Distral Thermal Treatment Facility
Thermal Treatment
DISTRAL Thermal Treatment Facility is the only one in Southeastern Mediterranean and Balkan region and is specialized in the salmonella heat-treatment for fishmeal and other animal and vegetable proteins, strictly complying to the E.U. competent regulations.
Production capacity of 3mt/hour, with regulated process to eliminate salmonella contamination.
Annual production capacity of 12,000mt.
Product is heated up to a critical temperature with live steam for a specific time period (according to the requirements of the competent Greek legislation), and then passes through a pelletization process where it is further conditioned with steam and formed into pellets.
Product can be received in :
– bulk on trucks
– bulk in containers
– big bags (palletized or non-palletized)
– 25–50kg bags (palletized or non-palletized)
DISTRAL Heat Treatment Facility has all the required licenses from the E.U. veterinary and customs authorities, and is ISO 22000:2005 certified by SGS.
It is also approved by the Canadian Trade Commission and has been included in the list of service providers presented in the TRIO electronic system of the Canadian government.
Process description:
In case product is found to be salmonella-positive, then under the close supervision and monitoring of both the Veterinary
Authorities and the Customs Office, the sealed containers a/o trucks are transported to DISTRAL Heat Treatment Facility for
sterilization.
DISTRAL Heat Treatment Facility is internally separated into clearly defined areas (totally isolated from each other), as required by the
“Code of Practice for the control of Salmonella”, which are strictly followed :
a. “Raw Material Area”, where raw material is received, stored, prepared and passed into processing,
b. “Processing Area”, which is a separate area where processing (heat-treatment) takes place,
c. “Finished Product Area”, where the resultant product from the processing plant is stored and dispatched.
The floor areas of DISTRAL Heat Treatment Facility are impervious to liquid, and drainage is arranged to avoid any flow or seepage into
the Finished Product Area. The total building area is fully roofed, soundly constructed and fully enclosed.
Personnel and equipment movement is organized under a clear zoning of areas, and cleaning procedures are set for the cleansing and
disinfection of staff overalls and boots. Adequate facilities for personnel cleaning and suitable changing rooms are an integral part of the
facility’s layout.
The heat treatment processing line is fully automated. A state-of-the-art pneumatic unloading system automatically discharges the
fishmeal from the containers a/o trucks, into dedicated silos (Raw Material Area).
After the poduct is processed in the heat-treatment line (Processing Area), it comes out in the form of pellets and is being automatically
weighed and bagged/sealed, in the Finished Product Area.
The design of the whole sterilization process and layout of DISTRAL Thermal Treatment Facility have been set and concluded under the
constant supervision and consecutive approvals of the Veterinary Authorities and the Customs Office, ensuring that we meet the highest
standards set by the competent E.U. and national legislation, concerning :
Quality
Traceability
Hygiene
Environment
Security
Quality:
The Greek legislation allows only thermal treatment of products found to be salmonella-contaminated, strictly forbidding any kind of
chemical treatment. Apart this legislative restriction, the fact is that thermal treatment has proven to be the most effective and safe
method to eliminate salmonella, without altering the beneficial properties of a high-grade product such as fishmeal.
DISTRAL Thermal Treatment Facility ‘s process has been designed to maintain the profile of the product unaffected.
Traceability:
DISTRAL Thermal Treatment Facility is designed to keep the highest traceability standards. With the support of independent certified
surveyors such as SGS (and their subsidiaries/affiliates in the various countries of origin), we closely monitor all cargoes that go through
our system, from loading into the containers at the origin, to discharging at final destination. Same standards are applied to the
equipment used to handle the product in the various stages of its journey from the producer to final destinations.
Hygiene:
The Veterinary Authorities have inspected and approved DISTRAL Thermal Treatment Facility’s buildings and equipment, in
accordance to the competent E.U. regulations and environmental guidelines :
automated pneumatic unloading of the product from the containers a/o trucks, guaranteeing the ease of unloading without spills
tightly isolated processing-line area,
double and totally separated sets of auxiliary facilities (equipment, dressing rooms, personnel facilities, in-house laboratories etc)
one set for the pre-sterilization phase and another duplicate set for the decontaminated phase, and
fully isolated decontaminated area, where the treated product is kept,
ensure that the highest hygiene conditions are met, and eliminate the risk of cross-contamination.
Environment:
DISTRAL Thermal Treatment Facility’s equipment is designed up to the environmentally-friendly standards required by the competent E.U.
legislation and the Greek authorities. The pneumatic unloading system guarantees basically zero dust generation, and filters make
sure that the waste air is thoroughly cleaned.
Following the next implementation stages of DISTRAL Thermal Treatment Facility’s investment plan, we intend to apply to the Electricity
Authority Board to get the license to install PV panels on the 1,200 m2 roof surface of our building, in order to become self-sufficient in
our energy needs, and subsequently be certified as a zero-carbon emission operator.
Security:
The Veterinary Authorities are routinely controlling DISTRAL Thermal Treatment Facility’s installations and monitoring its operations, to
make sure that they are constantly up to the standards required. In addition, DISTRAL Thermal Treatment Facility is controlled by the
Customs Authorities, and operate under the Good Hygiene (GHP) practices and HACCP principles. Finally, DISTRAL Thermal Treatment
Facility is covered by a thorough product liability insurance scheme, provided by a 1st class insurance company.
