A compact scallop grading system enhances operations for American Seafood’s New Bedford plant

American Seafoods International processes a line of Frionor-brand Sea Scallops in its New Bedford, USA plant that are harvested off the New England and Canadian coasts. The operation has been quite successful, and a key factor to the company’s success is the compact and accurate Marel grading system.

Marel’s grading system delivers 95% accuracy in size grading, compared to the industry average of 50% to 85%. The system eliminates product handling, and has allowed the New Bedford plant to maximize quality, increase yield and virtually eliminate pieces in their finished product packs. 
  
Plant manger Jens Eysteinsson, a relocated Icelander who has extensive experience in the seafood industry, has been involved with the scallop operation from the start. “Jeff Davis, CEO of American Seafood, decided to build a scallop plant in a facility the company owned in New Bedford. We redesigned the space and started operations in January 2001,” explains Jens. “Initially, we processed frozen scallops, but in March 2002 we started processing fresh scallops as well, which today accounts for almost half of production.”

“The accuracy of the grading system is one of the things that makes us different from the rest of the pack,”  says Jens Eysteinsson, Plant Manager.

Highly automated operation
“We invested in machinery to optimise yield, labour and quality. The result is a highly automated plant that employs around 20 people,” says Jens. “Usually, scallop operations are not overly sophisticated, but they require careful attention both in terms of quality of incoming product, and handling during processing in order to maximize yield.’’

A plant apart from the rest
“Our scallop operation is one of the most automated and least labour intensive grading and packing plants in the industry. This is the result of a two-fold process: 1) we knew that we needed an excellent protocol of incoming raw material weight, and Marel’s inweighing equipment solved that need ideally. 2) We needed accuracy, and a system that would give us the key processing information, including volume, costs, throughput and inventories in different segments of the operation. We concluded that the only product that could fulfil these needs was the Marel Scallop Grading system. The accuracy of the system is one of the factors that makes us different from the rest of the pack,” says Jens.”  

Increased demand for accuracy
“We do both fresh and frozen product for specific customers,” says Jens. If a customer requires a specific size of product in a narrow range–as many restaurant chains do–the Marel grading system easily handles it. Restaurants and retail chains are very pleased with the uniform product we supply, which not only lowers their raw material costs, but also ensures more standardised cooking times.

“As customers become more demanding, we need to be able to deliver to tight specifications. The Marel system allows us this flexibility,” says Jens. “Many of our competitors grade by hand, while others use side graders, which have limited accuracy: they only provide a size accuracy of 65-70% while the Marel system has a product-group accuracy rate of 95%. This makes a huge difference, and there is only one company that makes graders like this, and that’s Marel.”

….good way to do business
“The benefits of employing the Marel grading system in our operation are clear: improved accuracy, increased monitoring of raw material, elimination of pieces and increased yield of finished product. Monitoring the weight of incoming raw material is a very important factor for us, as is high accuracy in processing and grading,” says Jens. “Having a system that accounts for every pound in the process keeps our customers happy, and increases our profits–a that’s a good way to do business.”