Shifting Consumer Habits and the Growing Demand for Frozen Products

The COVID-19 pandemic unquestionably altered consumer habits – one of those changes is the increased consumption of frozen seafood. Ready-to-cook fillets, fish sticks, and pre-cooked fish burgers became a larger part of diets. And, as the trend toward wellness continues, for most consumers (81%), eating more seafood is a way to improve diet and overall health. 

According to a 2023 report by the Food Industry Association, in 2019 sales of fresh seafood were higher than sales of frozen. However, in 2020, this trend reversed, and frozen seafood sales took the lead. As of 2022, frozen seafood sales still outpaced fresh despite a 2.8% decline in the category. 

The Challenge of Bone Inspection

The rising popularity of frozen seafood and the need to increase production have presented new challenges for processors. One such challenge is verifying that all bones have been successfully removed. While consumers may tolerate the occasional bone in fresh seafood, they expect frozen products to be completely bone-free. This expectation puts pressure on processors to both increase production volume and maintain their high product quality and safety standards.

To meet these two goals, it has become crucial for processors to use an in-line X-ray system that reliably detects any bones that may have been missed during the deboning step. 

In general, bone detection using X-rays can be challenging as X-ray systems detect foreign material based on the difference in density between the product and the contaminant.  Bones tend to be low-density and therefore absorb less X-ray energy. As a result, bones can seem to blend in with the surrounding tissue and not be easily differentiated from the rest of the product on an X-ray image. 

Bones also vary in density depending on the animal species and age. For example, animals that are processed at a more mature age such as beef cattle, have a higher calcium content in their bones, making the bones denser and easier to detect using X-rays. In contrast, broilers – which are slaughtered when quite young – have less dense bones, leading to a larger minimum detectable size. 

Although the same species and age factors apply to fish, detecting bones in seafood has another level of difficulty. This is because, in general, fish have lower density overall and thus less difference between the densities of the fish and the fish bones for an X-ray to detect. For example, boneless pork meat has a density of about 1.090 g/cm³ while the density of Atlantic salmon ranges from 0.01 – 0.015 g/cm³ – or only about .92% to 1.38%  that of the pork meat. A fish like rainbow trout is even less dense – ranging between 0.008 – 0.015 g/cm³.  This low density not only makes bone detection difficult but also makes reinspection and rework problematic as the product could lose its shape with additional handling. 

                               Source: Anritsu 

A Technology Up to the Challenge 

To meet the quality and safety needs of seafood processors, Anritsu has developed the DualX+ Fish X-ray. This X-ray system is based on Anritsu XR75 DualX technology, which was originally developed to improve bone detection in chicken. DualX+ Fish offers enhanced sensitivity via an HD Dual Energy Sensor and proprietary detection algorithms that make bones more visible in raw fish applications – with the ability to detect pin bones with a thickness as small as 0.5mm. The system features an IP69k build and has been engineered to better withstand the harsh environments of fish processing plants.  The DualX+ Fish X-ray can be integrated into existing production streams, providing inspection of products in real-time as they move through the line.

This advanced X-ray technology is key for seafood processors – enabling them to increase production and meet consumer expectations for bone-free products without compromising fillet quality. By integrating Anritsu DualX+ Fish X-ray technology into their lines, processors can ensure that their frozen seafood products consistently meet the high standards demanded in today’s market.