January 2023: Camanchaca put Coronel in the Guinness Book of World Records with the longest line of jack mackerel ceviche in the world

It contained 2,078 portions and took three hours to prepare. A judge from this international records organization for Latin America certified the feat as a unique global result.

This was a hectic day where many residents of Coronel and several well-known chefs applied their talents to preparing the iconic jack mackerel. Then Natalia Ramirez Talero, a Latin American judge for Guinness World Records, certified the feat achieved by Camanchaca in setting a new world record by building the longest continuous line of jack mackerel ceviche in the world. It contained 2,078 portions and positioned Coronel in the Guinness Book of Records as the jack mackerel capital.

This achievement was the 31st Guinness World Record and puts Chile first in this category. The feat illustrates the work of hundreds of Coronel residents who process jack mackerel every day, which is recognized for its nutritional properties. It is captured by the Chilean fishing industry and its biological status is excellent. Sergio Giacaman, Camanchaca’s Social Sustainability Manager, said “We are proud to break this record and put Coronel on the map as the world capital of jack mackerel. We are also proud of this noble Chilean fish that is a nutritious and economical dish for Chilean families during periods of economic scarcity.”

The event took place in Coronel’s central square and was led by renowned chefs Mikel Zulueta and Maribel Salazar. They took three hours to prepare the feat with the support of 60 students from the Hotel, Tourism and Gastronomy Faculty at Inacap (a Chilean Technical Training College). They used more than 800 cans of UNICO jack mackerel, a Camanchaca brand, as well as ingredients such as onions, paprika and salt.

One of the chefs who led this challenge was Mikel Zuleta and he said “It took a team of over 100 people several months to make this tremendous challenge happen. Coordinating over half a ton of food to make the longest line of jack mackerel ceviche in the world was not easy. But it has positioned jack mackerel as delicious food with spectacular nutritional value and has encouraged people to consume this Chilean fish. Teamwork between chefs, organizations, the producer and Camanchaca was essential.”

Chef Maribel Salazar also led the challenge and she added “I believe that jack mackerel is an extremely versatile product. I invite you to try all the recipes that we have prepared with so much care every week. We already have 70 recipes, all different and all exquisite. I love jack mackerel, as it is both a gastronomic and a nutritional product. We are privileged to have this product so close to us, and I am particularly grateful to be involved in this event.”

It is no coincidence that this world record was set in Coronel, as 90% of Chilean jack mackerel cans are processed here. Also Camanchaca’s plants that produce food for human consumption are located here, which employ hundreds of men and women from Coronel and deliver the high quality products that characterize this fishing industry.

The mayor of Coronel, Boris Chamorro, praised the municipality and the company for their achievements in sustainably developing this community. “Many people gathered in Coronel’s central square to witness what it means to prepare the longest line of ceviche in the world. I am very pleased with the response from our neighbors and I am grateful to our strategic partners, Camanchaca, who were instrumental for this joint project. I would also like to thank the entire industrial and traditional fishing family, who helped us to achieve a Guinness World Record today and put Coronel in the world record book”.

This event was hosted by the comedian Felipe Avello, and finally the participants who watched this global record enjoyed eating the 2,078 portions of jack mackerel ceviche that formed the longest line in the world. Lino Melo was a spectator at this world record event and he said “I think it’s great that this significant event took place in Coronel, as it is generally considered to be a small town where things like this don’t happen, so I think it’s wonderful that they achieved a record and that people can enjoy this tremendous spectacle.”

Jack mackerel in Chile and the Biobio region

 Around 60% of Chilean canned jack mackerel production is sold in water, oil and tomato sauce within the local market. This is equivalent to consuming over 45 million cans or 19,200 tons.

Data provided by the Asociación de Industriales Pesqueros (Industrial Fishing Association – Asipes) indicates that the industrial jack mackerel fleet in the Biobío region caught 498,000 tons of jack mackerel during 2022, where 88% was used in products for direct human consumption. Macarena Cepeda is Chairman of ASIPES and she acknowledged this achievement “especially by the jack mackerel fishing industry, which has achieved certified compliance with international sustainability standards such as the MSC. This demonstrates its responsible approach to fishing and a healthy fishery resource that represents prosperity for the future and for all of us who depend on this industry.”

Furthermore, as of August 2022 a total of 12,000 tons of canned products had been exported to markets such as Sri Lanka, Singapore, Argentina and the UK, which has produced revenue of US$23 million.

 Healthy and economical food for all

This fish has become an attractive nutritional option, due to its high omega 3, fatty acid and iron content, together with magnesium and iodine that strengthen muscles and improve calcium absorption.

It can be eaten either cold or heated in the oven, sauce pan or frying pan, and frozen fillet or canned jack mackerel has a high protein content of 24.4 g per 100 grams.

Fabiola Fuentealba has a Master’s degree in food management and is a member of the Nutrition and Dietetics Department’s Outreach Department at the Universidad San Sebastián. She said “Jack mackerel is considered a superfood because of its nutrients that protect human health and its high concentration of omega 3. This is related to functions that begin at the fetal stage and develop our visual and auditory abilities. It participates in various processes throughout life, such as protecting us from the risk of cardiovascular diseases. It is also involved in decreasing total cholesterol and increasing HDL cholesterol, which is called “good cholesterol”. It is also involved in preventing some diseases such as dementia, Alzheimer’s and others that affect older people.”

Its natural canned preparation comes without added salt and in tomato sauce, and these 425 gram and 200 gram cans have been available in the domestic market since the end of 2021 under Camanchaca’s UNICO brand, which brings this preservative-free, healthy and wholly Chilean product to the Chilean table.