Case Histories

Learn more about Cryovac® Fish and Seafood packaging

Cozy Harbor Seafood and The Plitt Company Are Hooked
on Cryovac® 10 K OTR Bag

See the article as published in the October 2004 issue of "Packaging World" magazine.

Cozy Harbor Seafood based in Portland, Maine has been in the fresh fish processing business since 1984 and has a self-styled reputation as "Maine’s finest seafood processor." A few hundred miles to the west, The Plitt Company, based in Chicago, caters to a host of fine restaurants throughout the Midwest and a number of supermarkets.

While distance separates the two companies, what they have in common is Sealed Air Corporation’s Cryovac® 10K OTR vacuum bag for fresh fish. The 10K OTR bag complies with FDA guidelines for oxygen permeability for vacuum packaging fresh fish and has a guaranteed oxygen transmission rate (OTR) greater than 10,000 cc/m2/24 hours. "Cryovac® 10K OTR" is printed on the backside of the bag to alert inspectors at any point in the retail or foodservice distribution system that the package permeability is within FDA compliance.

Cozy Harbor supplies customers as far west as Iowa and as far south as Florida using air and land carriers. The company distributes a variety of fresh fish including cod, flounder, haddock, hake, lobster meat, monk, pollock, scallops and sole.

According to John Norton, president of Cozy Harbor Seafood, "Maintaining the quality life process of seafood is expensive, yet the Cryovac® 10K OTR pays dividends because of the additional three to four days we get in the distribution cycle - and that means a lot to our customers in terms of ordering, production and shrink. We are able to give an added confidence because of the extended quality life."

Initially there was a concern that the reduced gauge of the Cryovac®10K OTR bag would make it susceptible to damage during the distribution cycle because it is only two mils thick. But according to Norton, "we have been pleasantly surprised, and we haven’t skipped a beat with our production."

At the Cozy Harbor plant, the fresh fish are placed into bags and sealed under high vacuum on a vacuum chamber machine in portions up to 10 pounds. The packages are then heat shrunk with a hot water dip tank. After shrinking, the bags are submerged in a salt brine bath. In about half an hour, the product is chilled to between 34 degrees Fahrenheit and 36 degrees Fahrenheit without cross contamination or water absorption.

Traditional fish packaging constitutes a snap-cover, plastic container that makes using the salt brine solution impractical. Air chilling and ice chilling are the next best options, but they are not as fast or efficient as chilling in ice brine with the 10K OTR bag. Vacuum packaging gives Cozy Harbor the ability to chill the product thoroughly and quickly. The process enables the company to ship its products at the lowest possible fresh temperature, which reduces spoilage and extends quality life.

"In addition to acting as a protective barrier, the 10K OTR is a fine merchandising tool. The bag allows a more natural looking filet to come out of the package," Norton said. "We also like the 10K OTR bag because it provides a second skin for the fish giving it better packaging protection."

In the salt brine bath, the 10K OTR bag acts as a functional barrier between the chilling medium and the product, reducing the amount of ice needed during shipping. According to Donn Creamer, director of quality control for Cozy Harbor Seafood, "Fully chilling on the line has let us reduce the amount of ice we need to package, and we now use ice as insurance instead of using ice as an active chilling agent."

Another advantage with the Cryovac® 10K OTR is the ability to print right on the package. Cozy Harbor has its logo on the front of its retail packages, and the "Cryovac® 10K OTR" label is on the back.

"Before using the 10K OTR bag, we used Cryovac’s E bags and L bags for about 20 years. We received a shipment of 10K OTR bags to test on a Friday, and by the following Monday, they were integrated into our packaging process. We had confidence in making a fast switch because of our long-term partnership with Cryovac," Creamer stated. "It was a nice, smooth transition."

The Plitt Company also wanted to get a better handle on how it packaged its fresh fish. Plitt sells to fine-dining establishments in Chicago, in addition to well-known eateries in Minneapolis, St. Louis and Madison, Wis. The Plitt Company has carved a niche by delivering customized cuts of top quality fresh fish, including premium tuna, to its clientele.

"One of the most troubled areas involves maintaining the right quality and appearance of tuna going to our customers. Tuna is supposed to be a perfect red throughout, but if too much oxygen gets to it, the color might be a little bit off. Cryovac’s 10K OTR bag lets us provide a consistent color throughout the distribution cycle," Bob Sullivan, president of The Plitt Company, explained. "Now that we are using the 10K OTR bags, our waste on tuna has gone to nothing."

After the tuna is boned out and cut into loins, a worker inserts the product into a Cryovac® 10K OTR bag and vacuum seals it with a dual-chamber system. The bag is then submerged in an ice and salt brine solution and quick chilled to help bring down the core temperature. From there, the product is placed in a reusable tote and is ready for distribution.

Prior to using the Cryovac® 10K OTR bag, Plitt used a sealed-top container tray that cost about 90 cents per unit. "In addition to the high cost, the customers did not like the tray package because the fish would not reach the optimum chilling point. I could drive to the airport, and the fish still didn’t get cold enough," Sullivan said.

Plitt now uses one-fourth less ice and has been able to reduce its ice expenditures by $122,000.

"In addition to the savings we have with ice, the 10K OTR bag helps our seafood look better for longer. When we started using the bag, our customers thought we were pre-cutting our fish and not doing the custom cuts. When they realized that we were using a Cryovac® package for our products, they were thrilled. The 10K OTR bag just gives the appearance of a higher end, high quality product," Sullivan explained.

Because of the extended quality life and reduction in spoilage, Cryovac’s 10K OTR bag has helped The Plitt Company save about $500,000 over the past year.

Learn more about Cryovac® Fish and Seafood packaging