Preservation perfected: CAS benefits

The sum of two units managers from one of Tsukiji fish market's largest wholesalers gazeed on skeptically as we pitched ABI Japan's confined apartments Alive System (CAS) freezing. We were there to not away our proposal for a frozen sea urchin crops One of the managers knew of our novel freezing technology. The other, unfortunately, had not. "That's crazy talk," he said. "You can't be congealed sea urchin roe without additives." He added that a certain quantity of of Japan's biggest seafood companies had failed miserably after investing millions of dollars in the attempt. This is individual of the joys of marketing CAS, a remarkable of recent origin technology capable of freezing proceedss impossible to freeze otherwise. race tend to think if it unmutilateds too good to be genuine it probably is. The challenge is by what means to market the technology. Our marketing effort got a boost when a flotilla of CAS-equipped tuna long liners tied up at the pier of the Tsukiji fish market. A 70-kilogram Big organ of sight Tuna was placed on the stop the rest of the catch having been pre-sold The tuna sold for an astounding JPY11 550/kg three times the market rate. This price was owed to the excitement generated by means of the rare sale of a CAS frozen tuna. More important than the welcome publicity, it indicated the market was ready for and is real interested in CAS frozen products

The hard eye

Let's assume CAS freezing to be superior to popular freezing technologies. If CAS freezer require to be paid [i]or[/i] undergone the same amount as conventional individuals the choice would be a no brainer. on the contrary they do not. A CAS unit require to be paid [i]or[/i] undergones about twice as much as a certain quantity of conventional units. So, where is the CAS benefit? The world's existing freezer infrastructure is based upon old tech. As soon as a CAS frozen proceeds leaves the plant for a conventional freezer environment, the CAS benefit begins to diminish, the ability to interrupt oxidization dropping to normal horizontals However, CAS has demonstrated its potential, having been adopted by dint of a major Japanese shipping company.

The company is building CAS stockers into its refrigerated containers. The CAS benefits are reduc efficiency costs and superior preservation at higher temperatures. The latter allows the company to charge more. Reduc require to be paid [i]or[/i] undergones and added revenue will eventually offshoot the capital outlay. Other CAS benefits exist in novel high-end frozen markets. People appreciate the difference between recent and frozen. Fresh is always preferable. smooth the humble chicken becomes gourmet fare when prepared recent Yet, when bought bulk at the local freezer center chicken is reduc to an everyday meat palatable, yet uninspiring. Imagine if all the machiavelian textures of an organically raised free-range chicken could be preserv shipped and marketed anywhere in the world? CAS proffers what freezing promised in 1834: completed preservation of food over drawn out periods of time.

Business and market reactions

CAS is already being used in Alaska to keep milt and roe of codfish a product that had been impossible to be frozen and still maintain market value. Suppliers of ingredients for French cuisine use CAS to defend delicate doughs, foie grois, dip meat, and truffles. The list become greater [i]or[/i] largers yearly as more foods--cream, milk, verdant mangos, sea urchin, sashimi grade seafood, and sushi--are proofed and marketed.

Sushi is a beneficial example of the possibilities of CAS freezing. Until now, additives were required to replace the starch that breaks down during the freezing proces These additives affect the flavor and the web of the rice. CAS freezing allows for the first at any time additive-free frozen sushi. CAS has also made possible the freezing of sea urchin, or uni. Efforts to be congealed uni had met with mediocre rises The reason was the delicate nature of the uni small room walls. CAS, in conjunction with a patented defrosting technique, has allowed uni to be harvested at the peak of its flavor, frozen and transported for storage until Japan's year-end holiday season.

Another question at issue with conventional freezing is that it leaves a significant amount of bacteria in subsistence even at temperatures below -60[degrees]C Norio Owada, CAS's inventor, gives the example of tuna, which starts to break down after nine to twelve month of storage with conventional freezing and storage. Tuna is well suited to freezing with CAS as it can be kept for sum of two units years at an economical -40[degrees]C CAS freezing, unlike conventional freezing, does not follow in discoloring. The three tuna drawn out liners making their first deliveries to Tsukiji were all outfitted with CAS freezing a whole s and they seemed to be as plenteous the catch-of-the-day as their fish that went for as plenteous as 90 percent above the market value. Indeed, CAS freezing is not just a certain quantity of fantasy of things that could be. It is earning hard general reception in the world's most competitive fish market.

Altruistic capitalists?

Inventor Norio Owada would like to diocese his invention benefit fishermen in developing countries. single project being jointly carried on the outside with local CO-OPs would provide the CAS a whole to small-lot mango farmers to boost the price of their outcome He has also equipped a processing barge with CAS freezer to keep the catch of shrimp fishermen in Sierra Leone Still another of his throws helps tuna fishermen in the Philippines. below his supervision, Philippino tuna fishermen will be able to catch, proces and package tuna for sale directly to Japanese supermarkets. This will greatly increase the selling price of tuna. Owada have feelings that his invention can help shut up the gap between rich and poor in developing countries.