In January 2006, Sunwell delivered a Deepchill™ Variable-State Ice System to The Plitt Company of Chicago.
This seafood house is the American Midwest’s shellfish leader, dealing also in a wide variety of fresh and frozen finfish, live shellfish, caviars and other specialty products. Based on the success of the first system, Plitt purchased a modular Deepchill™ expansion system, doubling its capacity.
The system at Plitt uses fresh (salt-free) make-up water to produce as much as 19 tons of dry ice crystals, or larger volumes of Deepchill™ slurry ice per day. According to Sunwell’s Marketing Manager, Gabriel Lopez, the heart of the system is Deepchill™ Variable-State Ice, which consists of millions of free-flowing spherical ice crystals which completely coat the fish, providing a constant uniform temperature, moisture control and slowing bacterial growth by over 50%. “Unlike other more traditional types of ice which damage fish, soft Deepchill™ protects delicate fish from mechanical damage and can be applied in any form, from liquid Deepchill™ slurry ice to thicker Deepchill™ paste (similar to soft ice cream) to dry Deepchill™ crystals (similar to powdered snow). One can also precisely control the salinity, to get salt-free slurry or salt-water slurry of any salt concentration. We can even control the size of the crystals – all to provide the most suitable and effective preservation possible for any type of seafood or process.”
The Deepchill™ system automatically delivers the ideal form of Deepchill™ to five different icing locations throughout Plitt’s facility.
The first location is in the receiving department, where fresh fish, having passed a rigorous inspection are then quickly chilled, washed and protected using liquid Deepchill™ slurry with approximately 25% ice fraction (percentage of ice to liquid in the slurry). The Deepchill™ is pumped into the containers where it flows over and in between the fish, to provide maximum surface contact and cooling. Excess water drains out; leaving the fish firmly packed in the Deepchill™ ice crystals.
Plitt’s CEO, Bob Sullivan, says; “Flake ice used to just sit on top of our fish boxes. Our new system allows us to inject Deepchill™ slurry directly into the core of every box, greatly reducing our fish spoilage during storage.”
Records at Plitt show that the Deepchill™ System reduced spoilage rates from 0.73% in August 2005 down to only 0.15% in August 2006 – a reduction of almost 80% during Chicago’s hottest month when temperatures soared to as high as 99°F (37°C). The reduction in spoilage resulted in approximately $130,000 in savings over a one-year period.
Sullivan adds: “The pumpable system has also radically reduced handling and eliminated the need to layer ice, which decreases bruising and increases efficiency during off-loading and weighing.”
In the cooler, two dispensers deliver thicker Deepchill™ slurry with 40% ice fraction to continue maintaining the fish temperature throughout storage and processing.
In the filleting room, temperature sensitive tuna is filleted, vacuum packed, then immersed in a Deepchill™ slurry bath to quickly reduce its core temperature.
Finally, at the shipping dock, a measured amount of dry Deepchill™ crystals is placed into each bag to ensure consistent temperature during transportation.
According to Sullivan; “Deepchill™ is the kind of technology that will not only improve quality, but also raise people’s expectations of quality. Our new Deepchill™ system reduces handling and spoilage, increases efficiency, but most importantly provides our customers with a truly superior product. We can offer a higher quality fresh fish while reducing the bottom-line – everyone benefits.”
