Conserveira do Sul

Manufacturing Process

On our production the preparation and canning of fish is done manually, allowing us high quality control of the final product.

1. Fish, raw materials
The fish used for canned fish and pâtés produced in Conserveira do Sul is carefully selected when purchasing, ensuring intact fish, with shiny eyes and skin, meat firm to the touch and red wars. Afterwards, transportation is carried out under appropriate conditions to our factory located near the fishing port of Olhão. Upon entry, the fish is conditioned, after being assembled in a fresh-keeping chamber, at a temperature of 0-2°C, thus ensuring quality and freshness.

2. Preparation, Cutting and Canning
The typical production of a preserved sardine, cavala and carapau, starts with the fish to be placed in a brine tank (solution of water and salt) where it is washed. Next, the head, guts and tail are manually removed. Afterwards, the fish is placed in a salt tank for a appropriate period to the size of the fish. This process aims to impart a better flavor to the final product, as well as better preservation of the fish, greater firmness of the meat and better adhesion to the skin.

3. Canned by Hand
The fish is carefully packed in the cans, in either one layer or two, so that they are well-conditioned. A process carried out manually that allows the maximum quality of the final product to be preserved. After canning, the operator places the cans on a table on top of the work table, where the controllers are responsible for quality control.

4. Cooking
Once canned, the fish goes through an automatic water jet mechanism to be washed again and is then introduced into the cooker. Cooking's main function is to stop microbial or enzymatic activity and above all to expel all the extra-cellular water that would otherwise appear in the final product's sauce.

5. Adding Sauce / Crimping
Then the cans go to the next phase where the sauces for each specialty produced are added, for example, olive oil, marinade sauce, lemon, mustard, among others. These sauces are an excellent way to enhance the flavor of the fish. Even before being hermetically sealed in the crimpers, the sauce is introduced into each can using dosers. They are then closed and marked with the respective manufacturing identification (batch number, veterinary control number and product designation acronym).

6. Sterilization
The cans go to an oil washer/recovery and then to sterilization carts. These cars are placed in autoclaves, where sterilization is carried out, thus destroying/inhibiting enzymes and microorganisms, whose presence would end up causing deterioration of the preserves over time. In this process, cans are subjected to high pressures and temperatures for a long period, followed by rapid cooling.

7. Packaging
After Sterilization, to prevent the cans from getting dirt or grease, they go through a washing and drying machine, and are then taken to the finished product deposit. Here they are packaged and stored according to the manufacturing batch marked on the can, thus awaiting shipment to the various points of sale.

Manufacturing Process

Discover the various stages of our production process, always initiated by the rigorous selection of our raw material, the Fish, with the highest quality standards, as well as the fundamental canning know-how in the preparation of each Canned Fish and Fish Pâté, with no added dyes or preservatives.

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Manufacturing Process

Quality and Food Safety Policy

We develop our activity in the transformation of fresh and frozen fish products into Canned Fish and Fish Pâtés, repackaging and packaging of semi-preserved Canned Fish.
Our mission is the satisfaction of our customers and consumers, as well as complying with Portuguese and international legislation, integrating good manufacturing, hygiene, labour safety and environmental safety practices.

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Quality and Food Safety Policy

Awards and Certifications

Over the years, Conserveira do Sul and our Canned Fish and Fish Pâtés have won several awards and certifications, essential for the credibility of our company, manufacturing process and products.

Awards and Certifications