Supermarket & Retail
Refrigeration for fish and seafood shop
Fish is the most perishable product most retailers handle. It starts losing freshness from the moment it is landed, and every hour above a couple of degrees shows in the eyes, gills and smell. Indian fish shops traditionally rely on crushed ice, and ice remains the best contact cooling for whole fish. Refrigeration's job is to protect that ice, hold cleaned fish and fillets close to 0 °C between sales, and store frozen prawns and fish at −18 °C or colder. In coastal towns the same cabinets also face salt air, constant meltwater and strong odours, which shape the choice of materials as much as the temperature.
What the equipment has to cope with
- Fish quality depends on staying close to 0 °C, colder than most cabinets run by default, and ice alone melts quickly in a 35 °C shop.
- Meltwater, brine and fish juices are constant, so cabinets need drainable trays, sealed interiors and surfaces that can be scrubbed daily.
- Salt air in coastal towns corrodes painted steel, condenser fins and exposed fittings much faster than inland.
- Fish odour spreads to other foods and lingers in gaskets and plastic liners if the cabinet is not cleaned thoroughly.
- Frozen prawns and fish that partly thaw and refreeze become soft and lose weight and value.
Typical temperatures
| Whole fish on crushed ice | 0 to +2 °C |
|---|---|
| Cleaned fish, fillets, steaks | 0 to +2 °C |
| Marinated ready-to-cook fish | 0 to +4 °C |
| Fresh prawns, crabs, squid | 0 to +2 °C |
| Frozen prawns and fish | −18 °C or colder |
Equipment
What to buy, and why.
Most fish shops pair a stainless upright chiller for iced trays of cleaned fish and fillets with a hard-top chest freezer for frozen prawns, fish and reserve stock. Whole fish for display usually stays on an iced counter, topped up through the day, with the chiller holding the next batch. Keep cabinets well away from the cleaning and cutting area, give them earthed sockets out of splash range, and in coastal shops rinse salt deposits off the exterior and condenser area regularly. Cleaning gaskets and trays daily keeps odour from taking hold.
- +2 to +8 °CReach-in RefrigeratorA stainless upright chiller, run at its coldest setting, that holds covered trays of iced cleaned fish, fillets and prawns between sales and slows ice melt.Set-up guide
- −18 to −60 °CDeep FreezerA hard-top chest freezer for frozen prawns, fish blocks and reserve stock at −18 °C or colder, with a glass-top for shops that sell packed frozen seafood.Set-up guide
Questions
- Is ice enough, or does a fish shop need a refrigerator?
- Ice is excellent for cooling fish by direct contact, but it melts quickly in a hot shop, and fish on melting ice in warm air does not stay near 0 °C for long. A chiller set to its coldest setting slows that melt dramatically and keeps iced trays of cleaned fish and fillets cold between sales. Most shops use both.
- What temperature should frozen prawns be kept at?
- At −18 °C or colder, steadily. Prawns that soften and refreeze lose texture and weight, so keep the freezer closed as much as possible, avoid overfilling, and do not use a display freezer as your only reserve.
- How do we stop fish smell spreading in the cabinet?
- Keep fish in covered trays or containers, wash trays and shelves daily with a food-safe detergent, and pay special attention to door gaskets, which trap juices. Do not store fish in the same chiller as dairy or ready-to-eat food.
Before you buy
All guides- Commercial Refrigerator Maintenance Checklist6 min read
- Commercial Refrigerator Buying Guide (India)9 min read
- Visi Cooler Buying Guide: Size, Glass, Placement6 min read
- Types of Commercial Refrigerators Explained6 min read
- Visi Cooler for Kirana & FMCG Shops: What to Know5 min read
- Open Multideck Merchandiser Guide for Supermarkets6 min read
Related businesses
Get a quote
Equip your fish and seafood shop.
We reply within one working day with a recommended set-up and a quote.