Fish products are becoming more popular with European consumers again, and surimi is an important part of this. This fashionable product, produced from fillets of various species of fish, already has a 900-year history in Japan. Although surimi is part of traditional fish cuisine there, it has only become valued in Western countries recently. Its universal application and the possibilities for varying taste and appearance are already making surimi one of the most important fish products of the future.

 

In the process to obtain it, GEA Westfalia Separator decanters have become established instead of conventional screw presses. Moreover, the company is the only centrifuge builder worldwide to supply separators for cold separation. This innovation has made still more significant improvements in yield and efficiency.

 

Surimi is often produced on board the fishing fleet, primarily using the Alaskan pollock, a species of cod from the North Pacific. South America uses mainly jack mackerel, whilst in Asia, various species of sardinella are used.

 

The surimi process consists primarily of mincing and washing fish fillets. Unwanted constituents such as bones, skin, carbohydrates and blood are washed out. The result is a fish mass rich in protein, virtually neutral in taste and colour and ideally suited for individual further processing. After the multi-stage washing process, the protein fibers are concentrated and deep-frozen.