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Caladero's headquarters in Zaragoza, Spain combines plush offices with a massive processing plant for modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) seafood products. The company has invested E110 million ($146 million) in the development. The 58,000-square-meter factory, which the company says is the largest fresh fish plant in the world, will be at full processing capacity by the end of 2011. Carlos Amoros Lopez de la Nieta, founder and director general of Caladero, says exports are part of the company's plan to utilize the full capacity of the plant. At the moment, its major customer is Mercadona, Spain's largest supermarket. However, the company is in negotiations with several other European retail chains. Caladero's plant is opposite the airport in Zaragoza, into which two plane-loads of hake are flown every week from Cape Town, South Africa. Hake is the main whitefish species in Spain and Caladero controls a good chunk of the 130,000 metric ton-total allowable catch (TAC) off South Africa and Namibia, which it uses its 11 longliners to harvest, as well as buying from other companies. Hake being sorted and checked after it has been unloaded from the plane. Around 20 metric tons comes in on each flight. In total, the company controls 18,000 metric tons of hake quota. In addition to hake, salmon is one of Caladero¿s key species. The company bought 15,000 metric tons of salmon in 2009, much of which was supplied by Marine Harvest. When up to full capacity by the end of 2011, the plant will be able to process 750,000 modified atmosphere packaging (MAP) trays of hake, salmon, seabass and seabream -- along with countless other species -- every day. The materials used in its packaging are supplied and developed by Cryovac Foods Solutions, a European subsidiary of U.S.-based Sealed Air. The company also buys and processes large volumes of langoustine. Here, the shellfish is sorted using a multi-head weigher. The langoustines are then portioned into trays on one of the 15 processing lines up and running at the moment. By 2012, the company will have 33 lines operational. Each tray contains around 520 grams of langoustines, to allow for drip loss of 20 grams on the way to the Mercadona store. The trays then pass through an x-ray machine to ensure no bits of shell or other foreign bodies have been missed. A need for speed: the langoustine line in full flow. Trays are plucked from the line by a robot grab. Sardines are also one of Caladero's core species for sale on the Spanish market. Hake steaks ready for Mercadona. The company has Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) chain of custody certification, so it can supply MSC- labeled hake from the certified South African fishery. Over 2009, Caladero imported 15,000 metric tons of fresh Norwegian salmon. This was divided down into 11,000 metric tons of whole fish and 4,000 metric tons of fillets, a total increase of 25 percent on 2008. In fillets, the company is almost 100 percent of the Spanish salmon market. Salmon is portioned up after the size of each fillet is calculated by a laser. Company founder Amoros said volumes of salmon purchased over 2010 will be similar to 2009, due to the high prices. A Caladero quality control worker runs tests on some salmon. The end of the processing line: fresh salmon ready for delivery to Mercadona. Laser guided vehicles (LGV) are used in the plant to transport the crates from the end of the lines into the storage area. When the amount of crates on the end of the line reaches a certain level, it sends a signal to the LGV. A vast range of more value-added products are also produced in the plant, like these octopus in olive oil and paprika products, a dish popular in the Galicia region of Spain. The company produces different products for sale at the weekends when consumers are more in the mood for party seafood. This paella mix is a popular seller. The rise in salmon prices has increased demand for pangasius in Spain. Caladero produces a range of pangasius products, some simple and some in sauces. Another weekend product are these salmon and nile perch skewers, which can go on the barbeque. On the plate: a microwavable burrito, made with fish mince, is a new product for Caladero. The end of the line and onto the plate: freshly-cooked salmon, ready to eat after going all the way through the plant.

Publisher: IntraFish