How Science Is Redefining Salmon Quality, Shelf-Life, and Sustainability
For decades, the salmon industry has focused on logistics efficiency, cost control, and reliability. Packaging has played a central role in that equation, with single-use solutions becoming the standard way to protect fish during transport.
At iTUB, we believe the next step forward for the salmon industry is not just about how fish is moved, but how quality is preserved and enhanced throughout the journey. That belief has driven a year of intensive testing, collaboration, and learning. This is shaping how we see our role as a packaging and logistics partner.
Quality Is Biological, Not Logistical
Salmon quality is ultimately determined by biology. Shelf-life, texture, yield, and freshness are all outcomes of what happens inside the fish after harvest. While packaging and transport protect the product externally, temperature controls what happens internally.
Through extensive testing and dialogue with buyers, one insight has become very clear: arrival temperature matters more than starting temperature.
Salmon that arrives at –0.5°C to –1.0°C consistently delivers better outcomes than salmon arriving closer to +1°C, even when both were handled correctly.
The difference is significant:
- Bacterial growth is nearly halted below 0°C
- Enzymatic activity slows dramatically
- Muscle degradation is reduced
- Shelf-life can increase by 2–4 days
For buyers, these extra days translate into flexibility, predictability, and value. For farmers, they mean stronger positioning and reduced quality risk.
Understanding the Limits of Today’s Standard
Expanded polystyrene (EPS) boxes combined with flake ice have been the industry standard. They are lightweight, familiar, and effective at maintaining temperature.
However, physics sets a clear boundary:
- Flake ice cannot cool fish below 0°C
- It can only maintain temperature, not improve it
- Cooling occurs primarily from the top, with limited penetration into the flesh
- Over time, temperature drifts toward 0,5-1°C, especially on longer routes
This creates two very common real-world scenarios:
- Superchilled fish which enters EPS at –0.5°C and arrives close to 0°C to +0,5°C
- Fish enters EPS at +1°C and arrives close to 0°C to +1°C, or higher temperature
In both cases, the outcome is the same: the fish does not arrive at its optimal biological temperature.
This is not a criticism of EPS. It is an acknowledgment of its thermodynamic ceiling.
From Question to Collaboration: Testing in Real Conditions
Rather than theorizing, iTUB chose to test these assumptions in real commercial environments, together with partners across the value chain.
Key trials included:
- Arctic Fish → Adri & Zoon
- Arnarlax → Kilofresh
These trials compared:
- Twin Tubs vs. EPS
- Flake ice vs. slurry ice
- Temperature stability over time
- Product quality and yield at destination
The focus was never on “winning” against another solution, but on understanding what truly protects and enhances the quality of the fish.
The Role of Slurry Ice, Even for Superchilled Salmon
One of the most important learnings from this work was counterintuitive:
Even superchilled salmon benefits from slurry ice during longer transport.
Why?
Because time matters. Even when fish starts at –0.5°C, temperature will drift upward during multi-day transport. Slurry ice allows us to:
- Actively bring the fish into the optimal temperature range
- Transfer cold into the flesh, not just the surface
- Maintain uniform temperature throughout the load
- Protects the fish on long routes and prevents drip loss
The process is precise:
- Salmon is placed in slurry ice (typically +1.5-2% salinity)
- Fish is cooled to the target range (–0.5°C to –1.0°C)
- Excess water is drained at the right moment
- The fish remains wrapped in cold slurry residue, without unnecessary transport weight
This approach protects quality biologically, not just logistically.
Why Tub Geometry Matters
Packaging design plays a critical supporting role in this process.
The Twin Tubs were developed with a low-profile geometry (≈29–30 cm) for a reason:
- Pressure is evenly distributed across the fish
- There is no crushing of the bottom layer
- Drip loss is reduced or eliminated
- Texture and yield are preserved
In higher tubs, pressure and temperature gradients can damage the fish, even if cooling is adequate. Geometry, therefore, is not a design preference; it is a biological requirement.
From Trials to a Repeatable Formula
The ultimate goal of this work was not isolated success, but repeatability.
Through testing, we identified a small number of critical variables that define quality outcomes:
- Starting temperature
- Slurry ice salinity
- Cooling and draining time
- Tub height and geometry
- Transport duration and ambient conditions
When these variables are controlled correctly, the result is powerful:
- The same quality outcome
- Across different routes
- With different farmers
- Shipment after shipment
This is the point where innovation becomes standardization.
What This Means for Farmers
For salmon farmers, this system:
- Delivers salmon at lower temperatures to buyers
- Reduces quality risk during transport
- Enables delivery of premium quality more consistently
- Strengthens relationships with buyers
- Lowers packaging cost where circular rotation is possible
- Financial savings
Most importantly, it allows farmers to compete on quality, not just price.
What This Means for Buyers
For buyers and processors, the value is immediate:
- Arrival temperature in the optimal range (–0.5°C to –1.0°C)
- 2–4 extra days of shelf-life
- Higher yield and less trimming loss
- Predictable production planning
- Fewer surprises and fewer claims
This predictability is the most valuable outcome of all.
Sustainability Is Not Optional, It Is Structural
The same system that improves quality also delivers major sustainability benefits.
Reusable tubs used in circular flows:
- Reduce virgin material use dramatically, up to 90%
- Cut CO₂ emissions by up to 80%
- Enable measurable, auditable reporting
This aligns directly with:
- EU packaging and waste regulations
- Circularity requirements
- Increasing CO₂ reporting obligations
Crucially, these reductions are documentable, not theoretical.
Tubs and EPS: Better Together
One of the most important principles guiding our work is this:
This is not about replacing EPS. It is about using the right tool for the right route.
EPS remains a practical solution in scenarios where rotation is not possible. Twin Tubs excel where circular flows can be established, from farming (HOG) to processing (VAP).
Used together they:
- Increase overall efficiency
- Improve quality outcomes
- Reduce waste and emissions
- Enhance productivity across the supply chain
- Offer substantial financial gains
Our Responsibility as a Packaging Company
At iTUB, we see our role clearly.
We are a partner in quality, performance, and sustainability.
That responsibility means:
- Investing in science
- Working openly with farmers, buyers, and researchers
- Sharing learnings
- Turning research into real-world value
Progress in the salmon industry does not come from isolated innovation. It comes from collaboration, measurement, and shared ambition.
Looking Forward
The past year has taught us a great deal. It has also shown us what is possible when companies work together with a common goal: better fish, better processes, and a better industry.
This work is ongoing. But the direction is clear.
The future of salmon logistics will not be defined by packaging alone,
it will be defined by how well we understand the fish, and how responsibly we act on that knowledge.
