Pre-Shipment Inspection: Checking Your Seafood Before It Is Loaded
A seafood buyer pays for goods that are, at the moment of payment, hundreds or thousands of kilometres away. Under our standard terms, 70% of the price is paid against a copy of the bill of lading, which means the goods are already on their way when most of the money changes hands. A pre-shipment inspection closes that distance. It puts a qualified person in front of the cartons while they are still in Scotland, still at the agreed temperature and still open to correction. Al Shene Marine Holding accepts inspection on every order: by an independent body such as SGS, or by a representative you send yourself. This page explains how to arrange it, what it can cover, and how it fits with the documents, certificates and temperature records that come with every consignment.
Who can inspect
| Inspector | Typical choice for | What to agree in advance |
|---|---|---|
| Independent inspection body, for example SGS | First orders, letter of credit transactions, buyers who need a neutral report for their own customer or bank | The body's name, its local office, the scope of the inspection and who receives the report |
| Your own representative | Repeat buyers, buyers with technical staff or a trusted agent in the United Kingdom | The person's name, the date of the visit and the scope you want covered |
Both options carry the same weight for us. You appoint the person or the body, you set the scope, and the report is addressed to you.
When the inspection takes place
An inspection only makes sense before the goods leave our hands, so its timing follows the transport mode.
- Sea freight. Frozen cargo is loaded into reefer containers at Leith or Grangemouth. The inspection takes place before the container is closed and sealed.
- Road transport. For European buyers, frozen goods travel by temperature-controlled road transport. The inspection takes place before the truck is loaded at the cold store dock.
- Air cargo. Fresh fish leaves the same or next day by air cargo from Edinburgh and Glasgow. Because the window between packing and departure is short, the inspection has to be scheduled very close to packing, and the date must be fixed with the order.
In every case, please request the inspection when you place the order, not when the goods are ready. The loading plan, the cold store schedule and the booking with the shipping line or airline are built around it.
What an inspection can cover
The scope is yours to decide. Most buyers ask their inspector to compare the goods with the written offer and the order confirmation, point by point. The table lists the areas that are usually checked and what the inspector will find on our side.
| Area | What the inspector compares | Reference on our side |
|---|---|---|
| Product identity | Species, form and cut against the order | The specification in the offer |
| Packing | Chilled goods in insulated EPS boxes on ice, in 6, 10 or 20 kg cases; frozen goods IQF, in vacuum inner packs and master cartons | The packing named in the offer |
| Labels and marks | Product name, origin, language versions; your own brand if you ordered private label | Your approved label text |
| Quantity | Number of cartons and pallets against the order | The order confirmation |
| Temperature | The temperature of the goods at the time of the check | Frozen stock held at −25 °C, chilled at +2 °C in our Scottish cold stores |
| Condition | Visible state of the cartons and, if your scope allows, of opened sample packs | The specification in the offer |
If your scope includes opening cartons or thawing samples, say so in advance, so that the sample cartons can be set aside and repacked properly afterwards.
Product by product: what to check against the order
Our fish catalogue is broad, and each line has its own forms. An inspector who knows exactly which form was ordered can check it in minutes; one who does not may report a difference that is not there. The forms below are those on our company record.
| Product | Forms on our company record | Points worth naming in the inspection scope |
|---|---|---|
| Scottish salmon | Head-on gutted (HOG), fillets pin-bone out or pin-bone in (PBO/PBI), portions, oak-smoked | HOG or fillet; PBO or PBI; portion size as ordered |
| Sea trout and rainbow trout | As specified in the offer | Which of the two species was ordered |
| Mackerel | IQF, whole or chunks | Whole fish or chunks; IQF condition of the pieces |
| Herring | Marinated, salted, frozen fillets | Which of the three products was ordered |
| Haddock and cod | Fillets, blocks, portions | Species, and fillet, block or portion |
| Plaice and sole | For restaurants and hotels, fresh or frozen | Species named in the offer; see our plaice and sole page |
Temperature: the moment and the journey
An inspection records the temperature at one moment. What matters to the buyer is that the goods stayed at the right temperature before and after that moment as well. Before loading, our Scottish cold stores keep frozen goods at −25 °C and chilled goods at +2 °C; frozen product in our range is described in the band of −18 °C to −25 °C, and the offer states which regime applies. After loading, a reefer container holds the temperature set for the cargo. For air shipments, every consignment carries a temperature data logger, which records the journey from Scotland to arrival. Read together, the inspection report and the logger record give a complete picture.
Inspection, documents and certificates
An inspection does not replace the official papers, and the papers do not replace an inspection. Each consignment travels with a health certificate and a certificate of origin, CITES papers are added only where a species is listed, and our team follows customs clearance with you. Your inspector can check that the details on the draft documents match the goods in front of them.
The company's certification list includes UK/EC Approval for the Scottish processing and freezing plant, BRCGS Food Safety at grade A, HACCP, Halal and ISO 22000, which covers the whole facility and all processed products. MSC and ASC apply only to the relevant product groups. These certificates describe how the plant and the processes are run; an inspection looks at your particular lot.
Inspection and payment
Our standard terms are 30% in advance by T/T and the remaining 70% against a copy of the bill of lading. For large volumes, an irrevocable letter of credit at sight can be used instead. If your bank or your own customer requires an inspection certificate as one of the documents for payment, tell us at the offer stage, so that the inspection body, the wording of the certificate and the loading date can be aligned before production starts.
How to arrange an inspection
- State it in your enquiry. Write to info@sultanrashid.com with the product, form, quantity and destination, and add that you want a pre-shipment inspection. We work by email only.
- Name the inspector. Give the inspection body or the name of your representative, and the scope you want covered.
- Agree the date in the offer. The offer and the order confirmation fix the loading date and therefore the inspection date.
- Inspection. Your inspector checks the goods at our Scottish site before loading.
- Loading and dispatch. After the inspection, the goods are loaded and leave by the agreed route; the report goes to you.
For the wider order process, see how we work.
Frequently asked questions
Can I have my seafood inspected before it is loaded?
Yes. Every order can be inspected before loading, either by an independent body such as SGS or by your own representative.
Who appoints the inspector?
You do. You choose the inspection body or your representative, agree the scope with them and receive the report.
When should I request an inspection?
When you place the order. The inspection date is tied to the loading plan and to the booking with the shipping line or airline.
Can a fresh air shipment be inspected?
Yes, but the window is short. Fresh fish leaves the same or next day by air cargo from Edinburgh and Glasgow, so the inspection is scheduled close to packing and fixed with the order.
Does an inspection replace the health certificate?
No. The health certificate and the certificate of origin travel with every consignment. The inspection is an additional check of your particular lot.
Back to the start page.
This page is published by Al Shene Marine Ltd. in Scotland together with Al Shene Marine Holding LLC in Dubai, whose Founder is Sultan Rashid Abdullah Rashid Al Shene. Inspection questions are welcome at info@sultanrashid.com; we answer them by email. Group overview: Al Shene Marine Holding.