FISH PACKING SYSTEM

A procedure for packaging a product consisting of pieces of fresh fish meat, in shipments that retain a mixture of gases to create a modified atmosphere (MAP), said procedure allows transportation of the product in cold storage lockers for prolonged periods. El procedimiento incluye las etapas de: Reception of the fish pieces, that have been pre- processed and maintained at a temperature ranging between -1.degree. and 0.degree.C; Unpacking the pieces placing them on grated trays, and distributing them in such a way as presents the greates t exposure to their surface area; Sanitization of said pieces with a food grade microbicidal product and draining the pieces; Individual wrapping or bagging of the fish pieces, with a laminar material which is permeable to the gas mixture and impermeable to liquid water; Packaging, in a sealable package, of various pieces having been previously wrapped or bagged and in such a way that the sealable package consists of a material that is impermeable to the gas mix; Filling the sealable package with a gas mix made up of carbon dioxide in an amount rangi ng between 70 and 95% v/v, no more than 0.5% v/v oxygen, and the rest of the gaseous mix i s mainly nitrogen with traces of other residual gases; the fish:gas volumetric ratio is betwee n 0.7 and 0.9; and sealing said sealable package. A refrigeration stage, at a temperature of - 1.5.degree.C, of the sets of fish pieces is carried out at any point in the procedure after sanitizing up until said sealable package has been sealed. The entire process of this invention is carried out at an ambient temperature no greater than 4.degree.C and within a period of no more than 3 0 minutes. The fish is preferably salmon.