PPS East customers report increase in fresh fish quality

PPS East has received exciting and positive feedback from their fresh fish customers, who have introduced PPS’s wide range of reusable plastic whole fish and salmon boxes, fillet crates and plastic pallets for the hygienic and safe handling of their product.

Having carried out many fresh fish packaging trials with their customers over the last 6 years, PPS East have found that a good percentage of fresh fish packed into reusable plastic containers and delivered on today’s closed loop chilled transport system, arrive at its destination at a higher quality of freshness. This is when compared with fresh fish carried in traditional thermal insulated boxes as used in the seafood industry.

The temperature controlled vehicles chill the product by penetrating cold air through the PPS plastic box walls acting as a refrigerator directly onto the product being carried.

Fresh fish that is packed into thermal insulated type boxes and then transported on refrigerated vehicles in closed loop supply chains have shown higher temperature readings on arrival. The reason for this could be that it is largely the ice inside the boxes that keeps the fish cold and not the vehicles refrigeration unit. It is thought to be harder for the cold air to chill product through the thick box walls of this type of packaging.

PPS East have found the results to be very positive and in favour of reusable plastic fish boxes, but would be the first to acknowledge that there are additional factors to be taken in consideration when looking at advances in controlling bulk fish quality. These would include temperature of product when packed, type/amount of ice used, quality control on packing of the fish, condition of vehicle’s doors and refrigeration unit, length of journey, and etc.