Beyond the Breadcrumbs: How Product Inspection Technology Protects your Fish Products

In the world of fish products, including fish fingers, cakes, sticks and tenders, the journey from ocean to table is full of rough waves and challenges, but none is more critical than best upholding the safety and quality of the final product.

- By Miriam Krechlok

Manufacturers in this industry must navigate a complex number of responsibilities, not just to deliver tasty and nutritious products but to also protect the health of their consumers. This involves implementing cutting-edge inspection technologies and maintaining rigorous quality control throughout the entire production process.

Challenges That Fish Manufacturers Face

Fish manufacturers face a range of challenges in maintaining the quality and safety of their products, particularly when it comes to detecting physical contaminants. A common assumption is that fish blocks, which serve as the raw material for products like fish fingers, cakes, sticks and tenders arrive at production facilities free of bones and other contaminants.

Unfortunately, this assumption does not always hold true. In fact, fish bone foreign bodies (FFB) are the most common type (up to 84%) of ingested foreign bodies encountered in the emergency department around the world. Even the British Queen Mother, in her eighties at the time, had to have an operation to remove a fish bone that was lodged in her throat.

Despite the prominence of fish bone related issues in eating, currently, the inspection of fish blocks often involves manual processes where random samples are thawed and checked for bones or other contaminants. This approach is not only labour-intensive but also time-consuming and can result in significant product waste. Despite the efforts involved, manual inspection is also far from foolproof and contaminants can still slip through, posing serious health risks to consumers. Large or sharp fish bones, for instance, can be a choking hazard, while small metal fragments from processing equipment could lead to injuries or other health issues.