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GRIMSBY MP Austin Mitchell paid a visit to the ultimate in recycling centres and a vital cog in the smooth operation of the local fishing industry recently.
He was at the Grimsby Fish Meal plant which has received around £500,000 in new investment.
Now owned by United Fish Industries, the plant, which was built before the war, recycles fish and fish waste from all over Britain as well as Grimsby. Without it, the local processing industry would be in danger of grinding to a halt.
Among the latest additions is a new £100,000 new bin washer to further improve environmental standards, along with other improvements.
General manager Mike Hryckowian, said: “The Grimsby plant has been at the heart of fish processing in England since 1935. By working in partnership with fish processors, UFI is able to convert their unwanted by-product that has high disposal costs and can be as much as 50 per cent of a fish into a valuable commodity. We work with over 170 suppliers across England and Southern Scotland and supply to over 60 customers throughout the UK.
“The raw material for the Grimsby factory is the by-product from the fish processing sector, which is collected from suppliers’ premises daily. “Of the wide area that raw material is collected, NE Lincolnshire is by far the largest contributor and supply over 45 per cent of our raw material. The quality of fishmeal is critically influenced by the freshness of the raw material and its speedy process. The value of what our plant pays for trimmings is also influenced by these factors.”
Mike, who has been helping chef Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall on the issue of fish discards, added: “A local processing plant is ideally placed to optimise the value of available raw material. Our suppliers can take huge comfort in knowing that in working with UFI, they are dealing with a reputable, international business that has taken big steps to ensure its longevity.”
The operation is an energy intensive one and also requires much automated machinery. The factory is able to process up to 300 tonnes per day of raw material, leading to an annual output of around 7,300 tonnes of fishmeal and 2,600 tonnes of fish oil.
Grimsby produced fishmeal provides an excellent product containing 66 per cent protein and is used for specialist pig and poultry diets. It is marketed under the Provimi brand which is an acknowledged leader in the UK market. Fish oil also contributes to feed diets in addition to technical uses such as those in the tannery industry.
Austin Mitchell said after the visit that he was very impressed with the cleanliness and efficiency of the site, adding that it was providing support to the Grimsby seafood and food industry.
Also on the visit were Steve Norton, chief executive of Grimsby Fish Merchants' Association and Peter Dalton and Gary Cadey, co-managing directors of the new Grimsby Seafood Village.
The UFI Group which also has plants in Aberdeen and Killybegs (Ireland) and Norway have a Chief Scientist managing all scientific and environmental standards.
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