Seafood CRC: waste transformation methods for value added products for the catering market
Up to 60% of food waste (including seafood waste) is potentially avoidable. In the case of seafood specifically, at least 50% of the fish is generally lost re filleting and damaged crustacea such as rock lobster, crabs and prawn sbring low return to the producer. Often there is a business cost incurred in removing seafood prodessing waste.
Reducing and transforming seafood processing waste seems essential to add profitability where possible to the Australian seafood industry.
This project will use mechanical separation, reforming by alginate and extrusion technologies from other food industries, to try and develop a range of value added products from seafood processing waste.
Final report
Initially a variety of different seafood processing waste products including picked and seconds Blue Swimmer Crabs, Snapper, Atlantic Salmon and various reef fish frames, Patagonian Toothfish frames, Western Rock Lobster legs, headed and gutted shark, low value prawns and headed and gutted Leatherjacket were transported to the Abacus Fisheries facility in Carnarvon. Mechanical separation of seafood protein from these products was optimised with subsequent data generated on recoveries, and compositional and microbiological food safety analyses. These various forms of separated seafood protein were then used for new product development trials.
During the project, a number of new technologies for seafood protein separation, stabilisation and reforming were developed that can be applied generally to seafood processing waste recovery and new product development.
Fish meal production using by-products of commercial fisheries (pilot study)
Seafood CRC: Centre of Excellence Science Seafood & Health (CESSH): Post Harvest Research Program
The seafood industry is facing unprecedented challenges (WAFIC 2020 Strategy, FRDC R&D 2015). The networks established by CESSH have laid a strong foundation to attract national and international investment partners. For the first time, the whole industry along the supply chain and post harvest is working together to achieve outcomes that benefit the WA (and national seafood industry) and the health of the Australian population. It is essential that the industry is able to remain viable and indeed grow, within the constraints of an ever changing economic, technological and food security landscape. There is a need for a continued go-to place that the industry can access to gain support to develop new products, investigate novel and improved means of harvest, reduce production costs and provide evidence of the value of consuming seafood. CESSH needs to build on existing strong capacity areas and establish expertise in areas that are currently not available in WA to service the growing and diverse needs of industry. This could afford industry a point of difference in the provision of world class support to answer research and science questions that impact on growth, quality or profitability in a timely fashion, an essential service for a primary industry.
Final report
Policy Research, Research Advisory Service and Education, Communication and Extension. However, in reviewing the research, many of the outputs were common to several of the programs so will be reported in this way rather than under each sub-program.