The state of Yucatan maintains an important presence in the international trade of certain tropical and subtropical species, such as grouper, octopus, red snapper and snappers, from the capture carried out on the almost four hundred kilometers of the State's coastline.
Around 1996 several of the freezers received investments in facilities and systems that support hygiene and sanitation in processing and food safety, seeking to meet national standards and the requirements of the international markets of interest.
Research work in this sector has been carried out at the UADY Faculty of Chemical Engineering, adapting and applying technology audit models to companies in the sector, perceiving an improvement among the evaluations carried out. It was decided to maintain knowledge about the technological development of the sector and a technology audit was carried out on a sample of companies, which began in the second half of 2000 and ended its application in early 2001.
fish-and-seafood-freezer-technology-1The results show a positive variation with respect to the results of the previous study, as well as variations in the operations and general administration of the companies.
BACKGROUND
Yucatan has 373 km of coastline with tropical and subtropical ecosystems, in a shallow marine platform, which has allowed to maintain a capture system with high participation of coastal fishing. The fishing fleet is mostly coastal and carry a moderate amount of ice to conserve the catch; There are medium-high vessels that use crushed ice as a conservation system for the catch and are on the high seas for a maximum of two weeks.
The vessels deliver the product mainly to the processing companies called freezers, located in the main ports of the state, where the processing is carried out.
Among the main scale species are grouper, red snapper, snapper, which are processed whole or fillet, both fresh gutted and frozen, and frozen.
Octopus is among the shellfish, and lobster fishing is present for its value. There is a mariculture company dedicated to shrimp, which started operations a few years ago.
The State of Yucatan has a strong presence in the commercialization of tropical species, particularly grouper and octopus, since 88% of the former and more than 50% of the national catch of the latter come from Yucatan, 11% of the red snapper catch in the state.
These companies export tropical marine products, mainly to the United States, Japan and some countries of the European community, such as Spain. Japan and Spain basically receive octopus.
From previous studies and interviews with personnel working in the sector, it is known that in 1996 the international standards of sanitary quality called Risk Analysis and Control in Critical Points or HACCP came into operation.
Some of the companies have been investing for a couple of years before, to modernize their facilities, replace unsuitable materials in their equipment, and start training personnel. For this they hired advisers and incorporated professionals and technicians with experience in food processing in companies.
There are references to the sudden growth in demand for octopus, which took place in 1996 and 1997, accelerating the modernization of companies interested in exporting this mollusk, the appearance of Spanish customers, the rise in the sale price of the species, and even the creation of local companies dedicated exclusively to the trade of this mollusk.
Fig. 1. catch volume in live weight by species, marking the “Morocco” effect
Source: INEGI, the Food Sector in Mexico-2001.
The cause of this sudden growth in demand was in Africa, in Morocco, a country that is the main supplier of octopus to factories located in Spain, and that in those years decreed the total closure of the species, withdrawing both its fleet and denying granting fishing licenses to the Spanish fleet that usually catches octopus in the waters of this country. This caused an imbalance in the international market.
In 1998, they reopened their ports and waters for capture, causing the demand and the price of the species to drop substantially.
Even in 1999, octopus was reported as the main product by catch volume reaching 12,013 tons, the mere second place with 8,190 tons, blonde with 1,629 tons; shrimp reached 1,022 tons of which 990 were farmed. (Sáenz, 2000)
SANITARY QUALITY OF PRODUCTS
From the previous study it was obtained that the sanitary quality, for the entrance of marine products to the United States and the European Community, focuses on:
- reduce health risks use science-based methods to ensure quality place responsibility on companies apply equal standards to imported products (and their producers)
Since 1997, the regulations based on Risk Analysis and Control of Critical Points (ARyCPC or HACCP for its acronym in English) have been in force in the main importing countries of marine products.
For the products, the norms and controls are maintained for the limits of microorganisms that indicate food spoilage and pathogens.
In Mexico, the NOM-120-SSA1-1994 legislation that includes good hygiene and sanitation practices for the production of food and beverages is already in force, requires companies to maintain order, cleaning and sanitization systems for their facilities and equipment.
In December 1997, the norm NOM-128-SSA1-1994 entered into force, which regulates the adoption of the ARyCPC system in the processing of marine products. Regarding this standard, the active role of the Ministry of Health and the State Government is known to prepare company personnel, as well as other professionals who become consultants to help in implementation and compliance.
It should be noted that HACCP is a system that is transferred from the safety of food used in space travel, since an ill astronaut in a confined space puts the entire mission at risk. The system concentrates efforts where the contamination of foreign particles, organisms and microorganisms or potentially toxic products can no longer be eliminated or corrected.
The method recommends an analysis of the processes and their risks, as well as the measures for preventing or correcting the health hazard, which are summarized in the following seven steps:
- Conduct a Risk Analysis
(Potential Hazards in the food production process).
- Identify Critical Control Points (CCP).
(the last process where the food has the potential to get out of the desirable characteristics in terms of health, and a measurement and corrective action can still be performed)
- Establish Critical Limits
For the preventive measures associated with each CCP, among the main temperature, acidity or alkalinity, evidence of foreign particles.
- Establish CCP Monitoring Requirements
Ensuring that each CCP remains within the control limits, this requires materials and measuring devices.
- Establish Corrective Actions
(Act when the CCP goes out of bounds, and that no health hazards occur.)
- Effective Registration and Archiving Procedures
(Document: Monitoring, verification and deviations).
- Establish Verification Procedures
HACCP Plan Review; Records, Critical Limits and Microbiological Sampling.
These two systems, good hygiene and sanitation practices and risk analysis and control at critical points are being widely adopted for companies that manufacture food and beverages. As well as in the rules and regulations that regulate them.
OBJECTIVE
The objective of this study is to update the knowledge on the fishing and processor sector of marine products of the state of Yucatan through a model of evaluation of the technological position. As well as collecting data indicative of trends and evidence of innovations in products, processing, marketing and quality.
METHODOLOGY
The study was carried out during the second semester of 2000 and the first semester of 2001. The existence of 30 freezers was reported and communication was established with a third of these companies, finally obtaining access to six of them in the application period. of the interviews.
A revised version of the questionnaire used in the immediately preceding study was used as the instrument. This questionnaire requests information about the company's products and the requirements they must meet, the markets they serve, the operations and processes, their knowledge of what other companies do in the business, variations in the market they serve, and basic information. about the used infrastructure and equipment.
The evaluation model focuses on the core, and is based on the technological diagnosis models of de la Tijera (1989) and Vasconcellos (1990). When the tool was generated, elements considered very important, indeed critical, were selected within the technological package of the operations of a freezing plant, through consultation with personnel from the fish and seafood processors, professors and researchers related to the technologies used in these processes. The areas where the critical elements are positioned are: Market, Process and Equipment and machinery; as presented in the following table.
| Critical Elements | |
| MARKET | m1. Standards and Specifications |
| m2. Packing | |
| m3. Presentation | |
| m4. Commercialization | |
| m5. New products | |
| PROCESS | p1. Conservation |
| p2. Practices | |
| p3. Facilities | |
| p4. Consulting | |
| EQUIPMENT | e1. Distribution Media |
| e2. Plant capacity | |
| e3. Machinery | |
| e.4 Refrigeration |
Table 1. Critical technological elements for freezing plants.
The explanation of these elements is presented below:
- MARKET.- Product Technology with a market focus, part of the technological package related to standards, specifications and general quality and presentation requirements that a good or service must meet.
Standards and Specifications.- It is the official document, of obligatory compliance, that establishes the controls (qualitative and quantitative) on food products.
Packaging.- Material of the containers and types of refrigerant used to transport the product.
Presentation.- Different weights and way of packing the product.
Marketing.- Refers to the channels that exist to introduce or distribute products.
New Products.- All those made from the study species or their by-products through any transformation method, which involve additional steps to the fresh, frozen product, sold in volume.
- PROCESS.- It is the part of the technological package related to the conditions, procedures and forms of organization necessary to combine inputs, human resources and capital goods in the appropriate way to produce a good or service.
Conservation.- Temperature ranges of the different stages of the process.
Practices or Management.- They are all those steps followed by the product until its release on the market.
Installations.- Characteristics of the process areas, and their adequate conditioning for the work carried out.
Consulting.- Level of obtaining information and advice through periodic relationships with suppliers and specialists.
- EQUIPMENT.- Refers to the part of the technological package related to the characteristics that the capital goods necessary to produce a good or service must possess.
Distribution Means.- Adequate transportation methods to deliver products to customers.
Capacity.- Qualifies the existing relationship between the used and installed facilities.
Machinery.- Product handling equipment such as belts, filleting machines, forklifts, etc.
Refrigeration and Conservation.- Life time of the equipment, types and states of maintenance.
The research instrument is a questionnaire that is first applied to one or more company executives and is complemented by information obtained by visiting the processing plants and observing the facilities and practices during the operation.
The answers are translated to a numerical scale and reduced to the range (0, 1) to facilitate their mathematical handling and the subsequent interpretation of the tables and diagrams that are obtained.
During the same period, a search for information on products demanded by the seafood marketing chains is carried out, and some importers also incorporate their demands in magazines and on the Internet.
Information on important changes in rules and regulations, as well as advances in machinery and processing methods, is located in the countries where it is marketed and where it is processed, respectively. Among the relevant information is that issued by international organizations in their publications, such as Infopesca.
The information obtained from these sources is the basis for knowing the variations of interest for this sector, and if there is any significant movement in the technologies they support.
In this case, the aim is to evaluate the technological structure of the company, understood as the component of the technological diagnosis or audit that includes the quality of the stock of knowledge, and the existence of the set of elements that make up the technological package in use, in a given company or sector.
Another important concept is that of gap, understood as the difference between the current or measured state of an element and the ideal or desirable position. The gaps indicate where there are deficiencies or opportunities for improvement.
STUDY RESULTS
The results of the study concentrate on the critical technological elements and the values obtained from the evaluations are organized according to the market where the company's products are shipped, whether national or international.
The aforementioned is shown in Table 2.
| critical elements | nac-97 | nac2001 | intern-97 | Intern-2001 | |||
| m1 | standards and specifications | 0.75 | 0.54 | 0.81 | 0.65 | ||
| Market | m2 | Packing | 0.68 | 0.56 | 0.73 | 0.67 | |
| m3 | presentation | 0.50 | 0.69 | 0.45 | 0.92 | ||
| m4 | commercialization | 0.74 | 0.56 | 0.74 | 0.67 | ||
| m5 | new products | 0.32 | 0.56 | 0.27 | 0.67 | ||
| Process | p1 | conservation | 0.68 | 0.68 | 0.73 | 0.90 | |
| p2 | Practices | 0.68 | 0.69 | 0.73 | 0.92 | ||
| p3 | facilities | 0.44 | 0.69 | 0.64 | 0.92 | ||
| p4 | Advisory | 0.68 | 0.69 | 0.73 | 0.92 | ||
| Equipment | e1 | distribution media | 0.83 | 0.69 | 0.89 | 0.92 | |
| e2 | Capacity | 0.75 | 0.69 | 0.81 | 0.92 | ||
| e3 | machinery | 0.85 | 0.48 | 0.84 | 0.62 | ||
| e4 | refrigeration | 0.75 | 0.76 | 0.81 | 0.95 | ||
| Average | 0.67 | 0.64 | 0.70 | 0.82 |
Table 2. Critical Technological Elements, 1997 study compared to 2001 study.
Source: own elaboration and data from García (1997)
From the previous table it is had that the profile for the national market does not present variation, in the case of the profile for the international market, in general the industrialist appreciates that it becomes more competitive.
Among the interesting variations are the appreciation of compliance with standards and the use of machinery as a lesser challenge, this would be explained by learning new systems that defined, for various reasons, continuing their processes using labor.
However, it is indicated that they perceive as requirements that increase: the presentations of the products; control over the practices in the capture, reception and on the plant floor; equipment to maintain adequate temperatures, and a particular case is the generation of new products, where in general they stated that they do not plan to develop other products in the immediate future.
The companies studied presented variations in their behavior, thus the smaller ones have greater gaps in their position with respect to the profile of a competitive company.
The graphs of a company with notable gaps or differences in the qualification of its critical elements and a moderate conformation of its technological structure are presented. In the second graph, a company is presented with practically no gaps in the evaluation of critical elements and this leads to the consideration of an adequate technological structure for the operations and markets where it ventures.
Fig. 2. Company studied that presents significant gaps and a moderate technological structure.
Source: self made
Fig. 3. Company studied with few gaps and a good technological structure.
Source: self made.
Other important results and observations are:
- Companies stay on traditional products: fresh and frozen fish scales, both whole and fillets; frozen octopus. Larger company size corresponds to a greater technological structure. The largest companies are from private initiative presented most of their technological elements in the upper third, indicative of a competent profile, for the market conditions encountered, processed species and technologies used by other competitors. Information was obtained on the existence of a freezer with Canadian or Asian investment where they prepare products for Japan and Asian markets. The interview was not successful. The cooperative company incorporated in the study did not show interest in new products. The other companies indicate that they consider the importance of developing new products less.The perception is that the requirements for obtaining quality products are greater when they go to the international market. The product for the national market is considered to have less compliance. This leads to a question, since Mexican standards are considered to be homologated with international requirements. The previous study found the hiring of professionals from areas related to food in companies, in some of the companies it is indicated that they had these professionals, but in several cases it is technical personnel who directs the operations. One company started the production of shrimp of aquaculture in 1998, in 2001 it should have produced over 1000 tons, it already has a processing plant and it has expansion plans.When these go to the international market, the product for the national market is considered to be less compliant. This leads to a question, since Mexican standards are considered homologated with international requirements. The previous study found the hiring of professionals from areas related to food. in the companies, in some of the companies it is indicated that they had these professionals, but in several cases it is technical personnel who directs the operations.A company started the production of aquaculture shrimp in 1998, in 2001 it must have produced over 1,000 tons, already has a processing plant and has expansion plans.When these go to the international market, the product for the national market is considered to be less compliant. This leads to a question, since Mexican standards are considered homologated with international requirements. The previous study found the hiring of professionals from areas related to food. In the companies, in some of the companies it is indicated that they had these professionals, but in several cases it is technical personnel who directs the operations.A company started the production of aquaculture shrimp in 1998, in 2001 it must have produced more than 1,000 tons, already has a processing plant and has expansion plans.Because the Mexican standards are considered homologated with international requirements, the previous study found the hiring of professionals from food-related areas in companies, in some of the companies it is indicated that they had these professionals, but in several cases they are technical personnel. Who directs the operations.A company started the production of aquaculture shrimp in 1998, in 2001 it had to produce more than 1000 tons, it already has a processing plant and it has expansion plans.Because the Mexican standards are considered homologated with international requirements, the previous study found the hiring of professionals from food-related areas in companies, in some of the companies it is indicated that they had these professionals, but in several cases they are technical personnel. Who directs the operations.A company started the production of aquaculture shrimp in 1998, in 2001 it had to produce more than 1000 tons, it already has a processing plant and it has expansion plans.A company started the production of aquaculture shrimp in 1998, in 2001 it had to produce over 1000 tons, it already has a processing plant and it has expansion plans.A company started the production of aquaculture shrimp in 1998, in 2001 it had to produce over 1000 tons, it already has a processing plant and it has expansion plans.
More recent information on this already important company indicates that for 2003 it has two processing plants, is carrying out capacity-building projects, and even collaborating with state government programs to diversify productive activities in fishing communities.
FINAL CONSIDERATIONS
- The companies studied responded to international demands and the change in standards, managing to maintain their exports. Similarly, they responded to the change in Mexican regulations. They seem to consider that they have to maintain the effort to keep up with the international market, this generates interest in certain knowledge. and technologies that support their production. National requirements seem to consider them static. They showed a reduction in interest in new products. The use of a limited number of sources of information on both processes and equivalent products was observed. Investments in plant and equipment, in training and hiring specialized personnel was a response to the change in standards, and to the requirements for export,An element of importance was the sudden increase in demand for octopus, and when this decreased, the process of modernization and investment has also been reduced, indicating that for the moment they preferred to maintain their markets through products where they are already known. innovative projects: shrimp aquaculture and products for Japan and the Asian market. In the government plans in the federal and state orders, objectives related to aquaculture and probing processed products with higher added value are maintained. Therefore, at the time of the study, These companies enter international markets in segments with low innovation and moderate added value. This usually leads to a reduction in interest in implementing innovative projects. In international markets,demand remains for processed and packaged seafood as seasoned, ready-to-eat, ready-to-fry and bake. These are products with higher added value and that have appeal for industrial investors who assume a relatively high level of risk with the aim of obtaining a higher rate of profits. The need to maintain quality in the processing and in the products of companies, as well as the food technology capabilities of some of the local universities and research centers, it can be connected to generate linking projects that benefit both parties and, above all, to obtain income for the Yucatecan economy. As well as, direct the preparation of professionals who are better inserted in the operation of these companies.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
- (1996) Report on the Fishing Sector of Yucatan. De la Tijera, E. (1989) «A multifunctional methodology for technological analysis». Work presented at the III Latin American Technological Management Seminar. Buenos Aires, Argentina. García, A, Chan, M. (1994). Final research report: "Diagnosis and detection of the technological needs of the Yucatan seafood industry". Autonomous University of Yucatan. MéridaGarcía, A. and Pérez, K. (1995) Update of the study “Diagnosis and detection of technological needs of the fishing industry in Yucatan Mérida, Yucatán, México.García, A. (1998) Technological Diagnosis of Processors of Marine Products of Yucatan. Memories of the 1st. National Seminar on Technological Management, ALTEC-AMTEC'98. Merida. México.Garrido, C. (1995) Technology and Business."Packaging for fishery products". Tecno México, DF No. 22, June / July. P. 60-61.Higuera, CI (1995) "HACCP: The rules change." II National Congress of Industrial Fisheries. Food industry. Vol. 17, No. 2, March / April. Page 13. Hodgeson, L. (1995). "Marketing Applied to Fishery Products". II National Congress of Industrial Fisheries. Food industry. Vol. 17, No. 2, March / April. P. 13.National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Informatics (INEGI). (2001) The Food Sector in Mexico.Monforte, J. (1993) Monograph: “Determination of freshness standards in three species of tropical fish. Saenz, R. (2000) Conjuncture report. Production Financing, looking for answers. Pp. 8 and 9. Economy Today. No. 34, year VI, March-April. Mérida, México, Secretary of Fisheries.Yucatan State Government. (1993) Report of the fishing sector, Ministry of Health. (1994). NOM-128-SSA1-1994. Goods and services. That establishes the Application of a Risk Analysis and Critical Points Control System in the Industrial Plant that processes Fishery products. Mexico, Ministry of Health. (1994). NOM-120-SSA1-1994, Goods and Services. Hygiene and Sanitation Practices for the Food Process, Non-alcoholic and Alcoholic Beverages. México.Vasconcellos, E. (1990) «Technology Audit of Business: A Case Study». Administracao Magazine, Vol. 25 (1). UGLY. University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.That establishes the Application of a Risk Analysis and Critical Points Control System in the Industrial Plant Processing of Fishery products. Mexico, Ministry of Health. (1994). NOM-120-SSA1-1994, Goods and Services. Hygiene and Sanitation Practices for Food Processing, Non-alcoholic and Alcoholic Beverages México.Vasconcellos, E. (1990) «Technology Audit of Business: A Case Study». Administracao Magazine, Vol. 25 (1). UGLY. University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.That establishes the Application of a Risk Analysis and Critical Points Control System in the Industrial Plant Processing of Fishery products. Mexico, Ministry of Health. (1994). NOM-120-SSA1-1994, Goods and Services. Hygiene and Sanitation Practices for Food Processing, Non-alcoholic and Alcoholic Beverages México.Vasconcellos, E. (1990) «Technology Audit of Business: A Case Study». Administracao Magazine, Vol. 25 (1). UGLY. University of Sao Paulo, Brazil.Brazil.Brazil.FISH AND SEAFOOD FREEZER TECHNOLOGY.
TECHNOLOGICAL EVALUATION IN THE PERIOD 2000-2001.
Contributed by: Alan García Lira
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