Where is the difference?

In this post we will try to explain to those who do not know much about canned fish & seafood, the main differences between a Standard quality product and the Cuca Premium product.

Fist of all, we have to take into account the raw material. This is one of the most important factors that distinguish a Premium product from the rest. There are many species of fish & seafood around the world. We must comply with the labelling rules so we must use some given species: for Octopus we use Octopus Vulgaris, for Sardines only Sardina Pilchardus, for Mussels Mytilus Galloprovincialis, … In addition, only the best suppliers of raw materials will be used. Examples: the Cuca sardines are fished at dawn, from July to December in the coast of Galicia and the north of Portugal. They are brought to the processing plant the same day they are caught in order to preserve their freshness. Also for Mussels, we only use the ones from the Arousa stuary rivers. They are considered the best ones in the world.

The second step of the whole process is the manufacturing. When you treat the best raw material the way it deserves, you obtain the best results. This is why we make the process the traditional way. This means: less machines and more human beings. Our staff has been their entire life cleaning the tuna, pampering the mussels by removing their byssus (hair) one by one with their hands and hand-packing the goods. They have been manually gutting the sardines and stuffing the squids.

When you have the product ready to be packed, you must add the best oils and sauces. In Conservas CUCA we only use the best Spanish olive oil. So no other oil is used. In addition, our sauces are made the same day of the production. They are made by our staff in giant saucepans with only natural ingredients. For example: Pickled Sauce is made with olive oil, vinegar, natural bay leaf, natural pepper and natural clove. Another example: Tomato Sauce is made with natural tomato and natural spices. It is exactly like the one you can make at home using only natural ingredients.

The last part and one of the most important steps is the sterilization. Here, heat is applied to every tin in order to eliminate any kind of microorganisms that could still be present in the tin. We use a sterilization programme where the quality of the product is guaranteed by using non-aggressive techniques. This thermal process has to be done with a lot of care to avoid damaging the product.

There are also other factors that contribute to the creation of a premium product: in our raw material cleaning and packing area we apply to the room a filter with ozone. This is made to avoid microbiological contamination. We also have a modern quality control system by which all the production and sterilization processes are monitored in real-time by a computer. So if there is anything that may damage the quality of the product, the production is stopped.

The premium profile of Conservas CUCA can also be seen on a correct and clear labelling, on exclusive designs like Delicias del Mar and on the innovation of new products like the Organic range.

The difference can be eaten, tasted, smelt in every of our tins. Don't spoil a good lunch or dinner with poor quality products. Just give a chance to Cuca and you will eat the difference!