Handling fresh fish
Summer might officially have arrived recently, when the season's first wild Alaska Copper river salmon came in to Seattle WA from Cordova AK. For the second year in a row, however, Alaska Air Cargo staff handled the iconic fish with masks on their faces. Alaska Air Cargo flies nearly 25 t of the salmon each year.
Copper River salmon shipped by the carrier arrives in grocery shops and restaurants across the USA as fresh as possible, thanks in part to a cool chain training programme required of all airline employees who handle perishables. They follow strict seafood quality standards and pass an annual food-quality course. The goal is to keep seafood moving rapidly throughout its journey on Alaska Airlines and maintain a consistent temperature range from the time it leaves the water to when the client buys it. (ah)