Making the Case for Safety

A single outbreak of foodborne illness can seriously damage a retail brand, and the seafood department is the leading area of the store where this serious problem can occur, due to the sensitive nature of the products displayed and sold there.

The display cases in the seafood department are the last line of defense against seafood contamination. “Unsanitary display cases provide a breeding ground for bacteria,” says Margie Proctor, marketing and design specialist at Conyers, Ga.-based Hillphoenix. “Cleaning and sanitizing a seafood case regularly are of the utmost importance. Periodically checking the drain traps to make sure they are free of debris is important so that the case drains properly. There are several options on the Hillphoenix seafood service cases to assist with cleaning, such as the flush system and cleaning switch. These options assist with flushing runoff from melted ice, and fluids from the displayed seafood products, down the drain.”

Another food safety concern in the seafood department is the merchandising of cooked and raw products. These must be kept separate, Proctor says, noting how Hillphoenix addresses this issue with the option of glass or plexi dividers to eliminate cross-contamination.

The most important function of seafood cases, according to Proctor, is maintaining product temperature. Bacteria and enzymes are present in all fish and shellfish, she points out, but when fresh seafood is placed in environments above the recommended holding temperature, bacteria and enzyme activity increase, seafood can become scaly and slimy, and the desirable firm texture can turn soft and mushy, decreasing shelf life. This also affects the taste, odor, appearance and texture of seafood.

“Keep product cool and moist to ensure fresh-tasting, fresh-looking and fresh-smelling product, to create an appealing environment where shoppers are enticed and motivated to make a purchase and to keep them coming back,” Proctor advises.

Hillphoenix offers about 15 standard service models specifically designed for fresh seafood applications, with a variety of glass options, base heights, case depths and accessories for each model. The company also offers several families of self-service seafood merchandisers.

The most popular Hillphoenix seafood case, according to Proctor, is the BSD-SW open-service refrigerated display case, because of the open-top design, which provides full visibility of the product and imparts the feel of an open seafood market. This case is designed on a tall base that brings product up to a customer’s vantage point, and is offered in several depths, lengths and miters.

“Flexibility in the footprint of a seafood case is evolving,” Proctor notes. “Shrink in the department is a significant concern, and keeping a service seafood display case looking plentiful is a must. The answer: narrower case footprints front to back. Create a planogram that is manageable in a narrower footprint to achieve less shrink, ease of working, and offering the freshest product to the shopper.”

Keeping Your Cool

Cayuga Displays and Arctica Showcase, in Cayuga, Ontario, has many models that merchandise and cross-merchandise seafood and its accompaniments.

“We have ice tables and bins for fresh shrimp, whole fish and mollusks,” notes Ryan Petrick, Cayuga’s national sales manager. “Shucking stations for oysters have been extremely popular. We also provide ice bins to cross-merchandise seafood salads, sauces, and everything dry that goes with seafood.”

Petrick says that Cayuga’s and Arctica’s dry fixtures can be built with this cross-merchandising in mind, which saves the retailer floor space, because shelving can be created that’s supported by existing seafood fixtures. “It also portrays a cohesive department and look,” he adds, “without the traditional metro shelving pushed up against the front of a service case.”

High-volume seafood departments turn over product quickly, and Cayuga’s low-velocity blower coil service cases, available in a variety of heights and depths, can reduce shrink, he says.

“Sales rotation of product is the best way to lower safety issues in the seafood department,” Petrick asserts. “More frequent ice turns help to eliminate undesirable odors, and merchandising on pans under refrigeration is one of the best ways to ensure consistent product temperatures.”

Fresh ice still has the appeal that most retailers desire, Petrick acknowledges, but the main issue there is the labor associated with ice. Also, ice machines are expensive, and Petrick argues that traditional displays use too much ice. “We have been working to come up with merchandisers that use less ice, which helps with the labor of changing and cleaning, and promotes more frequent swaps,” he says.

James Piliero, sales development manager at Fort Worth, Texas-based Traulsen, a division of Hobart Corp., says: “Safely displaying and merchandising any cold product is a challenge, even more so with seafood. Having equipment that maintains proper holding temperatures is key. Other problems are presented by the possibility of cross-contamination, because seafood departments usually display fresh, cooked and frozen food simultaneously, often side by side. There is also the daily challenge of effectively cleaning and sanitizing equipment, utensils, work surfaces and pans.”

Traulsen produces one seafood display case, designed expressly to support the “roadshow” concept, which is becoming increasingly popular, Piliero explains.

“During the development phase of the roadshow case,” he says, “we received significant input from a large national retailer while gaining access to their seafood operations to observe actual practices.

“Our success is largely due to the cabinet’s performance in keeping cold food safely cold, and in preventing frozen product from thawing,” he continues. “This display case is durable, mobile, easy to care for, and it offers convenient refrigerated storage beneath the display.”

According to Piliero, better handling practices and overall awareness of food safety have contributed to safer seafood, and the current documentation methods that trace seafood to its place of origin are also a great advance, as are advances in refrigeration equipment.

New regulatory changes at the U.S. Department of Energy, expected in 2017, and the proposed changes in the Environmental Protection Agency’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program next year will focus Traulsen’s efforts on improvements to comply with the new standards.

“In my opinion,” Piliero concludes, “the ever-increasing trends for greater product visibility, easier access and customer convenience will lead to better-performing cases such as open-air merchandisers.”

“Flexibility in the footprint of a seafood case is evolving. Shrink in the department is a significant concern, and keeping a service seafood display case looking plentiful is a must.”
—Margie Proctor, Hillphoenix