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Innovation often comes from challenges. This is no different in the history of air cargo refrigeration. In the early 1970s, Japan Air Lines faced the challenge of how to transport Atlantic Bluefin Tuna, caught on the eastern coast of Canada, to hungry Japanese consumers located over 6,600 miles away in Tokyo. Atlantic Bluefin Tuna can average from 400 to 1,000 pounds and are highly coveted around the world for sushi and sashimi. As the fish is served raw, the freshness of the fish must be preserved as much as possible. After a few failed attempts, including an instance where the airline consulted local Canadian funeral directors to build coffins to transport the fish, the tuna would arrive in Tokyo in less than pristine condition. The airline attempted many different methods to preserve the fish – ice was too heavy, insulating urethane foam, carbon dioxide only preserved the flesh of the fish while the insides rotted, and existing systems for preserving other frozen meat and fish did not work. The airline concluded to design and built its own custom refrigerator containers to fit in the lower cargo compartment of a Douglas DC-8. In 1972, the first successful sale of the transported fish took place at Tokyo’s Tsukiji market. This 1975 JAL cargo promotional poster, features fish in addition to a multitude of other commodities. poster: JAL Cargo; 1975 Gift of Thomas G. Dragges 2001.135.011
This image was posted on December 18, 2023.
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