Advanced Food Processing Solutions for Fish & Seafood

Water Cooking Shrimp & Seafood

Common Challenges in in Water Cooking

• Overcooking: Delicate seafood can quickly lose texture, yield and appearance.
• Uneven Cooking: Variations in product size can lead to inconsistent results.
• Food Safety: Precise and stable temperatures are essential for safe processing.

OctoCore Solution – IF Cooker

The OctoCore IF Cooker uses controlled water-based heat transfer to cook shrimp and other seafood gently and consistently.

Key benefits include:

• Precise Temperature Control: Helps prevent overcooking and protects product texture.
• Fast Heat Transfer: Supports short, controlled processing times.
• Multi-Zone Processing: Allows the cooking profile to be adapted to the product.
• Efficient Water Use: Recirculation helps reduce water and energy consumption.

Oven Cooking Fish & Seafood

Common Challenges in Oven Cooking

• Yield Loss: Excessive heat can cause moisture and weight loss.
• Uneven Cooking: Different product thicknesses can affect core temperature and consistency.
• Appearance: Processors need controlled browning without drying the product.

OctoCore Solution – Spiral Oven & Linear Oven

OctoCore oven solutions combine controlled hot air and steam to cook fish fillets, portions, formed seafood and other value-added products with consistent results.

Key benefits include:

• Controlled Air & Steam: Supports even cooking while protecting moisture.
• Flexible Processing: Suitable for a wide range of fish and seafood products.
• Consistent Product Quality: Helps achieve repeatable texture, color and core temperature.
• High-Capacity Options: Spiral and linear configurations support different production needs.

The current portfolio includes both Spiral Oven and Linear Oven for air/steam cooking.

Grilling Fish Fillets

Common Challenges in Grilling

• Uneven Surface Contact: Irregular products can create inconsistent grill results.
• Moisture Loss: Too much heat can dry out delicate fish.
• Appearance: Consistent browning and grill marks are important for premium products.

OctoCore Solution – Belt Grill

The OctoCore Belt Grill provides controlled contact cooking from both sides, making it well suited for fish fillets, portions and other products requiring fast, consistent surface cooking.

Key benefits include:

• Double-Sided Contact Cooking: Provides fast and uniform heat transfer.
• Consistent Appearance: Supports repeatable browning and grill results.
• Controlled Processing: Helps protect moisture and product quality.
• Continuous Production: Designed for efficient industrial processing.

Coating Fish & Seafood

Common Challenges in Coating

• Poor Adhesion: Batter or crumb can separate during further processing.
• Uneven Coverage: Inconsistent coating affects appearance and final product quality.
• Product Loss: Excess coating increases waste and production cost.

OctoCore Solution – Coating Equipment

OctoCore coating solutions prepare fish sticks, nuggets, fillets and other seafood products for frying or further cooking with controlled and repeatable coating application.

Key benefits include:

• Consistent Coverage: Supports uniform batter and crumb application.
• Flexible Recipes: Suitable for different coatings and product formats.
• Reduced Waste: Controlled application helps minimize excess coating.
• Line Integration: Can be combined with frying and downstream processing.

Frying Fish & Seafood

Common Challenges in Frying

• Coating Quality: Fish sticks and nuggets require controlled frying to set the coating without damaging the product.
• Oil Management: Crumbs and coating particles can quickly degrade frying oil.
• Consistency: Temperature fluctuations affect color, texture and oil uptake.

OctoCore Solution – Fryer & ClearOil

OctoCore frying solutions are designed for breaded and battered seafood products such as fish sticks, fish balls, fish nuggets, coated fillets and seafood portions.

Key benefits include:

• Controlled Frying: Stable temperatures support consistent color and texture.
• Flexible Processing: Suitable for pre-frying or fully frying different seafood products.
• Continuous Oil Filtration: ClearOil removes particles during production to support oil quality.
• Reduced Oil Waste: Better oil management can extend usable oil life and improve process consistency.

The current OctoCore portfolio includes both the industrial Fryer and ClearOil continuous filtration system.

Water Chilling Shrimp & Seafood

Common Challenges in Water Chilling Shrimp and Seafood

Industrial chilling of cooked shrimp is a crucial step in the processing chain, essential for halting the cooking
process. Efficient chilling plays a significant role in achieving the low infeed temperatures necessary for the
next stage of production—individually quick freezing (IQF).

• Lump Formation: Sticky textures make products prone to clumping during chilling.
• Surface Damage: Delicate items like shrimp antennas require gentle handling.
• Inconsistent Cooling: Uneven cooling can impact freezing efficiency and product quality.

OctoCore Solution – IF Chiller

The OctoCore IF Chiller ensures efficient and uniform cooling, preparing shrimp and seafood for the freezing process. Key benefits include:

• Gentle Cooling Technology: Use of ice-cold water with the rainshower system maintains the
  integrity of delicate
  seafood products.
• Optimal Temperature Reduction: Prepares products for freezing while preserving natural
  texture.
• Energy Efficiency: Reduces cooling costs due to water recirculation technology.
• Food safety: System temperature maintained below 6°C for optimal food safety.

IQF Freezing Shrimp & Seafood

Common Challenges in IQF Freezing Seafood

Common Challenges in IQF Freezing Shrimp and Seafood include:

• Preserving Appearance: Maintaining the natural shape and color, especially for shrimp antennas, is critical.
• Product Separation: Sticky products often clump together, reducing quality.
• Energy Consumption: High energy use in freezing impacts profitability and sustainability.

OctoCore Solution – IQF Freezer

The OctoCore IQF Freezer is designed to address the complexities of freezing shrimp and seafood, ensuring premium quality and efficiency. Key features include:

• Fluidization for Separation: Prevents lump formation, maintaining the natural appearance of products.
• Customizable Freezing Zones: Adjustable airflow ensures optimal freezing for various seafood types.
• Energy Efficiency: Saves up to 30% energy through frequency-controlled fans and rapid crust-freezing.
• Hygienic Design: Features easy-to-clean bedplates and a seamless design for superior food safety.

Impingement Freezing

Common Challenges in Impingement Freezing for Seafood

Seafood products, including shrimp, fish fillets, and other delicate marine items, require precise freezing techniques to maintain their natural appearance, texture, and moisture content. Some of the major challenges faced in impingement freezing seafood include:

• Minimizing Dehydration: Traditional freezing methods may cause moisture loss, affecting yield and overall product quality.
• Optimizing Freezing Efficiency: Seafood processors need high-capacity solutions with minimal footprint and energy consumption.
• Ensuring Food Safety and Hygiene: Seafood processing requires strict hygiene standards to avoid contamination.

OctoCore Solution

The OctoCore Impingement Freezer is designed to tackle these challenges, ensuring superior freezing performance for seafood products. With high-velocity air streams freezing products from both the top and bottom, it delivers a rapid and uniform freezing process.

Key Features include:

• High-Speed Freezing: Freezes seafood products in less than 10 minutes, reducing dehydration and preserving quality​.
• Multi-Layer Freezing for High Capacity: Uses up to three conveyor belt levels, significantly increasing production per factory footprint​.
• Glazing capabilities: Equipped with glazers at both ends of the freezer, processors can achieve up to 30% glazing with one glaze hardener.
• Improved Cleanability: Seamless design and easy access for cleaning ensure superior hygiene for seafood processing​.