Catching better profits: how JBT Marel’s tuna processing solutions can make a real difference

Available as an upgrade on the JBT Marel Vacuum Filler XL-V, the Dry Tuna Application limits the amount of oil added, which in turn reduces costs for customers, while also enabling them to bring a new kind of product to market, according to Luc Plasschaert, EMENA Product Sales Manager for JBT Marel DF&H.

“When you fill a can of tuna, there’s a certain head space that is filled with oil, but because of the high price of oil, customers are trying reduce the amount they add to each can,” he says. “With this solution, producers are able to add less oil on top of the tuna. They are now selling this as a ‘light’ product (and saving money on oil at the same time).”

Sustainability and profitability

The Dry Tuna Application complements a range of solutions which enable tuna processors to become more efficient and sustainable – from both a business and an environmental point of view. 

Starting with the cooking phase, the TunaCAL™ yield monitoring and process control system helps optimize the tuna precooking process by automatically adjusting for product variables in real time.

Following this, the high-precision Tuna Filler Model 3266 achieves filling efficiencies by handling two or three cans simultaneously for an output of up to 450 cans per minute. 

It’s during this second stage that another recent addition proves its worth. Missing the target value weight for a can of tuna – by either overfilling or underselling – can affect profitability and lead to processors having to continually make adjustments during filling. 

The Tuna Auto Weight Control provides an ingenious solution that automatically keeps the filling weight centered on a target value, as a consequence dramatically reducing the typical weight fluctuations seen during the tuna filling process.

To reduce spillage and potential product loss, the JBT Marel Vacuum Filler then has a role to play by effectively removing any air remaining in the can and replacing it with liquid. Finally, closing has been made even more efficient with the introduction of the updated X52 Can Closer. The latest version produces 21% more BDA (before-drain appearance) grade one and two cans compared with the original seamer.