Processing of frozen shrimp and seafood for retail and foodservice in Europe
COOKE EUROPE MORUBEL NV
Ankerstraat 2, 8400 Oostende (BE) · Processing plants Nicaragua & Honduras (e.g. Deli Honduras SA)New on Amplifa
About Morubel / Cooke Europe
COOKE EUROPE MORUBEL NV (until 2024/25 Morubel nv) is a processor of frozen seafood founded in 1954 in Ostend (Belgium). The company processes shrimp (Black Tiger, Vannamei), crustaceans, cephalopods, molluscs and seafood mixes by thawing, optional cooking, breading with sauces and/or glazing, freezing and packing into bulk and consumer units from 100 g to 2500 g. The production site in Ostend covers 37,400 m² with two production lines, one thawing line, four packing lines and separate raw material and finished goods warehouses with a capacity of 14,000 tonnes. The plant operates according to HACCP procedures with separate low- and high-care zones and has its own laboratory for sensory and chemical analyses. The organic Vannamei shrimp come from the sister company Seajoy with processing facilities in Nicaragua and Honduras close to its own farms. Since August 2022, Morubel has belonged to Cooke Inc. and operates as Cooke Europe as a distributor of sustainable frozen seafood in Europe.
- Site
- Oostende
- Processes
- Thawing, cooking, breading with sauces and/or glazing, freezing and packing into plastic bags, Thawing, optional cooking, breading with sauces and/or glazing, freezing and packing into, Thawing line (thawing of seafood), Frozen storage / refrigeration of seafood (separate warehouses for raw materials and finished goods,, Packaging of frozen seafood (retail and bulk packaging), Sensory and chemical analyses in the in-house laboratory; external microbiology and, Processing of frozen seafood (shrimp, shellfish, molluscs), Thawing, cooking, breading/glazing, freezing, packaging (bulk and consumer units 100g–2500g)
- Materials
- Black Tiger shrimp, Vannamei shrimp, Crustaceans, Cephalopods, Molluscs, Zeevruchten mengeling (seafood mix), Black Tiger shrimp (raw, cooked, organic), Vannamei shrimp (raw, cooked, organic)
- Certificates
- IFS Food Version 8, Higher Level (98.10%, unannounced, Star status), BRCGS Global Standard Food Safety Issue 9, Grade A+ (unannounced), ASC Chain of Custody, MSC Chain of Custody, Naturland (organic shrimp), EU Organic certificate BE-BIO-02, AB certificate (organic, shrimp), U.S. FDA Registration, SMETA 4-Pillar audit (SEDEX B member S000000047200), HACCP procedures, IFS Food V8 Higher Level (98.10%, unannounced, Star status), BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9, Grade A+ (unannounced), EU Organic BE-BIO-02 / AB, U.S. FDA registration, SMETA 4-Pillar / BSCI (SEDEX B member)
- Founded
- 1954
- Industries
- Food retail (retail, organic brands), Foodservice / large-scale consumers, Fisheries & aquaculture
- 01
Import / purchasing with supplier audits
- 02
Incoming goods inspection
- 03
Thawing (thawing line)
- 04
Cooking / breading with sauces and/or glazing
- 05
Freezing
- 06
Packaging (bulk and consumer units)
- 07
Storage (separate raw material and finished goods warehouses)
- 08
Laboratory testing (sensory, chemical; microbiology external)
- 09
Sales/distribution in Europe
Products & Processing Methods
Black Tiger shrimp (raw, cooked, organic)
Main product, including as organic goods for brands such as dennree, REWE Bio, Alnatura and Naturgut.
Vannamei shrimp (raw, cooked, organic)
Organic Vannamei from the sister company Seajoy (Nicaragua/Honduras), preservative-free thanks to harvesting and packing on the same day.
Crustaceans
Processed by thawing, cooking, breading/glazing, freezing and packing.
Cephalopods
Processed into consumer and bulk units within the BRC/IFS certification scope.
Molluscs (e.g. mussels, scallops)
Part of the shellfish-molluscs product portfolio.
Seafood mixes
Mixes of crustaceans, cephalopods and molluscs, also available as an organic variant.
Locations
Ostend (Ankerstraat 2)
BEProcessing plant, laboratories, warehousing, distribution
- Part weight / size
- Packaging units 100 g – 2,500 g
- Lot size
- Bulk and consumer units
- Materials
- Shrimp, crustaceans, cephalopods, molluscs, mixes
- 2 production lines for frozen seafood
- 1 thawing line
- 4 packing lines
- Chilled and frozen storage (14,000 t capacity)
- In-house laboratory
Nicaragua & Honduras (e.g. Deli Honduras SA)
NIProcessing facilities close to the farms of the sister company Seajoy
- Materials
- Organic Vannamei shrimp
- On-site microbiology laboratory
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Thawing, cooking, breading with sauces and/or glazing, freezing and packing into plastic bagsFood processing | – | – | 100 g – 2500 g | – | Crustaceans, Cephalopods, Molluscs |
| Thawing, optional cooking, breading with sauces and/or glazing, freezing and packing intoFood processing | – | – | – | – | Seafood, Shrimp (Black Tiger, Vannamei), Shellfish-molluscs |
| Thawing line (thawing of seafood)Food processing | – | – | – | – | Shrimp, Shellfish-molluscs, Specialties |
| Frozen storage / refrigeration of seafood (separate warehouses for raw materials and finished goods,Food processing | – | – | 14,000 t | – | Shrimp, Shellfish-molluscs, Specialties |
| Packaging of frozen seafood (retail and bulk packaging)Food processing | – | – | – | – | Shrimp, Shellfish-molluscs, Specialties |
| Sensory and chemical analyses in the in-house laboratory; external microbiology andTesting | – | – | – | – | Shrimp, Shellfish-molluscs, Specialties |
3 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production lines (frozen seafood) | – | 2 | – | – | Oostende |
| Thawing line | – | 1 | – | – | Oostende |
| Packing lines | – | 4 | – | – | Oostende |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality & Certifications
Production follows HACCP procedures with incoming, in-process and final inspections as well as separate low- and high-care zones. An in-house laboratory performs sensory and chemical analyses; microbiological and contamination analyses are carried out externally by accredited laboratories.
| Evidence | Ostend |
|---|---|
| IFS Food V8 Higher Level (98.10%, unannounced, Star status) | |
| BRCGS Food Safety Issue 9, Grade A+ (unannounced) | |
| MSC Chain of Custody | |
| ASC Chain of Custody | |
| Naturland (organic shrimp) | |
| EU Organic BE-BIO-02 / AB | |
| U.S. FDA registration | |
| SMETA 4-Pillar / BSCI (SEDEX B member) | |
| HACCP procedures |
Company History
- 1954
Founded in Ostend; originally salting and drying fish for export to Africa (name 'Morubel' = 'la Morue belge').
- 1970er
Conversion due to European fishing quotas; replacement of the salting and drying facilities with refrigeration and freezing facilities.
- 1980er
Shrimp become the main business; investments in modern processing technology.
- 1993
Construction of the current factory with complete separation of low-/high-care zones; first company in the industry with ISO 9002 certification.
- 2022
Acquisition by Cooke Inc. (previously part of the Shore group).
- 2024
Rebranding to Cooke Europe; role as distributor of sustainable frozen seafood in Europe, part of the Cooke Seafoods Group (over 13,000 employees worldwide).