Fish, Squid, Shrimp and Cuttlefish Exporter from Pakistan

How We Started

Plant commissioned in 2001

Akhlaq Enterprises (PVT) Ltd. seafood processing plant in the port city of Karachi-Pakistan was commissioned in the year 2001.
The plate/contact and blast freezers in addition to the cold storage were designed and imported from a well-known manufacturer in USA M/S Balmac International (Bally).
Keeping in mind the importance of a pollution free environment, Freon 404 was chosen as the refrigerant gas.
Water filtration and sanitation flows have been built according to the latest requirements and standards.
Achieved European Commission White List in 2013
List here
News Article about EU Approval

Raw material is purchased from the approved auction market.
It is iced and packed into covered insulated plastic containers (IPCs) for transport the short distance (500m) to the factory by company’s transport vehicle.
Shrimp / Fish enter the factory through separate reception area from other raw material.
Product is then removed from IPCs, de-iced and checked.

Product is assessed for its quality using the following grading schemes:
- Shrimps Grading: AA, A+ and A
- Cephalopods (SQUID, CUTTLE, OCTOPUS) Grading: AA, A+ and A
- Crabs Grading: AA and A+
- FIN FISH (BARRACUDA, CROAKER, GROUPER, MACKEREL, CAT FISH, BLACK POMFRET, WHITE POMFRET, MAHI MAHI, TUNA , KAWA KAWA ETC) GRADING: AA, A+
Product that is grade C or below is returned to the supplier. The temperature of the product is checked and should be below 2 ̊C; otherwise, immediately re-iced and stored until product temperature is <1 ̊C before processing starts.
Product is checked for visual evidence of parasite infection; visual contamination with physical hazards such as metal glass etc. or chemical contamination with oil/fuel. Product is also test checked for salt soaking and smell tested.

Plate Freezing:

Plate freezers are pre-cooled to minus 10°C before loading starts, to help to achieve and maintain core temperature of minus 18°C of the product before loading into freezer. Packed product is placed into freezing trays and loaded into the plate freezers. Four (04) sets of Plate Freezers are set to Freeze our products at minus 40°C within 3 hours.
They are cleaned along with freezing trays after use and defrosted after each batch of freezing. Machine room staff frequently checks its performance and keeps a record.

Blast Freezing:

IQF Products are placed on trays and arranged in order to ensure free movement of cold air during freezing. The trays are are then loaded into the Pre-cooled Blast freezer (minus 10°C). Blast freezers are then started and the product frozen until temperature reaches to minus 40°C.

Once products are processed as per the approved/standard procedures in the processing zone(s), they are then transferred from processing area and placed into packaging in either inner boxes or poly bags according to product size grade.
Packed product is then checked and weighed to ensure that the declared Net Weight is achieved before transferring to freezers.
Packed products are loaded into freezing trays and stored in Plate Freezers / Blast Freezers.
Control Measures: Worker Hygiene. Packaging material kept on pallets and supplied in plastic covers. Electric and Mechanical Scales are used that are officially calibrated each year and checked daily with a standard weight. Scales and containers are cleaned and dried after daily use.