The SEALPAC A6max traysealer allows for consistent sealing without headaches.
Located in Hagan, close to Oslo, Domstein Sjømat processes and packages fresh seafood at highest quality standards. Under its motto “Fersk fisk hver dag” (“Fresh fish every day”), the company provides seafood products to all major retailers in Norway. Several years ago, Domstein Sjømat decided to boost its packaging department by investing in a brand-new SEALPAC A6max traysealer to run both vacuum skin and modified atmosphere packaging. We spoke with Mr. Kestutis Krasauskas, Production Manager at Domstein Sjømat, about how this investment assists the company in living its motto.
Still a family company
The company Domstein (https://www.domstein.no/) was established in 1925, more than 100 years ago, by Rasmus Domstein, grandfather of the current owners. Rasmus was a fisherman who started a small processing business, mainly based on traditional methods like salting and drying of fish. After the second world war, his son Knut Domstein took over the business. The operation gradually increased, and in the 1990s, Domstein expanded significantly. The company became strongly committed to ensuring that Norwegian consumers have access to high-quality seafood, resulting in the establishment of nationwide distribution in 2005. After several rounds of restructuring, the business was continued in Domstein Sjømat in 2014. Today, Domstein Sjømat is one of the largest suppliers of seafood within Norway. As such, Domstein has developed from a small local fish business into a modern seafood company with operations across Norway. It is still a family-owned company, now in its third generation, which is quite unique in the industry.
Experienced in production technology
Domstein has companies all over Norway. At its brand-new building in Hagan, around 10 to 15 persons engage in the production of retail packs every day, all depending on the volumes. They package on average 1.5 tons of fish daily, but this can add up to 5 tons on peak days. The retail department has two automated packaging lines, its flagship being the line with a SEALPAC A6max traysealer purchased in 2023. Kestutis Krasauskas is Production Manager at the factory in Hagan. He joined the company one year ago, but he already has 15 years of experience in seafood. Born in Lithuania, he later moved to Scotland, to end up in Norway working for seafood companies like Mowi and Lerøy. Kestas, as he likes to be called, explains: “My main responsibilities include overseeing daily production operations, ensuring product quality and food safety, and managing the production team. I have full personnel responsibility, including planning shifts and creating a good and efficient working environment. I am also responsible for procurement related to production, ensuring that we have the right raw materials and packaging available at the right time. In addition, I have technical responsibility for our production equipment, including monitoring performance, coordinating maintenance, and collaborating with suppliers and technicians to resolve issues.”
Committed to quality, freshness, and sustainability
Domstein Sjømat’s motto is “Fersk fisk hver dag” (“Fresh fish every day”). This commitment to quality and freshness is in the blood vessels of the company. It starts with the fresh seafood from approved fisheries and Norwegian waters only, mainly the West and North coast. From there, quality control and traceability are guaranteed throughout the entire production chain. Furthermore, the company is extremely strict on avoiding cross-contamination through allergens, which means they often do not run the two packaging lines at the same time.
Domstein Sjømat differentiates itself from competitors mainly through its combination of nationwide distribution, product quality, and focus on sustainability. Kestas explains: “When raw materials arrive, we conduct quality checks on temperature, freshness, and appearance. Only approved raw materials are used in production. In the production process, we follow strict hygiene and food safety standards, including HACCP principles. We focus on correct handling, temperature control, and minimizing processing time to maintain freshness and product quality. We also ensure full traceability throughout the process, from raw material to finished product, which allows us to quickly identify and manage any deviations.”
Strong guidance by local packaging experts
In 2023, Domstein Sjømat purchased a SEALPAC A6max traysealer. Kestas: ”I was not working at Domstein at that time, but from my understanding, one of the key buying reasons was the high sealing quality, which is especially important for maintaining product freshness. The machine also offered high and stable outputs, which fits well with our production needs.” MPack A/S, long-time distributor for SEALPAC traysealers in Norway, was strongly involved in the process. For the new packaging facility of Domstein Sjømat, the owner contacted MPack to talk about options. Originally, the focus was on a thermoformer, but as white fish is quite expensive and requires a high-quality package, the discussion turned towards a traysealer. In November 2022, MPack provided the first quotation. One of the decision makers in Domstein Sjømat worked at a different Norwegian seafood company, from which he knew SEALPAC. His experience, together with several presentations from MPack, including buying samples made on SEALPAC equipment around Norway, sealed the deal.
MPack delivered the traysealer, whereas the company Lexit supplied all other equipment on the line. Together, they created a fully synchronized packaging line. MPack also supplied the packaging materials (e.g. skin trays and skin film). Kestas: ”I would describe our relationship with MPack as close and professional. We have good communication, and they are responsive and supportive when it comes to deliveries, technical questions, and problem solving. MPack played an important role in the decision process, mainly as our packaging supplier and partner. They provided us with technical support, guidance on suitable packaging materials, and helped ensure compatibility between trays, top film, and the machine.”
Fully synchronized line without headaches
The main demands in the design of the packaging line were efficiency and flexibility. Kestas: “We needed a solution that could manage high production volumes while maintaining consistent quality. At the same time, flexibility was particularly important, as we produce different product types and use various tray sizes.” The packaging line today consists of different processes, such as tray loading, sealing, metal detection, check-weighing, and sleeving, which needed to be optimally synchronized. The fresh fish comes in early in the morning from the floor below in an elevator and is brought to the stand-alone Marel cutter. After this, the fragile fish pieces are manually loaded into trays and placed on the in-feed conveyor of the SEALPAC A6max traysealer. After leaving the traysealer, the trays go through a Cassel x-ray inspection system, Marel weighing system, and Ravenwood sleever, after which they are placed in cardboard boxes. Kestas: “MPack mainly supported us with the packaging side, including trays and top film, ensuring consistent sealing without headaches.”
Flexibility is key
The SEALPAC A6max has been in use at Domstein Sjømat for several years now. Kestas: ”One of its main strengths is the consistent sealing quality. The machine is also very dependable in daily operation. We have a stable performance with minimal downtime, which is critical for maintaining production flow. Another strong point is flexibility. The A6max allows us to run different tray sizes and product types with relatively quick changeovers, which fits well with our production needs.”
On the A6max, seafood is packaged in two tray sizes, using MAP and vacuum skin technology. Kestas: “TraySkin® is typically used for products where presentation is important, for example premium cuts. In terms of shelf life, MAP products typically have a shelf life of around 10 to 12 days, depending on the product. For MAP, we mainly use gas mixtures based on CO₂ and N₂. CO₂ helps to inhibit bacterial growth, while N₂ is used as a filler gas to maintain package shape and protect the product.”
Room for expansion
Kestutis Krasauskas is extremely happy that the packaging, produced on the A6max traysealer, is strong and of high quality. It is not easy to damage mechanically, which ensures that the seafood product is well protected during transport and handling. In addition, the packaging is fully transparent, allowing the customer to see the product from all sides. Nothing is hidden, which is particularly important for fresh fish. Also, all trays have an attractive sleeve with product information and a peel tab for easy opening. The retail packs of Domstein Sjømat are sold at numerous Norwegian retail chains and specialized seafood shops. Kestas concludes: “If production volumes continue to grow, the older, stand-alone traysealer of a different brand may well be replaced for another SEALPAC traysealer, as we are quite pleased with its performance.”