description
- FishFermPlus targets to support the economic viability and resource-efficiency of SMEs in fish/seafood value chains. Under-utilised, high-quality raw materials from capture fishery and aquaculture production (e.g. homogenised fish flesh from fillet production) will be used for a novel fermentation process with higher cost-efficiency and a more simple implementation than previous mere extraction/purification methods. Instead of isolating components, FishFermPlus will generate multifunctional, fish-tailored ingredients, which will deliver in particular antilisterial/antimicrobial activity and flavour enhancing or texturising properties. SMEs will generate income from the by-product valorisation and the marketing of safe, naturally processed high-quality fish and seafood products with prolonged shelf-life, better palatability and thus higher consumer acceptance. They will benefit from an increased process and food safety control – especially against Listeria monocytogenes which constitutes a main microbial risk in ready-to-eat seafood. SMEs in the processing and ingredients branch will increase their business by producing custom-tailored equipment and compounds. This will be achieved by a concerted applied research program involving 2 RTDs and 4 SME companies from 4 European countries who are dedicated (a) to develop a bioprocessing method under optimal fermentation conditions and process control; (b) to tailor adequate downstream processing to stabilise the processed materials and their functionality; (c) to apply the ingredients for a fish product range that achieves additional product-safety (assessed via viable counts, challenge tests, risk modeling), prolonged shelf-life (microbial, sensory) and high consumer acceptance (preference & concept testing); (d) to critically assess and to disseminate the positive impact of the project results and their contribution to the sustainable use of scarce aquatic resources and current waste minimisation strategies.