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Retail display case lighting applications

Retail Seafood Display Case Lighting

Commercial Retail Lighting Seafood Fish and seafood spoil faster than other meats, and most seafood display case lighting can reduce seafood shelf life even further by emitting enough heat and radiation to raise the temperature of shellfish and finfish displays to unsafe levels. Even a slight rise in temperature above the ideal 29° F can cause bacteria to grow exponentially.

At the same time, heat and ultraviolet radiation dehydrate seafood displays, causing finfish, shellfish, and crustaceans to weigh less than they should, directly affecting profits when the seafood is sold by weight. With prolonged exposure to heat and UV radiation from seafood merchandiser lighting, seafood and fish decompose and smell fishy.

Compared to other fluorescent lighting, Promolux Safe Spectrum lamps emit 86% lower UV B radiation, a shorter wavelength that penetrates and causes heating, and 52% lower UV A radiation, a longer wavelength that tends to affect surfaces.

SHRINKAGE OF FISH AND SEAFOOD IN SUPERMARKET SEAFOOD DEPARTMENTS
Seafood departments experience the greatest shrinkage of all supermarket departments. Dehydration, drip loss, and bacterial growth are all accelerated by slight temperature increases. Rancidity is triggered by oxygen and light. <more...>

TEMPERATURE OF SEAFOOD DISPLAYS IN COMMERCIAL MERCHANDISERS
Seafood display lighting can raise the surface temperature of fish and seafood. In unrefrigerated display cases filled with ice, the temperature two inches above the ice has been measured at room temperature. <more...>

WHOLE FISH DISPLAYS IN SUPERMARKET DISPLAY CASES
Fresh whole fish usually have silvery scales and red or pink gills. Most fluorescent lights distort these colors, and emit radiation that accelerates decomposition and dehydration. <more...>

FISH FILLETS AND FISH STEAKS IN SUPERMARKET SEAFOOD MERCHANDISERS
Risk of bacterial contamination on fish fillets and fish steaks is high. Steaks and fillets at the top of layered fish displays in unrefrigerated ice bed cases can be 25° F warmer than the fish on the ice, posing a significant hazard. <more...>

SMOKED FISH DISPLAYS IN RETAIL SEAFOOD SHOWCASES
Temperature control of smoked fish is essential to prolong shelf life and avoid botulism poisoning. <more...>

FROZEN FISH AND FROZEN SEAFOOD DISPLAYS IN GROCERY STORE CABINETS
Light is a factor in lipid oxidation which causes frozen fish fats to turn rancid. <more...>

SHELLFISH AND CRUSTACEAN DISPLAYS IN SEAFOOD DEPARTMENT SHOWCASES
Display lighting can heat seafood displays, and temperature increases as little as two degrees can make seafood unsafe. Cooked crab and lobster should be bright red but most display lighting distorts true colors. <more...>

For seafood references and excerpts click here.

Promolux True Color Definition Lamps

Because Promolux lamps are designed for true color definition, they have a more balanced visible spectrum than other fluorescent lamps. Yellow and green wavelengths are the most damaging wavelengths in the visible spectrum, and their predominance in regular fluorescent lighting can distort the natural colors of finfish and seafood and make ice beds look green or yellow. Promolux lamps emit a more balanced range of wavelengths, including more of the red and blue wavelengths and more moderate levels of the yellow and green wavelengths. It is impossible to create a natural light that does not have any yellow or green wavelengths, so light sources will always be damaging to some extent.

However, since Promolux Safe Spectrum lamps minimize the emission of damaging visible spectrum and UV wavelengths, using Promolux lamps will prolong the shelf life of fish and seafood and maximize their fresh appearance, enticing customers to buy while the seafood is fresh.

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