The coastland times. [volume] (Mnateo [i.e. Manteo], N.C.) 1947-1959, 1956-06-15

meat may be placed by the packer
directly into the can, each type Of
meat ii. e. lump, regular and claw
being put into appropriately label
ed cans or the meat may be ac-
cumulated in bowls and packed by
special packers. In either method
care is exercised that fragments
of shell are removed.
The cans hold net weight OF
one pound of meat. *5 They are
lacquered on the inside to prevent
the meat coming in direct contact
with the tin. The can may be plain
and unlabeled, with only the proc
essors name, permit number and
type of meat embossed on the can
1t may be a autographed, decora-
tive and attractive can with a
brand name, the name of the pack
er and town. Recently cans have
been used which have a window
top so that the crab meat may be
seen without removal of the lid.
The containers are closed with a
snap on lid and are stored under
refrigeration. Customarily in this
state the refrigerant is ice. The
usual procedure is to pack the con-
tainers in shipping boxes or bar
rels heavily iced with crushed ice
or flake ice. Those packers who
have mechanical refrigeration store
the packed shipping container in
a refrigerated room, the tempera-
ture of which is kept at about
So F. Shipments to market are
made in refrigerated trucks, or if
the trucks are not refrigerated and
the journey long re-icing of the
shipping container is done en- route.
Canning: Canning of crab meat
is done in only one plant in the
state, The Blue Channel Corpora
ton at Belhaven. This one plant
handles a large part of the crabs
landed in the state and during the
winter lull in crab fishing, imports
crabs from Virginia and Maryland.
The meat is picked in the manner
described above. 1t is then canned
by a special patented process de-
veloped by the Company. The reg
ular and claw meat are packed in
61a and 16 ounce cans while the
lump is packed in 51s and 16 ounce
cans. The Company also cans
deviled crab meat in 8, 8 and Is
ounce cans. In addition it markets
a special crab dinner package
which, consists of a can of the devil
crab meat and four crab shells,
packed in a window box.
Freezing: There is only limit
ed amount of freezing done in the
state; and this practice is resorted
to on a falling wholesale market.
Ordinarily the meat is frozen in
the tin container in which it was
first packed. Some experimental
ton has been done with freezing
III CdFuDOdTu COlLdlueESs
Specialties: A few small opera
tions put up a deviled crab pack
IS sometime sold as a part of a
complete seafood dinner or alone
as deviled crabs. At present this
activity is unimportant when view
ed as a part of the total economic
picture, but it promises to become
quite significant with the expan-
sion and diversification of the in
dustry.
Standards and Control of Quail
ity: From landing of the live ami
NAL to receipt of product by con-
sumner crab meat production and
handling is perhaps the most
carefully supervised fisheries oper-
alton in the state. Safeguards and
controls are featured from process
ing to retail outlets. Plants operate
upon certification from the State
Health Department. This agency
has established rigid rules based
on recommendations and require
ments of the Pure Food and Drug
Administration. Plants are subject
to inspection without notice; and
the inspector has the authority to
close any plant not confirming to
the regulations. Workers in crab
plants are required to have health
certificates. Shipments in inter-
state commerce are liable to in
spection on the road or upon ar
rival at destination. Federal In
spectors are empowered to condemn
and impound shipments not meet
ing the standards. The Federal
service, maintains mobile labora-
tories equipped to examine crab
meat on the spot. Local super
vision by owners and managers is
usually of high order.
Market: Despite the elaborate
care and supervision given crab
picking operations and the attrac-
tive containers in which the prod
uct is packed, North Carolina fresh
crab meat ordinarily loses it iden-
tity when it leaves the plant of
the packer. Like our other COM