June 28, 2006

Ireland imports new freezing technology for seafood industry

The Irish seafood industry would be receiving new technology for freezing and chilling fresh foods, under a trade agreement signed in Tokyo on Tuesday (Jun 27).

The agreement involving Enterprise Ireland, the Grimsby Institute of Further and Higher Education and ABI Japan was signed as part of an Irish trade mission to Japan and China.

The technology uses natural magnetic energy during the freezing process which manufacturers say guarantees chilled and frozen food products return to their original state when thawed.

ABI has spent the last 35 years working on the technology and it made its debut in the Japanese market only in the past five years.

ABI would supply the technology to the Grimsby Institute in England, which would partner Enterprise Ireland to develop and implement the system in the Irish seafood industry.

The first system is expected to be operational in nine months.