Industry

Quality assurance in the industry

Specifications for quality standards are agreed between processors and their customers in every sector of the industry. The specifications include details for all raw material characteristics, workmanship in processing, packaging, labelling and storage and for product quality in terms of sensory attributes and bacteriological factors. In-house quality assurance managers are responsible for compliance with these standards.

Sensory assessment is the basis for quality control of raw material and finished products in the freezing industry, saltfish processing, fresh fish production and aquaculture. Appearance and odour of the raw fish and flavour of the cooked products are important parameters. Interestingly, each saltfish is subjected to assessment of many attributes for appearance and this is the basis of the final quality grading. In the fishmeal industry, however, every lot is analysed chemically and bacteriologically and sold on basis of its chemical composition. Increasingly, fishmeal is also sold on the basis of in-vivo digestibility.

Finally, exporting companies for frozen seafood and saltfish operate their own quality control by inspection of products and premises and their subsidiary companies and further processing factories operate a comprehensive system for the final control of products.

Matís