[Reduce loss from 200 kg of oysters to zero] Improve loss and expand business with rapid freezer

Company Name:

Tsunagi Fisheries Cooperative Association

Person in charge:

Mr. Miyayama

Industry:

fishing port

Frozen items:

seafood

prefectures:

Kumamoto Prefecture

assignment

I was wondering if there was a way to make effective use of the oysters that had been lost.

We would like to sell rare red-legged shrimp all year round.

Background of considering the introduction of rapid freezer

I was wondering if there was a way to make effective use of the oysters that had been lost.

The Tsunagi Fisheries Cooperative started farming oysters three years ago. The cultivated oysters were served at oyster sheds or sold wholesale to restaurants. However, they still cannot sell all the oysters and end up losing them.

Therefore, I was wondering if there was a way to use these oysters.

That's when I learned about rapid freezing. I thought it would be possible to make effective use of oysters that would otherwise have been wasted by stocking them up and using them as raw materials for products.

Regarding funding, we decided to implement it because we were told that we could use subsidies from the town.

Effects after introducing rapid freezer

Oyster loss was reduced to zero, and we were able to increase sales that we had never had before.

By rapid freezing oysters, which previously would have been wasted, it is now possible to stock them as ingredients for products. Therefore, there has been no loss of oysters since the introduction of the machine.

In addition, by rapid freezing red-legged shrimp, which is said to be rare due to its low catch, it is now possible to sell it as a side dish at oyster huts. Currently, we wholesale to restaurants in Kanto, Kansai, and other areas.

I'm happy that we're able to generate enough sales to recoup the cost of rapid freezer in a few years by selling red-legged shrimp, which we didn't do in the first place.

Additionally, when the fishing cooperative is not using the equipment, it is lent to nearby farmers and fishermen. rapid freezer they are using was installed using a subsidy from the town. For this reason, we lend rapid freezer only to people in town.

The people we are actually lending them to are people who freeze fish in the form of fillets, and people who use frozen fruit as ingredients to make smoothies and sell them starting this summer. By renting out rapid freezer, the Fisheries Association is able to make effective use of the machines even when they are not using them.

Depending on the time of year, the need for rapid freezer increases and they may be in operation almost every day.

Customer feedback

We hear that it is just as delicious as raw.

I can tell you it's very delicious.

To be honest, at first I thought it would be fine as long as I could grill frozen oysters and serve them deliciously. However, even if you eat raw seafood, customers often find it delicious.

We had an Italian chef come to Tsunagi and we had the opportunity to eat red-legged shrimp that had been rapid freezing and stored for about six months as sashimi. At that time, it was well received, saying it was just as delicious as raw.

Future outlook

We will start selling products using ingredients that were wasted using rapid freezer

Currently, we are making products using frozen seafood such as oysters, shrimp, and squid.

With rapid freezing, products can be stored for long periods of time, so you can start selling products with relatively low inventory risk.

In the future, we plan to promote sales of such products.