Value-added tuna production gears up at Allied Exim Foods.

Just recently, the brand new Allied Exim Foods factory in the suburbs of Chennai became the latest seafood plant in India certified to export finished products to Europe. But unlike most of the others, this facility has dedicated a big part of its operations to producing value-added, pre-cooked tuna distributed to global markets in vacuum packs.

"With MPEDA in the forefront of the program to convert more fishing boats to long line vessels, the supply of yellowfin tuna for processing will not only increase, but should be available regularly. As such, we see a great opportunity for producing premium-grade loins made to EU standards, and marketing them to discerning customers on the continent," said Abdul Ziyad, sole managing partner and chief executive officer of the Kochi, Kerala-headquartered company. "We are also planning to ship chilled sashimi-grade tuna by air to Singapore, Hong Kong, the Middle East and other markets."

The modern, HACCP-compliant plant--which in addition to being EU-approved is also USFDA-certified--is equipped with a pre-cooker and steam cooking system, plus three separate lines to produce and pack chilled, raw frozen and value-added CO/smoked products. Air blast and plate freezing capacity is 45 metric tons per day. Approximately $2 million was invested to build the facility, which features an on-premise cold-store.

When Quick Frozen Foods International magazine visited the operation, workers were preparing tuna fish--which had been landed that morning at a nearby harbor--for blast freezing. Hung upside down in a trolley freezer, the canning-grade fish was to be frozen whole and later shipped to Tunisia for further processing.

"This is steady business, but our goal is to shift to more production of premium-grade yellowfin, which is more profitable," said Asif Abu.

"Yes, indeed," added M. K. Chandran, factory manager. "The market price is only about $1.60 a kilo for whole skipjack, which is shipped in 45-kilogram bulk bags."

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The lean meat of yellowfin tuna (Thunnus albacores), which typically has an attractive pink to deep red color, has become increasingly popular around the world thanks to the international boom in Japanese-style sushi restaurants that serve sashimi and other raw fish dishes. Yellowfin is also being consumed as steaks, since its firm, beef-like texture is ideal for grilling.

"We have sent a trial shipment of high quality H&G yellowfin tuna by air to Los Angeles, which was much appreciated by the buyer," said Mr. Ziyad. "We have also started production of value-added CO-treated and natural raw loins, steaks, saku, cubes and other items aimed at markets in the United States, Japan, Europe and elsewhere."

Meanwhile, the plant's second production hall is packing precooked tuna loins for customers in Libya, Europe and additional markets. Starting this June, cephalopods and other fish will be produced as well.

Aqua Trade International Connection

Allied Exim Foods should have no problem marketing the Chennai plant's output, as its sister company is Aqua Trade International. The Kochi-based exporting and buyers' representative organization, which advertises itself as "Your Gateway to Indian Seafood," offers a complete line of ocean-caught and farm-raised bounty that runs the gamut from shrimp of numerous kinds, cuttlefish, squid, clams and mussels to emperor fish, snapper, mahi mahi, marlin and swordfish.

The company also has a joint venture in Oman, where it operates an EU-approved factory at Sur with production capacity of 15 tons of frozen and chilled seafood per day.--Reported by John M. Saulnier