Italian Processing

For over 110 years, all processing stages of our products have been carried out in Calabria. We firmly line up against relocation, in order to guarantee our Made in Italy quality.

Actually, the secret of our quality is processing, as the result of a balanced combination between tradition, technology and a special care for the entire productive process,
from the raw material selection to products maturation up to marketing.

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Cutting

Tuna, after being fished in the Ocean, is frozen directly on board of fishing boats and transferred to the plant in Maierato (VV), for the required documentary and quality checks. Successively, tuna is directed to the separation line for cutting.

Cooking

Tuna is steam-cooked for a better preservation of organoleptic properties and nutritional values. Tuna is successively cooled down, transferred to the conditioning rooms and dried at a controlled temperature.

Cleaning

Cooked tuna is transferred to the cleaning department for qualitative selection and cleaning, all rigorously assigned to women, as in the past.

Jar filling

Tune fillet jars are filled by hand: this totally manual procedure is guaranteed by important safety and hygiene measures. For the production of tuna fillets in glass jars, our company only uses the 50% of all processed steaks, in order to ensure Callipo quality to consumers. Once filled, all jars are directed under the salt measuring device and the olive oil filling machine.

Sterilization

All products are transferred to the autoclave for sterilization. At the end of this stage, a number of samples are taken and destined to laboratory checks.

Quality control

A number of controls are carried out by the laboratory: these include a determination of drained weight, salt concentration, seaming control, stability tests on the finished product, temperature, humidity and histamine checks, as well as microbiological and chemical analyses.

Packaging

The packaging department is totally automated and each pack is labelled with a production lot number. This system ensures food chain traceability, by summarizing purchase lots for each components of finished products and the identifying numbers of corresponding suppliers.

Aging time

Aging time or seasoning is aimed at ensuring the intrinsic value of the products and is set according to product format. Callipo pays specific attention to aging time, which is far longer than required by certification bodies.

Certifications

In order to protect our consumers, our products are realized in accordance with the ancient manual artisanal tradition and are guaranteed by the most important assurance certifications.

In addition, Callipo has been awarded a number of prizes and recognitions throughout the years, as follows:

in 1926, Callipo was awarded the Licence of purveyor to the Royal House.
in 1994, has achieved the authorization of the Food and Drug Administration to export in the United States;
in January 1996, well in advance in comparison to the terms required by the EU Directive, Callipo has implemented the HACCP self-monitoring system to manage the critical stages of the production process.
in May 1996, at the Cibus Food Fair in Parma, Callipo tuna fillets in glass jars were awarded an A.I.D.A. Oscar for “appeal, creativity and imagination”;
in February 1997, Callipo was one of the first companies in the sector to obtain certification for its quality control under ISO 9002 standards;
in October 2001, Callipo obtained the first product certification in the canned tuna industry from DNV (Det Norske Veritas);
in November 2003, the ISO 9002 quality system has been adjusted to the new Vision 2000 disposition, characterized by a major focus on customer satisfaction
in December 2003, Callipo was the first Italian company to attain a certificazione di affidabilità doganale from the Italian Customs Agency, as proof of efficiency, regulatory compliance and straightforward handling of its business in Italy and abroad;
In March 2005, Callipo has obtained two nationally recognized major quality certifications: the Standard BRC e IFS. Both are designed to establish quality and safety requirements, as well as the operational criteria for companies operating in the food industry, in order to comply with all current legislations and consumer protection laws.

in May 2006, the Union of Italian Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Craft and Agriculture conferred to Callipo the prestigious award for “long-established and successful business”. The award was offered to four Italian companies, one for each sector, with the most solid achievements and a generational continuity in managing their business.
in March 2009, Callipo was awarded the Kosher Certification, a globally recognized quality mark released by the Services International Kosher Supervision Ltd. This certification is only awarded to products satisfying extremely rigorous quality standards and complying, in term of ingredients, production and packaging procedures, with the restrictive Kasheruth laws.
in July 2009, Callipo was honored by the Italian Confederation Industry for being a member of the association for over 50 years.
in June 2010, Callipo received a Certificate of Compliance from Bioagricert for organic tuna in extra virgin olive oil.
in June 2012, Callipo obtained the ISO 14001:2004 certification for its responsible management of the environmental aspects related to production cycles.
in August 2012, Callipo was assigned the “Azienda Faro” award by the Chamber of Commerce in Vibo Valentia in recognition of a “consolidated and innovative business success, of strategic importance to the company’s local area in terms of growth and competitivness”.
In January 2013, the President of the Italian Republic, Giorgio Napolitano has conferred a commemorative plaque to celebrate the company’s centennial.
In april 2015, Callipo attained the Standard Marine Stewardship Council – Chain of Custody certification, attesting that raw materials used for the production of premium products labelled as MSC originate from sustainable fishing areas
In april 2017 Callipo has adjusted its system to the new 2015 edition of the ISO 14001 disposition
In march 2025 Callipo has obtained Halal certification

Not Everyone Knows

Not Everyone Knows

Freshly-caught tuna is delivered to the plant in Maierato (VV) and is completely processed in Italy, under a strict selection process
Diverse species of tuna can be processed, and of different qualities. Callipo only uses Yellowfin, clearly labelled on the pack
Callipo Tuna is a genuine product, being simply steam cooked and containing no preservatives or artificial colors
Callipo Tuna is long-seasoned, in order to mature an release its unique fragrance when consumed
For the production of Tuna Fillets in glass jars, Callipo uses in average only the 50% of all processed steaks
Callipo Tuna Fillets glass jars are manually filled, only using the best steaks
Callipo Tuna Fillets in Brine are low in fats (less than 1%)
A good steak must be entire, compact, and covered by clear oil
Protein values of tuna are not affected during the processing stages
Callipo has been the first company in the sector to attain a Product Certification
Callipo Tuna is “Dolphin Safe” certificated, a protection program aimed at avoiding dolphin death rate during tuna fishing activities

Traceability

Our philosophy is based on the values of Quality and Transparency, simple ingredients with which we try to satisfy, defend, and respect our customers’ demands. The manufacturing of our products is carried out in Italy, in the premises located in Maierato (VV) Calabria, where the processing of tuna is made according to a 106 year tradition. Still nowadays some formats such as Tuna fillets are manufactured by hand by our female workers in full compliance with the strictest food safety measures.

In order to grant our customers the utmost transparency on our products and on the origin of the raw materials used, our company has been endowed with a traceability system giving the following set of information:

Should you have any queries, please contact us at the following e-mail address: servizioconsumatori@callipogroup.com
We invite you visit the ANCIT website – National Association of Fish Canning Industry and of Tuna Fish Nets – to have the information related to the world of the seafood market.