Our Story

Uoriki Fresh Inc. is a Japanese seafood company with deep affiliations around the world. We opened offices in Miami in the 90’s and have been committed to the US market since. In 2003, we began to distribute Superfrozen tuna to the Japanese restaurant market an we also introduced it to US chefs.

At the same time the fresh tuna market has been getting even more challenging with supply diminishing and prices rising. As Superfrozen tuna is essentially a competitor for fresh tuna, the timing is perfect.

Uoriki Fresh decided to invest heavily. In 2006, we built, in Secaucus NJ, the most technically advanced superfrozen facility in North America. We invested in training staff, creating shipping portions, special ULT freezers, putting distributors in place, and ensuring all is in preparation to serve you. We have the largest worldwide supply chain network of Superfrozen tuna.

From our resources we can provide Superfrozen Wild and Ranched Bluefin and Southern Bluefin, Bigeye, and Yellowfin Tuna. Superfrozen gives you the benefits of price stability, product quality, and you can choose the exact product, part and piece you want with the comfort of knowing that when you are ready, you can revive it and it will be Fresher than Fresh!

What is Super Frozen?

su·per·fr·oz·en Products are frozen very rapidly to its Eutectic Point (EP). A highly technical process requiring extreme care in processing, speed of freezing, and special equipment for transportation and storage. Superfreezing halts the natural decay that begins on death. SuperFrozen is comparable in concept to the process used in the medical field to preserve blood. When a Superfrozen item is defrosted it revives to exactly the moment it was frozen.

eu·tec·tic The temperature at which all cellular activity stops absolutely. At -76ºF, the “eutectic point” (EP) for tuna is reached and all water in the cells is completely frozen and microbial decomposition is brought to a standstill. At the temperature of -76ºF, it is possible to transport or store foodstuffs for an “infinite” period without loss of quality.

Superfreezing is a process of fast freezing to ultra low temperatures which brings a product to its Eutectic Point as quickly as possible. It is a highly technical process that requires care in processing, speed of freezing, and special equipment for transportation and storage.

This is similar in concept to the process used in the medical field, particularly in preserving blood at blood banks. Similarly also, when superfrozen tuna is defrosted, it revives to exactly that moment it was frozen. For the tuna from Uoriki Fresh Inc, this means that you are now preparing 8 hour old tuna. It is fresher than fresh!

Superfreezing, essentially therefore, stops time absolutely. It halts the natural decay that begins on death, such that the fish stands still in time from the point of catch until defrosted - making it the freshest product possible when it reaches the chef’s kitchen.

What is the Eutectic Point and why is it important?

The Eutectic Point is the temperature at which all activity stops absolutely. At temperatures of -76ºF, the “eutectic point” (EP) is reached and all the water in the cells of the product is completely frozen and all microbial decomposition brought to a standstill. At temperatures of below -76ºF it is possible to transport or store foodstuffs for an “infinite” period without loss of quality. Oxidation is halted and therefore, superfrozen tuna will maintain its bright color for the normal 3-5 after defrosting, just as fresh tuna would.

From Catch to Kitchen

From Catch to Kitchen, the key factor in delivering top quality tuna begins with the tuna quality itself and the temperature control during transportation. With Superfrozen Tuna, the process begins on the tuna boat, far out on the high seas. Our boats are specialized: long-line fishermen only. We strive to eliminate collateral damage to other species such as dolphins, porpoises, or deep sea turtles. These boats are specially fit We strive to eliminate collateral damage to other species such as ted with sophisticated superfreezing equipment. When the tuna lands, they are quickly gilled and gutted. They are then immediately put into the superfreezers, freezing to a core ultra low temperature (ULT) of -76ºF, the Eutectic Point or EP. The entire process is complete between ten and twenty hours out of the water.

Kitchen Preparation

Defrosting Superfrozen products are completely different from standard frozen products. Simply rinse Superfrozen tuna in running water, then soak it in warm salty water for two minutes, and lastly cover with a damp towel and store it in the refrigerator until ready to use. When defrosting, you may actually see signs of rigor mortis. As stated, the tuna revives to where it was at the point of freezing. This is also an indication of the quality and freshness. The freshness of the revived tuna is reflected by the bright, vibrant, deep red color the tuna regains, the natural hue of freshly caught tuna. This immediate revival, combined with top quality product, and negligible drip, allows you to plan a menu without concern for whether you will have a tuna delivery or not.

Is Your Tuna 100% Natural?

Why does conventionally frozen tuna often appear so bright red in color? Freezing tuna in the conventional manner is NOT COLD ENOUGH to halt microbiological activity. In fact, tuna will continue to turn brown during the conventional freezing process, and the rate at which it turns brown will rapidly increase upon defrosting. To counter this, many tuna suppliers use a smoke treatment process that prevents oxidation and brightens the color of tuna. Smoke treatment, which is also called tasteless smoke, carbon monoxide(CO) treatment or gas treatment, causes the tuna - or any red meat, including steak - to take and retain a bright watermelon red color, even long past when the product is edible. Reputable distributors always inform and present product properly labelled as required by law.

How tuna loses it color

Tuna flesh, like the flesh of many land animals, contains myoglobin, a pigmented protein that stores oxygen in the muscle tissue. The amount of myoglobin in a tuna’s muscle determines its color. The more myoglobin, the redder the flesh. The amount of myoglobin is a function of a tuna’s age, physical activity and species. When the flesh of tuna is exposed to air (particularly when it is cut into pieces), an iron ion in the myoglobin molecule will start to oxidize. The dark, purplish red color of freshly cut tuna is due to deoxymyoglobin, which in air changes first to bright red oxymyoglobin and then to brown metmyoglobin. Tuna purveyors therefore must hustle to rush their tuna from the boat to the chef after it is cut up. It is a very short 3 to 5 days after it is cut up that it will remain in the red oxymyoglobin stage. The brown color is not an indicator of its wholesomeness. Myoglobin’s color changes take place long before the fish has begun to deteriorate.

Carbon Monoxide

Carbon monoxide thwarts the natural color change by replacing the oxygen in the oxymyoglobin molecules (as it does in our blood’s oxyhemoglobin molecules), converting them into a very stable complex: the watermelon-red carboxymyoglobin. The oxymyoglobin is thus derailed from being oxidized to brown metmyoglobin. And so tuna processors began to smoke tuna prior to freezing.

Smoked Tuna

Smoking tuna is the predominant way to infuse it with carbon monoxide as wood smoke contains carbon monoxide. The tiny particles that make smoke smoky are filtered out along with the chemicals that give smoke its flavor, leaving a mixture of gases -- carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrogen, oxygen, and methane. This is called filtered smoke or tasteless smoke.

Is this Legal?

It is permitted only with Labeling to Disclose Preservative Use. The FDA states that the use of tasteless smoke constitutes use as a preservative and thus needs to be labelled according to 403(k) and 403(i)(2) of the FFD&C Act. Label examples: Tuna, Tasteless Smoke (a color preservative) OR Tuna, Carbon Monoxide (a color preservative). GRAS No. 000015 www.cfsan.fda.gov/~rdb/opa-g015.html

Many Countries Ban Smoke Treatment of Tuna

For consumer protection, Canada, the countries of Europe, Japan, and last year, China banned it outright. Source of further information www.co-meat.com/index.html. The FDA has given it a GRAS “Generally Regarded As Safe” rating. Any risk lies with the potential that unscrupulous dealers might present and sell product that has passed its prime. Research by the Food Science & Human Nutrition Department of the University of Florida has found that dangerous, time-induced spoilage can continue in carbonmonoxide-treated fish even though the color is still bright. Reputable distributors always keep their customers informed as to the appropriate labeling on all products.

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