US seafood importer South Pacific Specialties is upgrading its Miami processing operations with modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) technology amid vertical integration push in South America and Asia.
The company also expects to strengthen the sales of swordfish, tuna and mahi mahi from vertical integration partnerships, reports Undercurrent News, with extra MAP production capacity at the building it currently leases by early next month.
South Pacific operations vice president Gabriel Holch said that the company can handle more oxygen reducing packing capabilities once it relocates to the new plant scheduled by the end of 2015.
The MAP process will be used by South Pacific with its Dawson Bay brand as well as other companies' brands it packs, Holch said.
As told to Undercurrent News, Holch believes that MAP packing has the potential of making supermarkets more cost effective by adding seven to ten days of shelf life, lessening labor time and reducing product shrinkage by around 5%.
For MAP processing, South Pacific will initially focus on fresh Atlantic salmon, steelhead trout and swordfish first.
The company will then significantly use MAP on fresh or refreshed premium offerings from vertical integration partnerships in Indonesia, Peru and Chile.