The sustainability of marine resources is a reality to be taken into account in ensuring society’s food supply. Forecasts associated with the need to increase the amount of available food due to the growth of the global population give aquaculture the opportunity to strengthen food production capacity, with a consequent contribution to the economic and environmental development of resources, as well as to the social development of the region where the production facilities are based.
Flatlantic is the largest Portuguese fish farm specializing in turbot, and the largest producer of sole and turbot in Europe using ocean water, located in the fishing town of Mira, Portugal. The prospects inherent to the increase in production are accompanied by the necessary rigor in monitoring the sector's total costs, while maintaining a focus on product quality and compliance throughout its value chain. Industrial cleaning is an important part of ensuring high-quality standards, and Mistolin Pro is a trusted partner.
Laura, what does the motto “We are Atlantic: we have the sea at home” mean to you?
This is a motto I identify with. And, first of all, I should start by mentioning that Flatlantic integrates into the same perimeter an activity from the primary sector, aquaculture, and an activity from the secondary sector, the processing factory (secondary – understood as industry). Our location is privileged on several levels, and equally so in strategic terms, because we are right by the sea, at a distance of only 500 meters from our land-based facility to the shoreline; this detail gives us the capacity to have access to excellent ocean water quality, captured at about 3 kilometers away.
This privilege is combined with our responsibility not to compromise that same quality at the same time, or rather, to maintain it at the very least. We are integrated into the NATURA network, which means that over time, we have been challenged to demonstrate that we have no negative impacts on the surrounding environment, and the truth is that, after all these years, along with the entire series of water quality monitoring, we have managed to demonstrate exactly that.
Clear evidence of this is the increase in fauna around Flatlantic's facilities in recent years. It is a fact that we occupied nature's space but, over time, the environment (we are talking about fauna and flora) reorganized itself in order to adapt and develop.
Now, nowadays, we manage to be here and continue; to take salt water from the ocean and return it with very similar quality, not compromising the awarding of the Blue Flag to Mira Beach, a reality maintained over the years. Because we perform various environmental monitoring, we have evidence showing that Flatlantic's activity does not entail negative impacts on the surrounding environment.
And now, more recently, with the investment in the hatchery, it means we can follow our fish from its conception to shipment to the customer. Having the “sea at home” contributes to the added value of the Flatlantic brand, in that it allows for live stock to be available in tanks, instead of stock in a storage chamber that has already been fished; this aspect makes it possible to satisfy the customer's need in just 24 hours, which translates into the possibility of having fish on the consumer's table within 48 hours.
All this is possible thanks to the advantage of having the conditions for fish farming and fish processing in-house. Having “the sea at home” provides the fish with optimal conditions for growth and allows the Flatlantic brand to guarantee the quality of the fish.
The company is located just 500 meters from the beach, using ocean water as a structural resource for its activity. Tell us a little more about this differentiating reality, as well as the added values associated with it, beyond those you have already mentioned.
Producing in a sustainable way means constantly taking a set of precautions with everything related to the operational side. It is not spending what is not needed; not wasting water that is not needed, even if it is salt water; not giving more food than the fish needs, because if it is in excess, it is a waste and will certainly end up in the ocean.
We have thousands of data points resulting from the monitoring of the ocean water quality at the inlet and outlet of the facilities that attest to its systematic quality when returned to the ocean. That is why we refer to using ocean water, rather than referring to it as consuming it.
Another additional fact is that this project is very interesting in terms of energy savings, as we have a single point of higher energy consumption, which is the capture and lifting of the water, after which everything works by gravity, namely by the principle of communicating vessels, meaning that the water enters, is distributed through the tanks, and, after roughly 1.5 hours, it is returned to the ocean; there is no stagnant water along the way.
Imagine what a different setup would be like, where in addition to the pumping point for capture, we would still have a series of pumps along the entire route. That would not be sustainable or affordable, as there would be additional points of energy consumption.
Who is Laura Alexandra? Tell us a little about yourself and your professional career.
I hold a degree in Industrial Chemistry from the University of Coimbra. Right after finishing my studies, I joined the program called “Young Technicians for Industry (JTI)”, a State initiative which partially financed the integration of young people into the business fabric, thus opening up what was, for me, an opportunity to be able to work in Industry.
Therefore, I started my professional activity in 1994, in a sector completely different from the current one, in the chemical industry branch where, for 14 years, I had the opportunity to participate in diverse challenges related to the areas of operations, management, quality, environment, safety, licensing, and investment projects, until 2008, when I transitioned to the aquaculture sector, a completely different scope from the one I was working in, however, with the same areas of work, that is, with some responsibilities identical to those I was already exercising.
I enthusiastically embraced what was, at the time, a completely new challenge for me. I am a curious person. That aspect has meant that I have always asked a lot of questions, which means that when I don't get the answers to the questions asked, I have the need to look for them. And, therefore, this process of moving to such a different sector led me to attend a Postgraduate degree in Food Safety at the Portuguese Catholic University – Porto Regional Center.
On a personal level, I am an extremely demanding person. Ah, and I have a terrible temper. I like to teach and train, but then I demand that what has been learned is put into practice. From the moment the knowledge is transmitted, the person has understood and knows how to do it, there is no reason not to do it right the first time. If people know, they have even had training and say they know how to do it, then they shouldn't start doing it wrong, because doing it wrong costs twice as much; it's doing it wrong and then having to correct it by doing it right.
When in doubt, always ask! Doing it wrong has negative impacts, for example, the waste of time and resources, which ends up being critical for a company.
Laura, you have followed the progress and evolution of the company, from its origin to the present day. What challenges did you face?
It’s been 14 years. At the beginning of the project, we faced as our main challenge the fact that aquaculture was, at the time, let’s say, an unknown area in our country, about which the competent official entities had some reticence. You know that the unknown always generates some degree of discomfort. Throughout the years, what we have been doing as a company is demonstrating our capacity to ensure that aquaculture is not something bad.
Aquaculture is an activity that has a future (and will be necessary), as a solution aligned with the sustainable development goals. The challenges were diverse, from the size of the facilities, the lack of knowledge about the activity in society, the startup and development with the progress of operations that had its ups and downs, but which were overcome and served as learning.
More recently, the strengthening of the project, with the construction of our hatchery, was the materialization of an old ambition. We are working to make a difference, because now, yes, we can have the “closed cycle” and have available, in an integrated way, all the resources we need. Currently, we can say that there is independence from the outside, allowing for control from the source, that is, from the birth of our fish.
How do you view Quality within FLATLANTIC?
I view Quality with a huge sense of responsibility, but I do not look at Quality in isolation within the organization, as I have an integrated vision of things. I will give you the following example: within the scope of our work instructions related to hygiene, I once had a curious situation with an auditor, who told me that they only saw this level of detail in companies that are dedicated to cleaning activities, not usually found in a company like Flatlantic that has a processing factory, where doing the cleaning is not its main role.
However, it is a very important step in its activity. This aspect is closely related, as I said, to the integrated vision I have of things. I'll give you another example. Our documents have the necessary sectors integrated for the realization of a given activity, mentioning who does what, when, how, and why. In this way, all parties involved are aware and validate the final version, allowing for transversal alignment among everyone. When we talk about hygiene plans, these, in my view, cannot, under any circumstances, be seen as procedures separate from the operational procedures related to the process, but rather, should be integrated into them.
The hygiene plan is the company's responsibility, of course. However, we as a company really have to demand that our workers comply with the execution of the good practices associated and reflected in the hygiene plan. To speak of Quality is also to speak of our HACCP system, which is implemented from the broodstock. Usually, when one speaks of HACCP, one speaks of industry-processing factory.
Although the European regulation mentions that HACCP can be applied in a simple way to the primary sector activity, at Flatlantic it was always considered, which contributes in good measure to transversality and integration. Thus, when we want to proceed with any type of change, we have to take into account the flowchart of our processes from the broodstock to the packaged fish in the box, ready to be shipped to the customer, reflecting the general landscape of how all activities are processed. Therefore, looking at the flowchart is not just paying attention to the factory section that starts when the fish is slaughtered; the first part begins with the broodstock.
That is why they are two distinct areas, but they are two complementary areas and are treated in the same way. Of course, I am speaking in terms of food safety in the factory and biosafety in aquaculture.
At Flatlantic we speak of HACCP applied to everything, but in a different way, because we cannot have the same concepts, since we have to adapt them to the reality in question. The food safety culture is assumed by Flatlantic as a priority, thus ensuring a product - fresh fish with excellent quality.
Flatlantic has a UPAC (Self-Consumption Production Unit) in its facilities. Do you foresee strengthening the green investment in the short-medium term?
Yes, in fact, the project to strengthen green investment is underway. As also responsible for the environment area, it is with satisfaction that I talk about this topic, which is aligned with the concept of our corporate image, seastainability. We are in an expansion phase for the land area.
A new Unit for Self-Consumption Production (UPAC) will be started, complementary to the existing one, which consists of the installation of photovoltaic panels intended for the production of electricity from renewable energies. Due to our size, we are intensive energy consumers.
The advantage underlying this new green investment is that it will contribute to the continued reduction of carbon dioxide emissions (we currently avoid the emission of 569 tons, the equivalent of planting 794 plants), consolidating the reduction of our dependence on electricity price fluctuations, thus optimizing what are our expenses.
The sustainability of marine resources is a reality to be taken into account in ensuring society’s food supply. How does aquaculture differentiate itself as an alternative for the future?
Aquaculture is an activity that, when done well, enables the regeneration of the marine environment because there is no overfishing. By producing protein available for the increase of the population worldwide, aquaculture will make it possible to avoid such intensive fishing, which contributes in large measure to the regeneration capacity of the natural environment.
It is a means of producing fish, a source of protein, in a sustainable way. At Flatlantic, for a long time, the business model focused on only one species of fish, turbot (Psetta maxima), and lately, it has been expanding its offer with investments around the inclusion of a second species, sole.
Flatlantic is headquartered in an area of 42 hectares. How do you implement sustainable mobility within the facilities?
We have bicycles, electric scooters, and electric cars (small ones for internal movements within the company's area). We have internal transport vehicles that use fossil fuel, however, work has been done on the transition to vehicles powered by electric energy. It is Flatlantic's commitment that all fish transport vehicles will become electric, progressively ending the use of diesel vehicles.
To what extent does Flatlantic view the impact of cleaning and disinfection of its production unit as a way to guarantee product quality?
Cleaning and disinfection, in our case, is extremely important because we are an activity that, firstly, in aquaculture, we deal with living beings, and secondly, in the processing factory, we have the fish. In both cases, the issue of cleaning and disinfection and, ultimately, hygiene, is fundamental, because simply if I don't have a clean and neat environment where the fish are, they simply won't be well.
If the tank, where the fish are kept, is not clean, what happens is that it will be prone to the spread of diseases. If the processing area is not clean, we will certainly not have a quality product. By keeping a product in a clean environment, I make it possible for it to have a much longer shelf life. Our product is extremely perishable, and as such, the issue of hygiene is even more important.
How is Mistolin Pro’s support an added value for the Flatlantic brand? How has the experience been?
The difference that Mistolin Pro has compared to the competition is its technical capability. Flatlantic is very demanding in defining requirements, and Mistolin Pro has met those demands. For example, the use of detergents with formulas approved by the competent authorities, to which the provision of Technical Data Sheets and Safety Data Sheets is associated, as well as evidence of the performance and effectiveness of the constituent active ingredients, are aspects that we value and for which we have found an answer with Mistolin Pro.
Mistolin Pro has been a partner in providing continuous support and responding to our needs regarding cleaning and disinfection, including on-site training, in contact with our reality.
Internal training for new employees plays a relevant role in internal alignment regarding good process practices combined with those of hygiene. At Flatlantic, cleaning and hygiene procedures are scrupulously followed. We do not “skip steps” here. Internally, all workers are aware that, prior to the disinfection stage, it is important to ensure the execution of the steps related to proper cleaning, which includes the removal of existing dirt.
At Flatlantic, as part of complying with a hygiene procedure, there is a guarantee that a new step only begins when the previous one is completed; we do not advance to disinfection without the guarantee that the cleaning step is complete. Verifying the effectiveness of hygiene is also something we do regularly through internal control using dipslides, commonly known internally as the “cotton swab test,” as a way of monitoring and evaluating compliance with all steps in cleaning and disinfection routines.
