Technology and

Livelihood Education
(TLE)

Food (Fish) Processing

Quarter 2/ Module 3

MELCs: Complete Inspection and Sorting Activity

(TLE_AFFP9IS-IIi-j-3)

Department of Education ●
Republic of the Philippines
MODULE 3: Complete Inspection and Sorting Activity

LO 3.1 Cleaning and Storing Equipment and tools after used.

The importance of proper cleaning can be appreciated when one realizes that
contaminated equipment (equipment and utensils which are not clean) is another major cause
of food-borne disease outbreaks. Cleaning comprises many operations in the food
establishment, and the process is usually specific to the type of cleaning necessary. No

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cleaning task in the food establishment is as important as the cleaning and sanitization of food
contact surfaces of equipment and utensils.

Types of Mechanical Cleaning Aids

The use of mechanical cleaning aids is highly desirable to reduce the time and increase
the efficiency of the cleanup. These mechanical cleaning aids are (a) brushes, (2) brooms,
(3) mops, (4) scrapers, (5) sponges, (6) water hoses, (7) low pressure and high temperature
units, (8) high pressure water units, and (9) steam guns.

1. Brushes- come from various types and essential for general cleaning purposes.
Synthetic fiber brushes and epoxy vinyl brushes are very useful. Brushes with wire
bristles are not advisable for they may break off and many equipment surfaces may be
scratched by the wire, moreover, they are useful for removing rust or paint.

2. Brooms – are desirable if it fits the contour of the surfaces being cleaned, they should
have handles long enough to enable the user to reach the surfaces easily.

3. Mops – are essential for continuous cleaning of floor, once the floor is wet it needs to be
mopped out to avoid accident as wet floor may become slippery and to maintain
neatness.

4. Scrapers – are used to remove stubborn or dirt.

5. Sponges –are useful to wipe the walls of the laboratory as well as the lavatory and
working tables.

6. Water hoses – water is the best cleaning tool, hoses equipped with automatic shutoff
valves can be of great help. There are various types of nozzles for valve outlets
according to cleaning purposes: for cleaning deep cracks, use a small jet type; flat
surface, use a fin type; for cleaning around and under equipment, use bent type while
the spray-head brush combination type is for cleaning surfaces where combined
brushing and washing are needed.

7. Low pressure high temperature units – are usually consisted of a detergent tank
which is steam heated and pump capable of creating a pressure of about 50 pounds per
square inch (psi) and hoses that are lightweight and equipped with adjustable nozzles.
Both portable and stationary units are used depending on plant conditions. They are
used for applying strong detergents and also for detergent application ahead of high
pressure cleaning, to aid in removing grease, oil, burn-on and others.

8. High pressure water units – may either be movable or stationary, movable units are
generally small and are well adapted for small areas while stationary units are installed
with high pressures lines piped to the various departments for cleaning. Some are
equipped with mechanism for mixing detergent solutions with water, others deliver hot
water with or without detergent while others may add air. The water pressure of this unit
to be effective must be over 15 psi and the steam presure above 50 psi.

9. Steam guns –that produce a jet of hot water at a somewhat lower pressure when mix
with water or detergent solution is best for cleaning purposes.

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LO 3.2 Principle of “5S”

"5S" is a structured program to systematically achieve total organization, cleanliness,

and standardization in the workplace. A well-organized workplace results in a safer, more
efficient, and more productive operation.  It boosts the morale of the workers, promoting a sense
of pride in their work and ownership of their responsibilities.
      
The "5S" was invented in Japan, and stands for five (5) Japanese words that start with
the letter 'S': Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu, and Shitsuke.  Table 1 shows what these individual
words mean. An equivalent set of five 'S' words in English have likewise been adopted by many,
to preserve the "5S" acronym in English usage. These are: Sort, Set (in place), Sanitize,
Standardize, and Sustain. 
                                        
Table 1. Meaning of “5S”
Japanese
English Equivalent Meaning in Japanese Context
Term
Throw away all rubbish and unrelated materials in the
Seiri Sort
workplace
Set everything in proper place for quick retrieval and
Seiton Set
storage
Seiso Sanitization Clean the workplace; everyone should be a janitor
Seiketsu Standardize Standardize the way of maintaining cleanliness
Practice 'Five S' daily - make it a way of life; this also
Shitsuke Sustain
means 'commitment'
                   

LO 3.3 Proper Waste Disposal

A. Waste Management in the Philippines

Fishery industry in developing country like the Philippines is based on small or medium
scale operations, considerable percentage of fish landings is handled and processed in
processing plants. Processing waste is frequently discarded into the environment without any
treatment because of lack of capital investment and space to install waste treatment facilities. In
highly industrialized countries, limit of waste discharge have been legally establish to protect the
environment. In fisheries, the waste can have harmful effect to the environment if not properly
disposed of.

In the Philippines, waste management is under the jurisdiction and management of the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). There are existing laws, rules and
regulation relative to waste management in fish processing establishments which has to be
implemented prior to its operation. Public awareness is now increasingly felt in the Philippines
with regards to the effects of pollutants to the environment as well as the products derived from
it. Based on records, pollutants derived from industrial waste and emission has reach its
equilibrium and is now affecting earth’s ozone layer.

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 The type and quality of waste generated from processing establishment depends on the
type of processing operation and product being manufactured. Almost 60% of the waste is
discarded while still on the fishing ground.

Roughly 40% of fish landed is discarded as waste at various stages of processing,

marketing and consumption. Waste from processing comprises mostly of solid and liquid matter.
Waste from oyster and crab picking plant may account from nearly 75 to 80% of the weight of
raw materials (Subasinghe, 1994). Majority of the solid materials are biodegradable by the
action of enzymes and bacteria. The huge consumption of water during handling and marketing
especially during the various processing operations accounts for several times the actual solid
waste generated. Accumulation of such waste can produce noxious odors, which can attract
flies, rodents and pests that can cause hygienic problems in the plant.

B. Types of Waste from Fishery Products

 Solid waste: body parts such as heads, scales, viscera, fins, bones, blood, skins, mollusk
shells, crustaceans heads, exoskeleton
 Liquid waste: wash/process water containing particles of solid waste or a
suspension of solid waste, cook water, drip and oil.
 Materials of non-fish origin: detergents, grease and oil, organic/inorganic
compounds, additives, colorings and other ingredients used as processing aids, cooling water,
bleaching agents, laboratory chemicals.
 Emissions: steam and water vapor, chlorine, carbon dioxide, and other
gases, organic compounds with a low boiling point.

The quantity of solid processing waste is directly related to the volume of raw materials
being processed and the end products. The yield of meat recovery is directly proportional to the
solid waste produced. The higher the meat recovered the lesser the solid waste. In surimi
production, the yield is as low as 20% of the original raw materials and 80% is being discarded
in various stages of the processing.

LO 3.4 The Three R's: Reduce, Reuse and Recycle

Reduce, Reuse and Recycle – are help to cut down on the amount of waste we throw away.
They conserve natural resources, landfill space and energy. Plus, the three R's save land and
money communities must use to dispose of waste in landfills. Sitting a new landfill has become
difficult and more expensive due to environmental regulations and public opposition.

REDUCE. Means using fewer resources in the first place. This is the most effective of
the three R's and the place to begin. The best way to manage waste is not produce it.

REUSE. Before you recycle or dispose of anything, consider whether it has life left in it.
It makes economic and environmental sense to reuse products.

RECYCLE. Recycling is the "R" that has caught on the best. Partly, this is because there
are so many curb side recycling programs today (8,660 as of 2006, according to the EPA),
which makes recycling so darned easy. Recycling is a series of steps that takes a used material
and processes, remanufactures, and sells it as a new product.

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 Effective cleaning and sanitization of food contact surfaces of equipment and utensils
serve two primary purposes:

• Reduces chances for contaminating safe food during processing, preparation,

storage and service by physically removing soil, bacteria and other microorganisms; and

• Minimizes the chances of transmitting disease organisms to the consumer by

achieving bacteriologically safe eating utensils.

Lo 3.5 Environmental Protection and Concerns Related to Fish/Food Processing

A. Environmental Issues and Concerns on Fish/Food Processing Industries

Environmental issues in fish processing industries primarily include the following: Water
consumption and wastewater generation, solid waste generation and by-products production,
emission to air and energy consumption.

1. Water Consumption. Most seafood processors have a high baseline water use for
cleaning plant and equipment. Therefore, water use per unit product decreases
rapidly as production volume increases.

Major Sources of Water Consumption

1. Fish storage and transport

2. Cleaning, freezing and thawing
3. Preparation of brines
4. Equipment sprays
5. Offal transport; cooling water
6. Steam generation
7. Equipment and floor cleaning.

Factors Affecting Water Use

1. Type of product processed

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 2. Scale of the operation
3. Process used
4. Level of water minimization practices in place
(Environment Canada, 1994a).

General cleaning contributes significantly to total water demand so smaller-scale sites

tend to have significantly higher water use per unit of production.

2. Energy Consumption. Seafood processing industries consumes large quantities of

electrical energy.

Uses of Power/Energy

1. For magnetic induction equipment, such as electric motors (compressors for

freezers, cold stores, ice-making machines, water pumps, etc.)
2. For lighting that requires magnetic ballasts
3. For air conditioning [UNEP, 1999].

For fish and fish meal processing energy is required for cooling, cooking, sterilizing,
drying, evaporation, can cleaning, fork-lifting.
For wastewater treatment energy is applied for pumping and aerating. Energy
consumption depends on various factors like age and scale of plant, the level of automation and
the range of products. Processes which involve heating, such as canning and fishmeal
production need more energy than other processes (UNEP, 2000).

3. Effluent Discharge.
Effluent is also known as liquid waste. Effluent streams generated from seafood
processing contain high loads of organic matter due to the presence of oils, proteins
and suspended solids. They can also contain high levels of phosphates and nitrates
Fish processing industries have been known to pollute nearby beaches and
shores by releasing wastewater containing oils. Since oil floats on water, it can end
up on the surrounding coastline.

Sources of Effluent from Fish Processing

1. Handling and storage of raw fish prior to processing

2. Fluming of fish and product around the plant
3. Defrosting
4. Gutting
5. Scaling
6. Portioning and filleting of fish
7. Washing of fish products.

Sources of Effluent in Canning Operations

1. Draining of cans after precooking

2. Spillage of sauces, brines and oil in the can filling process
3. Condensate generated during precooking.

Factors Affecting Effluent Quality

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 1. Type of fish being processed
2. Type of processing undertaken

Effects of Effluent Discharge

1. Eutrophication (the process by which a body of water becomes rich in

dissolved nutrients from fertilizers or sewage, thereby encouraging the growth
and decomposition of oxygen-depleting plant life and resulting in harm to
other organisms)

2. Oxygen depletion.

4. Emission to Air Point-Source Emission. These emissions are exhausted into a

vent or stack and emitted through a single point source to the atmosphere. The major air
pollution sources in a typical seafood industry are from combustion sources like boiler and
generators for electric power. Boiler is used for steam supply during pre-cooking and
sterilization process. The examples of fuels used in the boilers are electricity, fuel oil, coal and
LPG. [UNEP, 1999]

5. Odor. Odor is often the most significant form of air pollution in fish processing.
Major Sources of Odor

1. Storage sites for processing waste

2. Cooking by-products during fish meal production
3. Fish drying processes
4. Odor emitted during filling
5. Emptying of bulk tanks and silos.

Fish quality may deteriorate under the anaerobic conditions found in onboard storage on
fishing processing facilities. This deterioration causes the formation of odorous compounds such
as ammonia, mercaptans, and hydrogen sulphide gas [National Pollutant Inventory. June,
1999].

6. Noise Pollution. Noise is not a significant problem in seafood industries. Noise

may be generated during cutting, pre-cooking, filing and weighing the can, can seaming and
sterilization. The noise measurements at any sources in the process do not exceed the standard
of Maximum Sound Level (140 dB) [Ministry of Interior, 1976]

7. Solid waste generation. Solid waste is mainly in the form of organic wastes
generated in the production processes. It consists of fish shells and heads from the seafood
processing. The majority of captured species are ground fish and it is estimated that only 25-
50% of the raw material is utilized for primary products. The remaining 50-75% of the raw
material is considered processing waste and is utilized for low-valued products or disposed.
Seafood processing activities generate potentially large quantities of organic waste and by-
products from inedible fish parts and endoskeleton shell parts from the crustacean peeling
process. The waste generation depends on the species and the process.

LO 3.5 Manufacturer’s Requirements

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 Uses of Manufacturer’s Specifications

Every equipment, tool and utensil that are purchased are accompanied with a manual
containing specifications as to how they are used, manipulated or operated, cared for and
stored to lengthen their serviceability.

When using any equipment, tool or device it is important to read and understand the
manufacturer’s specifications in order to properly or accurately use or manipulate them and
prevent any accident that may occur due to ignorance or lack of information pertaining to their
correct usage. To be familiar with all information pertaining to food processing equipment results
to systematic, orderly and accurate accomplishment of tasks.

A food processor, however, must know the essential information regarding the
equipment in terms of how they must be operated or used in accordance with the
manufacturer’s specifications.
Before operating any equipment, it is important to be familiar with the manufacturer’s
specifications, which include:
1. Handling requirements
2. Operating requirements
3. Discharge label
4. Reporting
5. Testing
6. Positioning
7. Refilling

How to Interpret Manufacturer’s Specifications

Food processing equipment when sold are provided with a manual containing the
manufacturer’s specifications and a necessary reminder to the processor in the form of a sticker
or Warning Label, attached to the equipment itself as an assurance that the equipment/machine
or tool is in excellent condition for it has passed quality control in its construction.
The specification usually gives a detailed description about the equipment dimensions,
materials, and other relevant information regarding the equipment or machine.
The dimension gives the measurement of the size of an object in terms of length, width,
or height of the equipment/machine or tool.
The capacity specifies the measurement of the amount, which a device can hold or
contain as in boilers, cooker, or steamers or a weighing scale.
The manufacturer’s specifications are usually contained in the manual, which
accompanies the equipment. The food processor must thoroughly read and understand all the
information contained in the manual especially if the equipment is to be operated electrically.
Aside from knowing the correct operation of the equipment or machine, it is also important to
know this information:

1. Basic safety precautions to follow when using the equipment

2. Warning labels which specify how to properly operate an equipment
3. Instructions on the proper care of the equipment/machine
4. Instructions on the correct operation of the equipment

The manufacturer’s specifications must be thoroughly read and understood by the food
processor and sees to it that he interpreted them in such a way that a food processing
equipment can be properly operated.

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 It is Important to follow manufacturer’s instructions for your own safety and to protect
your product or purchase. Some instructions are in warning form while others are instructions on
how to use that product. Warning instructions are like “do not place in contact with fire” this is
because the product is flammable and not following this instruction can cause an explosion
resulting to injuries.
Below are some examples of manufacturer’s specifications, which must be properly
interpreted resulting to an accurate and safe operation/manipulation of an equipment/machine:

How to Seal Tin Cans with Hand Automatic Can Sealer

1. Fasten sealer firmly to table or armchair using clamp.
2. Attach crank to worm shaft and tighten set screw.
3. Change the chuck, height washers, and levers to the size of can to be
sealed.
4. Lower base plate by turning can lifter handle as far as possible to the
left.
5. Place cover on can and set can on base plate.
6. Place the first operation roll and rivet in the first adjusting lever.
7. Raise can until it is clamped firmly between base plate and chuck.
8. Turn crank clockwise (eleven turns) until the first operation roll is
through half sealing. After half – sealing, the cans are placed in the
pressure cooker for 15 minutes exhausting to form vacuum.
10. After exhausting the cans, remove first operation roll and put the
Second operation rolls and rivet in the adjusting lever.
11. Turn crank clockwise (ten turns) until the second operation roll returns
to its normal position away from the chuck.
12. Release sealed cans by turning can lifter handle as far as possible to
the left. The machine is now ready to receive another can for sealing.

Directions for Use of the Hydrometer

1. Clean the hydrometer thoroughly and dry it before using it each time. Handle with clean
dry hands or with clean cloth.
2. Use with fluid juices, otherwise if the liquid to be tested is thick or slimy, the resting point
of the hydrometer will be uncertain.
3. Pour a small quantity of the juice into a glass cylinder and drop the hydrometer carefully.
4. Make sure that the instrument is floating freely and touches neither the bottom nor the
sides of the cylinder.
5. To read correctly, set eye level with the surface of the liquid.
6. Since the specific gravity of juices varies with temperature, bring the juice to the standard
temperature for which the hydrometer is adjusted usually 16ᵒC or 60ᵒF or make the
necessary corrections in the reading. Add 0.1% for every 3ᵒ above the standard and
subtract 0.1% for every 3ᵒ.