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Recovering from a tsunami

This Japanese fish processor wasted no time in rebuilding and equipping its facilities after suffering the devastation of Japan’s 2011 tsunami.

Shown are filled trays entering the SEALPAC A6 tray sealer.
Shown are filled trays entering the SEALPAC A6 tray sealer.

The 2011 tsunami that shocked Japan and the rest of the world also took a toll on the business of Japanese seafood processor Abecho Schoten. Its plant in Ofunato, which had only started production the year before the storm, was severely damaged. But five years later, the facility is fully up and running again with ultra-modern processing and packaging equipment. Playing a key role was SEALPAC and its Japanese distributor Nakamura Sangyo Co. Ltd.

Nowadays, the factory provides work to 92 employees again and has a capacity of handling 150 tons of fresh and frozen seafood per day. Main species are pacific saury, yellowtail, and pacific mackerel, all caught off the coast from Ofunato.

“Crucial in maintaining the quality of these species is temperature control,” says Factory Manager Masahiro Ohata. “Immediately after raising the nets, the seafood is securely chilled or frozen. We even take into account the temperature variations of the sea water per season.”

At the heart of the new packaging lines is a SEALPAC thermoformer as well as a tray sealer. This is also the case in the firm’s other facility in the Miyagi prefecture, located in the town of Kesennuma. In Ofunato, the focus is on the packaging of small pieces of fresh seafood in a sweet sauce, which can be heated in the microwave by consumers. The Sealpac thermoformer is used primarily for larger packs that find their way into foodservice channels. The Sealpac system that seals premade trays, which is the focus here, is primarily for supermarket channels.

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