Delivering high-quality products
& extended shelf life
We offer compact slurry ice machines for smaller applications.
The benefits or using slurry ice are now also available for smaller applications. With the small series from Thor Ice, smaller boats are able to bring to shore the most fresh raw material possible. Using slurry ice has proven to be an effective quality boost for whitefish, pelagic, shellfish and on-shore processing.
For fishermen and vessel owners, chilling in bins gives the best and fastest possible effect available in today’s chilling industry. Using slurry ice also allows them to stay at sea for longer as this form of chilling extends the shelf life of raw products.
Correct chilling and handling has a major effect on the quality of fish, whether it is frozen or delivered fresh. Within the first hour after the catch comes on board the vessel, the fish should have reached a temperature close to or under 0°C. This can best be achieved by rapid chilling, using slurry ice. The positive effect of the “perfect” or correct handling of fish can be seen in the flesh and the shelf life is a direct consequence of the first hour of handling.
The most important factors to keep in mind concerning the benefits of rapid chilling are:
Processing of fish, whether on land or at sea, demands careful handling and constant monitoring of temperature. Slurry ice is used in land-based processing where the slurry ice is used in bins or applied onto the fish on the conveyor belts containing fish or fillets as they travel between stations. This secures constant low temperature of the raw product. At the final station the raw product has kept its low temperature all the way from chilling after the catch to the final processing or packing stage.
Modern fisheries have developed enormously during the last 20-30 years. Handling, trimming, packaging, and storing have undergone constant and well planned development phases. The next development phase is the chilling phase where chilling of raw material within the processing hall becomes the norm. Fast and rapid chilling of the raw product from catch to consumer is the ultimate goal of any fishery and fish-processing industry in the world.
The world’s growing fish farming industry is in need of environmentally friendly processing methods to meet customer standards and increasing demand.
Thor Ice’s slurry ice system uses ammonia and CO2 as a refrigerant to produce slurry ice, one of only a few companies in the world to do so.