. Recent EU allergen labelling requirements have prompted buyers wishing to promote an ‘additive free’ product, to source non-sulphite treated prawns. Several products are now commercially available, which manufacturers claim are safe and effective alternatives to dipping with sodium metabisulphite.

To assist industry establish viable alternatives, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) carried out trials in June 2008 to compare the effectiveness of four commercially available products; sodium metabisulphite (4% concentration), and three non-sulphite based products; Crustaxyl®, Xyrex® Prawn-FreshTM and Everfresh®. Batches of freshly trawled prawns were treated according to manufacturers’ instructions, stored under chilled conditions and monitored daily for the development of melanosis over the course of trials, using the following criteria:

Stage of melanosis	Score
None (no melanosis)	1
Slight (occasional black / grey)	2
Mild (some blackening)	3
Severe (mostly blackened)	4
Extreme (all / very black)	5

Observations

The daily progression of melanosis, for each of the treatments, is outlined in Figure 1. The horizontal blue line denotes the point, above which prawns are deemed unacceptable to the Irish industry.

Prawns treated with Everfresh® showed the first signs of melanosis on day 4, which developed to an unacceptable level by day 8.

Melanosis was evident from day 6 in prawns treated with either Crustaxyl® or Xyrex® Prawn- FreshTM. These samples remained acceptable until day 17 and 18 respectively.

Treatment with Sodium Metabisulphite (4%) delayed the onset of melanosis to day 8. Once this point was reached, however, melanosis developed more rapidly than in Crustaxyl® and Xyrex® Prawn-FreshTM treatments, reaching an unacceptable level by day 11.

Figure 1. The development of melanosis over a period of 21 days in prawns in an untreated, Control, sample and samples treated with the recommended commercial concentrations of Sodium metabisulphite, Crustaxyl®, Xyrex® Prawn-FreshTMand Everfresh® (No data were available for day 15 and day 16 as sampling did not take place during this period).

Prawns treated using non-sulphite treatments developed a level of melanosis, unacceptable to industry, after the following periods:

Treatment	Unacceptable (Days)
No treatment (i.e. Control)	5
Everfresh®	8
Metabisulphite	11
Crustaxyl®	17
Xyrex® Prawn-FreshTM	18

In the assessment of these treatments, it is important that the results of these trials are considered in association with the following factors.

Firstly, the products tested only slow melanosis and do not extend product shelf-life in terms of quality and food safety. Regardless of treatments, therefore, this and previous studies on prawns indicate that product quality and food safety standards deteriorate rapidly beyond day

9, under chilled conditions. Good chill-chain management and optimum handling and hygiene practices are vital in maintaining standards and should be given as much importance as the treatment applied to the product.

Secondly, the cost of treatment (Table 1) and onboard handling practicalities need to be considered. Although Xyrex® Prawn-FreshTM appeared to be the most effective treatment, it was seven times more expensive than metabisulphite and three times more costly than Crustaxyl®. In addition, the product manufacturer recommends a dip-time, which is three times that of either Crustaxyl® or Metabisulphite.

Thirdly, it must also be borne in mind that although every effort was made to reflect commercial conditions during the trial, several factors will introduce variability. Anecdotal evidence suggests that differences in intrinsic quality of prawns due to reproductive condition and geographical location of sub-populations, effect the onset and rate of progression of melanosis. In this trial, fishermen noted that the prawns used were of “particularly good quality” and that this may have influenced the duration, for which prawns remained acceptable. In addition, different onboard handling standards, particularly tow durations and temperature management, impact greatly on prawn quality and therefore, on the performance of the products tested. Several vessels now use chill-dip to allow prawns to be rapidly chilled during the dipping process. This procedure further delays the onset and rate of progression of melanosis.

Although these results broadly support the findings of a similar study conducted by Seafish in 2005, specific differences between the two studies support the fact that the effectiveness of non-sulphite treatments will vary depending on a number of practical and environmental factors (different prawns, different grounds, handling practices, time of year etc.).

If fishermen are considering changing to another product it is advisable that they should test small batches of prawns before changing to a particular product.

Cost of treatment

Table 1. Quantity and cost of trial products required to treat 100kg of prawns.

Product	Amount of product required to treat 100kg of Nephrops	Cost* to treat 100kg of Nephrops	Dipping time
Sodium metabisulphite (4%)	1 kg	€0.50 (£0.45)	5 min
Crustaxyl®	40 g	€1.20 (£1.10)	5 min
Xyrex® Prawn-FreshTM	50 ml	€3.50 (£3.20)	15 min**
Everfresh®	80 g	€1.75 (£1.60)	2 min

(*Retail price of products purchased in June 2008 through local chandlerys)
(**The dipping time for Xyrex® Prawn-FreshTM has been reduced by the manufacturer to 10mins, following recent internal research on the product)

Details of the Seafish trials, referred to in this article, can be obtained from Mark Edmonds email: m_edmonds@seafish.co.uk Tel. +44 (131) 524 8672

For further details of this work please contact Frances O’Dwyer or Michael Gallagher (BIM Killybegs); email: odwyer@bim.ie Tel. +353 (7497) 41093; gallagher@bim.ie Tel. +353

Desde Diciembre 2012 el equipo técnico de Ph7 Food Technology se desplaza hasta Quelimane (Mozambique), lugar donde se encuentra una flota compuesta por 10 pesqueros de arrastre, perteneciente a la CNFC.

Desde esa fecha hasta la actualidad uno de los técnicos pasa en total 6 meses trabajando in situ, encima de los barcos para modificar aparte del protocolo de tratamiento con nuestros productos, todo el sistema de elaboración desde que sale el marisco hasta que llega a tierra. Proporcionando un control de Calidad y mejorando considerablemente las condiciones con que llega la materia prima al cliente final.

Esto incluye: Cursos de manipulación del marisco a los marineros mozambicanos que lo trabajan, cursos a los jefes de máquinas sobre la importancia de las temperaturas de congelación en los túneles y temperaturas de almacenamiento. Cursos a Capitanes y patrones de costa sobre los puntos de control críticos.

A día de hoy se continúan haciendo revisiones periódicas en las que nuestros técnicos revisan que se están ejecutando todas las pautas señaladas en anteriores viajes. Además desde España se continúan investigando nuevas opciones de tratamientos antimelanósicos sin sulfitos que contribuyan a la expansión de esta materia prima en lugares del mundo donde las legislaciones son más exigentes.