Dried and Smoked Fish Export - How to serve the demand of Africans living abroad According to a study sponsored by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations, the quantity of dried and smoked catfish, tilapia and other types of fish exported from West Africa to the United Kingdom was estimated at over 500 tonnes per year; with a retail value of nearly $20 million. Nigeria alone exports about 5 tonnes of smoked fish per month (via airfreight). Other major exporting countries are Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Senegal and Cameroon. However, with stricter regulations on food imported into the US and Europe, Africans are finding it difficult to exploit the million-dollar foreign market for smoked and dried fish. This article reveals the secrets of the trade and how you can take advantage. The huge trade in smoked-dried fish is a consequence of the growing demand by the increasing number of Africans living in the diaspora. The US and Europe remain the major destinations for Africans who venture abroad. As a result of this transcontinental migration, and a growing appreciation for African flavours and food, the demand for dried and smoked fish appears to be going through the roof. While it was easy in recent years to send container loads of smoked fish across the seas to the US and Europe, increasing health and bioterrorism concerns have led to very strict rules on imported food and animal produce. We shall examine the two largest markets for dry and smoked fish, their strict regulations and how you can meet them to make money from these huge markets. It is important to note that up to 40 percent of smoked fish exported from Africa is detained, returned or destroyed at US and European ports due to simple mistakes such as improper packaging and labeling, inadequate compliance with paperwork, insect infestation and mould growth on the products. To be successful in this business, you must focus on the details and be careful to comply with ALL the requirements. (photo credit: africa-blogs.mirror.co.uk) How to export Dried and Smoked fish to the UK and Europe The new European Union (EU) regulations ban all ‘commercial’ consignments of smoked fish from Africa (and other non-EU countries) from entering the EU region. This has seriously reduced the volume of smoked fish that can be exported to Europe. However, ‘personal’ exports are still allowed. Personal exports are small quantities of smoked fish (not more than 20kg in total weight). This regulation is designed to prevent wholesale export of smoked fish to Europe. ‘Personal export’ includes consignments that are 20kg (or less) and may be carried as hand luggage while travelling. It can also be sent (by mail or freight) directly to private addresses and named individuals in the EU for personal consumption only. Any exports to registered businesses in the EU or export quantities beyond the 20kg limit will not be allowed and will be seized and/or destroyed at EU ports. This new policy has essentially killed smoked fish wholesale businesses in Europe who are presently unable to legally import commercial quantities of these products into the EU. This presents a huge opportunity to small African businesses interested in exporting smoked fish to Europe. Export sizes are now much smaller (limited to 20kg) and can be sold directly to individuals in Europe. Your exports could be posted to target customers via airfreight, and should get to them within 24 hours. You could sell directly to persons visiting Africa on business or holidays and send it over to them (via airfreight) on a repeat basis while they are back in Europe. Exporting the minimum 20kg requirement is favourable to a Smallstarter because it significantly reduces the business risk involved. This reduced quantity has reduced the amount of capital needed to start this business and allows you to sell directly to the consumers at retail prices (which greatly increases the profit potential). Note: The European Union regulations governing food and beverage imports are constantly changing. To remain updated on the rules, you should make it a habit to check out the Fishery Products Import section of the UK Food Standards Agency. How to export Dried and Smoked fish to the United States Unlike Europe, it is still possible to export commercial quantities of smoked and dried fish to the USA, another huge market for the product. However, following the passing of the Bioterrorism Act of 2002, ‘all facilities that manufacture, process, pack, or store food, beverages, or dietary supplements that may be consumed in the United States by humans or animals are required to be registered with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The registration process is likely to include an inspection of the facility where your dried and smoked fish is produced. Companies located outside the United States must choose a US Agent who will be responsible for communicating with the FDA and handle any necessary paperwork. Having a Certificate of Registration assures customers and suppliers that you have complied with all FDA regulations. Registrar Corp is a good place to start your journey if you’re interested in supplying to the US market. They have food safety experts trained in FDA inspections who can offer experienced advice and help you get prepared to gain FDA approval. Because the rules around importing food to the US change from time to time, its always a great idea to be on top of the most current information. During the course of our research for this article, we came across a couple of good resources and give our top three recommendations as follows: Express Guidelines for Importing Food to the United States - This is a very detailed resource on the DHL website. It contains a lot of stuff youll be interested in if you intend to export food stuff to the US. Importing Food for Commercial Sale (Resale) is another great resource on the website of the US Customs and Border Protection. New alerts are issued on the site from time to time. Rules, Regulations and Procedures for importing food to the United States - Although this document originated from the Kabul Embassy in Afghanistan, it contains a lot of detail on the subject. Its a 7-page PDF document and should take you less than 5 minutes to read. However, we noticed a lot of the links on the document are quite dead. Success tips for aspiring smoked fish exporters... As you now know, the regulations around food imports to the EU and USA are very strict. You must be ready to comply with all these regulations to avoid seizure or destruction of your products at the destination port. First, the smoked and dried fish must be well processed and preserved. If the fish is not smoked using the right wood, charcoal or technique, it may end up with high levels of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH). These substances are considered by the US and European Union to be dangerous to human health and are claimed to cause cancer. Smoked fish consignments containing more than 5 micrograms per kilogram of these substances may not be allowed into any of these countries. Another common reason why smoked and dried fish consignments are seized is insect infestation and mould growth. If the fish still contain a considerable amount of moisture after drying and smoking, its very likely to attract insects and moulds which significantly reduce the quality of the products, and of course, the money you can make from them (that’s if they get to get through the foreign borders). Other common causes of seizure are incomplete documentation or improper labeling and packaging. You must ensure that you are aware of the required paperwork and work with the custom broker and importer to make sure everything is in place. How to find buyers for your dried and smoked fish There are a couple of options for aspiring exporters to find buyers and opportunities in the international markets. All of them are cost-free and provide the information, contacts and networks you need to become successful in the trade. #1 – Register with an Export Promotion agency in your country The traditional and most popular place to start your quest to find buyers is to register with an Export Promotion organization in your country. These are usually set up by governments to develop and promote export trade in the country. Their major objective is to increase the amount of the country’s exports by addressing challenges, obstacles and bottlenecks faced by exporters and producers. They usually provide capital (in the form of grants), make international market information available and help to link exporters to potential international buyers. The Nigerian Export Promotion Council (NEPC) has an Export Expansion Grant Scheme which provides incentives to local exporters to grow their businesses and foreign exchange earnings. The Kenyan Export Promotion Council also supports Kenyan exports. #2 - Join a local trade organization - Joining a trade organization in your country can be a very good way to gain an understanding of the dried fish export market and the tricks of the trade. These communities also allow you to network with other exporters, learn from their experiences and even get sales leads. Often times, several exporters have to work together to fulfill large orders from big overseas clients. Being a part of a trade organization can help you find great deals. #3 – Register with online marketplaces - Online marketplaces like Alibaba and Tradekey are some of the most popular platforms to meet buyers and sellers on the international markets. Registration is usually free and you can create a profile as a seller with a good description of your product and some nice pictures too. Thousands of interested buyers and sellers visit these sites everyday to see what’s on offer. It’s a very convenient and inexpensive way to meet potential customers on a global scale. #4 – Open an online store The internet has totally changed the way business is done. Without a physical shop and all the registration fees you need to run a traditional business, opening an online store affords you the opportunity to be available 24 hours a day, everyday! What’s more, it’s much cheaper to run, very flexible and can reach all parts of the world. Setting up a website is easy. There are lots of free tools and services that can get you up and running in less than 30 minutes. You could write about your product, upload very good sample photos and provide your contact details so interested buyers can reach you. This tutorial will help you make the quick decisions you need to get the kind of website you need for an online store. #5 – Word of mouth As outdated as it may sound in today’s world, word-of-mouth advertising still works and remains a great way to find potential customers. Social media like Facebook and Twitter make it much easier because you can share information about your products with your friends and contacts. You never know who knows someone who needs your smoked fish. You spend a lot of time on these media anyway, it may just be time to use them for business benefit. Putting it all together The size of the export market for smoked and dried fish from Africa is growing fast. Although some of the strict regulations make it difficult for most people to succeed in this business, informed and careful entrepreneurs still make a killing from it. It’s a matter of playing by the rules and looking out for more global export opportunities. Vacuum Sealing for Long-Term Food Storage Vacuum sealing is a revolutionary way to create a food pantry. We know that food cannot stay fresh forever, but with the right tools, we can most certainly prolong it. This sealing method was introduced as a new way to extend your existing food sources. There are two types of vacuum food sealers: counter top models and handheld ones. Counter top sealers claim they are more durable and offer stronger suction and sealing strength, but they’re more expensive than handheld food sealers, and they take up more space. Vacuum sealing is a type of packaging called Reduced Oxygen Packaging, also known as ROP. This type of packaging process greatly slows down deterioration of food sources by reducing atmospheric oxygen, and creates an anaerobic environment that limits the growth of aerobic bacteria or fungi, and prevents the evaporation of volatile components. Through this storage method storage times of refrigerated foods, dried foods and frozen foods are extended by creating a hermetic seal similar to the seal that occurs during the canning process. Vacuum sealing is often used in combination with other packaging and food processing techniques. Please keep in mind that vacuum sealing is not a substitution for the heat processing of home canned foods, nor is it a substitution for the refrigerator or freezer storage of foods that would otherwise require it. Pros One of the best aspects of this storage method is that it is extremely economical. Sealed foods last 3-5 times longer compared to conventional storage methods. As a result, foods maintain their texture and appearance longer. Further, because this vacuum sealing food can last longer, food can be purchased in bulk and divided into individualized or smaller servings. Sealing your food can also be used in conjunction with other storage methods. For example, you can vacuum seal dry goods and then as an additional barrier, seal the vacuum packed goods in a heavy duty Mylar bags. Many preppers also use vacuum sealed pouches to make smaller and more usable food storage amounts and then store it into 5 gallon pails with a gamma lid. This way, all they need to do is unscrew the lid, reach in and grab the desired amount of food stuff and then screw the lid back on. Another way to store food using vacuum sealed foods is in the freezer. Freezer burn is eliminated, because foods no longer become dehydrated from contact with cold, dry air. Here are some additional reasons why vacuum sealing is an effective and cost saving form of storage: • Non-food items are protected from oxygen, corrosion and moisture-damage. For example you can vacuum seal unused oxygen absorbers, matches, socks for bug out bag, medication, emergency forms, etc. • Vacuum sealing conserves space for food storage. • Moist foods won’t dry out, because there’s no air to absorb the moisture from the food. • Dry, solid foods, such as brown sugar, won’t become hard, because they don’t come in contact with air and, therefore, can’t absorb moisture from the air. • Foods that are high in fats and oils won’t become rancid, because there’s no oxygen coming in contact with the fats, which causes the rancid taste and smell. • Insect infestation is eliminated due to a low oxygen environment. • Meat and fish will marinade in minutes, because as air is being removed from the canister, the pores of the mat or fish open up and allow the marinade to penetrate. • Seal dehydrated foods and dried herbs for longer term storage. Cons As effective as this food storage method is, it is not without its downside. The most serious mark against this storage method is that if you are storing perishable items, there are dangerous bacteria associated with vacuum sealing perishable goods. Another downside to vacuum sealing is the bags are not completely impervious to air, so after a couple years, they begin to leak. When leaks occur, the opened seals allow oxygen, insects and other enemies of your food to enter. However, if you plan to use the barrier method when storing your food, then you are taking added precautions to prevent this from occurring. Further, if you are storing bulky food items, or foods that have sharp corners, during the oxygen removing process, these sharp corners can puncture the bags. Therefore, special care must be used when packaging certain foods. Storing Vacuum Sealed Foods for Long Term Use Like all food storage methods, stay organized by labeling the food contents and the date it was packed. Some preppers who are prepackaging store bought foods, such as Bisquick, will cut out the directions on the box and add it to the vacuum sealed pouch. To stay organized, many preppers use large plastic bins to store their sealed foods in. This keeps your preps orderly and easily accessible. Although some believe this to be unnecessary, adding oxygen absorbers in the vacuum sealed bag along with the food before sealing will increase the long term storage time. The reason why many do this is when you vacuum seal, there can still be some air caught between grains of softer foods that you can’t pull as strong of a vacuum on. Adding oxygen absorbers to long term dry goods, and dehydrated foods remedies the trapped air in between food items and guards against natural elements. Like all food storage methods, eat what you store and store what you eat. You want to have the foods on hand that your family normally eats. When freezing packages of liquid foods, many have run into the problem of liquid getting sucked back into the vacuum contraption. You can avoid this in one of two ways: 1. One is to fill the vacuum bags and freeze them without sealing. Seal once the contents are solid and they won’t leak into the guts of the sealer. 2. Another way is to refrigerate the dish until it’s thickened – some sauces will almost gel when cold – then you can fill bags and vacuum pack. And finally, you can freeze in temporary containers and then slip the blocks of food out and repackage and seal. I’ve tried all of these things at various times. To conclude, vacuum sealing your food and non-food preps is an economical and extremely effective way to save money, maintain a varied food pantry and protect your supplies. Further, it can be used in conjunction with other food storage methods, thus creating a multi-barrier system for added protection from natural elements. If you plan to use this method, be sure that you follow the suggested ways to protect your food.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 12:28:14 +0000
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