Food safety
Objectives
- To develop and implement innovative methods to prevent deterioration of (bio)chemical and microbial quality in new Swedish seafood products.
- To prevent the accumulation of, or to implement techniques that allow for the removal of, contaminants that may risk the safety of specific seafood raw materials.
- To assess industry and market challenges related to seafood contamination and seafood stability.
Knowledge gaps
To address food safety challenges related to seafood, systems and methods to prevent contamination and (bio)chemical and microbial deterioration must be applied throughout the seafood value chain. While this is well developed for some organisms and production systems, much remains to be explored for others, especially for new and underutilized species. Some examples are:
- the role of microplastics as a vector for norovirus in bivalves
- the need for automatic and digital monitoring systems to predict harmful algal blooms
- sustainability technologies for algae and algae residues
- new seafood sustainability technologies that meet current consumer demands for clean label: all natural, transparent packaging and minimal processing. New technologies underway include new cooling systems, plant and algae extracts, and minor pH adjustments.
Methodology
A series of smaller satellite projects with partner companies in years 1 to 4 and a deeper focus with a PhD student in years 5 to 8. Specific cases will be selected for each category of seafood raw materials covered by Blue Food. Consumer requirements for additives and process technologies will guide the studies; see research area 4 and also research area 2 and overall research area 1. Based on the expertise in Blue Food, and knowledge of the main challenges for raw materials from Swedish underutilized seafood, we will put special emphasis on preventing oxidation of lipids in complex biomass and contamination of seafood (microplastics, harmful algal blooms, dioxins). In addition, a series of workshops will be conducted with partner companies as hosts, to discuss classical and novel additives and strategies to stabilize seafood, weighted towards current consumer preferences. Furthermore, communication and methods and protocols to prevent contamination in seafood will be addressed.
Expected results
- Six implemented, new concepts to prevent microbial growth, (bio)chemical degradation and unwanted contaminants, targeting the three main categories of Blue Food.
- A roadmap with tools to address the major obstacles related to safety and quality for sustainable Swedish seafood products, which are well established in the industry and the market.