Solutions for the Fish and Seafood Industry
Fresh and frozen fish & seafood products call for unique and innovative packaging solutions. Customers come to us for flexible machine options to package fillets, whole fish, shrimp, crab, lobster, octopus, scallops, and more.
We offer a wide range of options to meet your packaging goals. Whether you want to preserve freshness, or create an eye catching package, or both, we’ll work together to find the right option for your unique vision. The opportunities we can provide with flow wrapping, thermoforming, vacuum, skin, and modified atmosphere packaging are endless.
We have a fish and seafood solution to suit any packaging need. Our offerings range from manual loading machines to systems featuring integrated automatic loading and unloading and end-of-line units, all the way through to palletization.
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We’ve been working with HARPAK-ULMA for over a decade and have been very pleased with the company. In 2018, we received a loaner from HARPAK-ULMA to utilize their thermal skin-pack technology to vacuum-seal salmon for some of our major retail clients. We were so happy with the loaner equipment that we purchased our own TFS-507 skin packer in February 2020. We knew this equipment would help us maintain our company's competitive edge and improve efficiency. The TFS-507 gives us the latest skin-pack wrapping technology and has eliminated any sealing issues we dealt with in the past. The self-forming tray it creates makes us more efficient by saving money and speeding up production. We've also been able to expand our product offerings because of the varying product sizes the machinery accommodates. We appreciate that HARPAK-ULMA has a strong team based in the United States, maintains a good supply of spare parts, and has adequate technical support available in case any issues arise. We've developed a great rapport with HARPAK-ULMA and are very satisfied with their equipment and customer service.
Seafood Packaging Applications
Modified Atmosphere
Since oxygen speeds up the process of spoilage, Modified Atmosphere Packaging, or MAP, lowers or eliminates oxygen inside the packaging. The air in the package is flushed with gas mixtures that help extend the product’s shelf life. Some common gases used are carbon dioxide, oxygen, and nitrogen. Nitrogen is used to prevent oxidation and helps prevent package collapse. MAP can be done on thermoformers, tray sealers and flow wrappers.
Vacuum
Vacuum packing is a method of packaging that removes air and all of its contaminants from the package prior to sealing. On thermoformers, this method involves creating a cavity by heating and forming the film into a desired shape, then sealing the package. Vacuum packaging can be done on thermoformers, tray sealers and flow wrappers.
Skin
Both films are sealed over the entire surface, with specially designed films used on the top layer to enhance appearance. Self liquid retention prevents the product’s exudation, delaying microbial growth. The product can also be displayed vertically. Skin packaging can be done on thermoformers and tray sealers.
Flow
Flow packing can be horizontal, using a single film coil with three weldings: two cross-weldings and one longitudinal welding. It can also be vertical, with machines forming a tube of film around a product and creating a longitudinal seal along the pack, and another two transversal ones. This technology is completely hygienic with high production requirements.
Shrink
Shrink film can be used for fresh or frozen products. A 10K breathable film can be used for fresh fish for a sealed, leak resistant package. A standard polyolefin has holes to allow the film to shrink, and is used on frozen product.
Case-Ready
Once used mainly in the meat packaging industry, case-ready packaging is now starting to catch on in the fish and seafood market. Using modified atmosphere, skin packaging, master bag flow wrapping and other techniques, fish and seafood can be packaged at a central location and distributed to retail stores, ready to place on the shelves. Learn more >
Seafood Packaging Machines
Flow Wrapping
Flow Wrapping is ideal for both food and non-food products, offering resealable options as well as MAP to prolong shelf life.
Flow Wrapping
Learn MoreThermoforming
Thermoforming creates a horizontal form, fill, and seal from roll stock, with the ability to do MAP, vacuum and skin applications.
Thermoforming
Learn MoreTray Sealing
Tray sealing machines heat seal a plastic film to the tray's flange. It can be used with MAP technology to extend shelf life.
Tray Sealing
Learn MoreVertical Bagging
Vertical bagging machines use a single film coil to create a package with three weldings, ideal for loose or granulated products.
Vertical Bagging
Learn MoreFull-Line Automation
Primary packaging, secondary packaging, palletizing, stretch wrapping, robotics and centralized line control.
Product to Pallet Automation
Learn MoreSeafood Packaging Videos
Fresh salmon packaged on ULMA flow wrapping machine
Whole crabs packaged on ULMA TFS thermoforming machine
Salmon packaged on G. Mondini Trave tray sealing machine, using skin packaging technology on an aluminum tray
Tuna packaged on G. Mondini Trave tray sealing machine
Frozen fish fillets packaged on ULMA vertical bagging machine
