OptimICE®, a liquid slurry ice technology

OptimICE® is a liquid slurry ice technology that replaces conventional flake ice. The liquid slurry ice is produced on board the ship or onshore using seawater or saltwater. The liquid slurry ice surrounds the fish, quickly cooling it below 0°C and keeping the temperature at -0.5°C. During the fishing trip, landing, transport to manufacturers, and at the final consumer, the fish stays at the same temperature without freezing. Therefore, the cold chain never breaks with OptimICE® rapid cooling, and the fish always stays fresh, maintaining maximum quality. Rapid cooling of the catch is key As soon as a fish is caught, its decay begins and the sooner it gets refrigerated, the less bacteria will grow, shelf life will be prolonged and maximum quality maintained. The graph shows the difference between cooling demersal fish with OptimICE® liquid ice on the one hand and traditional flake ice on the other. Revolutionizing fish preservation The OptimICE® liquid Ice system cools the fish down to below 0°C in less than one hour. Using traditional flaked ice, it takes around fifteen hours to reach the same temperature. It is a recognized fact that treatment and cooling speeds are the most important in maintaining fresh fish quality. The key to increasing the quality of fish is rapid cooling, thus reducing microbial and bacterial formation. Numerous studies have been performed on cooling systems, showing similar results. The graph above is from Seafish Scotland. Matís, the Icelandic Food and Biotech research institute, the University of Akureyri, as well as the International Journal of Refrigeration, etc., have also researched slurry ice cooling and published similar results.