Annual/Termination Reports:

[11/28/2023] [01/24/2025]

Report Information

Participants

In Person: Christina DeWitt (Oregon State University, Director Seafood Research and Education Center, Agriculture Experiment Station), Michael Ciaramella (Cornell University, Seafood Safety Specialist, Sea Grant), Denise Skonberg (University of Maine, Food Chemist, Agriculture Experiment Station), Evelyn Watts (Louisiana State University, Seafood Safety Specialist, Sea Grant and Agriculture Experiment Station), Keith Cox (Certified Quality Foods, Founder, University of Alaska-Juneau Adjunct Professor Fisheries Science), Pat Glaab (Silver Bay Seafoods, Director).

Virtual: Jung Kwon (Oregon State University, Nutritional Pharmacology, Agriculture Experiment Station/Extension), Cathy Lui (University of Maryland, Seafood Technology Specialist, Extension), Michael Qian (Oregon State University, Flavor Chemist, Agriculture Experiment Station), Hongda Chen (National Program Leader, NIFA Nanotechnology and Processing), Sam Chang (Mississippi State University, Director Mississippi Center for Food Safety and Post-Harvest Technology, Agriculture Experiment Station), Jacek Jazynski (West Virginia, Muscle Foods Safety, Agriculture Experiment Station), Jonathan Van Senten (Virginia Tech, Applied Economist, Agriculture Experiment Station), Quentin Fong (University of Alaska-Fairbanks, Seafood Marketing Specialist, Sea Grant), Razieh Farzad (University of Florida, Agriculture Experiment Station and Extension).

Brief Summary of Minutes

Accomplishments

<p>Short-term outcomes: New Multi-state project.</p><br /> <p>Outputs: Full proposal for new multi-state project.</p><br /> <p>Activities: Developed full proposal based on annual meeting inputs.&nbsp; Proposal was submitted for peer reviewed and approved.</p><br /> <p>Milestones: Announce first annual meeting by December 2023.</p>

Publications

<p>None yet, this is a newly approved project.</p>

Impact Statements

1. This is a new project, impacts will be collected prior to next meeting.

Back to top

Report Information

Participants

In person: Michael Ciaramella (Cornell University), Rosalee Hellberg (Chapman University), Razieh Farzad (University of Florida), Evelyn Watts (Louisianna State University), Luxin Wang (University of California-Davis).
Virtual: Wilmore Webley (University of Massachusetts Amherst), Cathy (Chengchu) Liu (University of Maryland), Denise Skonberg (University of Maine), Salina Parveen (University of Maryland Eastern Shore), Michael Qian (Oregon State University), Jacek Jaczynski (West Virginia University), Naim Montazeri (University of Florida)

Brief Summary of Minutes

The goals of this project include building resilience in aquatic food systems, advancing food safety, nutrition, and quality, and engaging stakeholders. Participants from various universities and institutions shared their research focuses, including aquaculture nutrition, cellular agriculture, seafood safety and quality, and the development of new technologies to improve the seafood supply chain. The meeting also explored potential collaborations in the seafood industry, addressing challenges faced by small and large processing companies, and the need for better resource utilization and new technologies

Discussed the objectives of a multi-state project focused on aquatic food systems, including building resilience, advancing food safety, nutrition, and quality, and engaging stakeholders. The project aims to create an umbrella of activity benefiting the industry and encompassing current work. DeWitt also outlined the project's organization and governance, including the role of the chairman and the administrative advisor. The discussion also covered the responsibilities of project participants, particularly those from land grant universities, and the process of submitting annual reports. The conversation ended with a discussion on the importance of multi-state projects in developing national networks to address critical research challenges facing stakeholders.

Accomplishments

<p>Short-term Outcomes: The group shared research focuses and then discussed potential research collaborations.&nbsp; It was decided that a survey would be provided to project participants on collaboration asking them to identify projects they would like to participate in a committe on to brainstorm prior to the next meeting.&nbsp; A second action item was it was noted that the USDA-ARS website has many food commodities listed with research and promotion programs, but nothing exists for seafood.&nbsp; This group wants to find out how it can help support seafood within USDA-ARS.</p><br /> <p>Output:&nbsp; The project provided a summary of research that is being conducted in Aquatic Foods across the nation.&nbsp; The project created a list of potential areas that collaborations or networks could be built around in aquatic foods.</p><br /> <p>Activities: Individual participants shared their current research and outreach efforts in aquatic food products and pressing industry needs.</p><br /> <p>Oregon State University: Research efforts highlighted included high-pressure processing (HPP) at very low-temperature to inactivate pathogens and viruses, while maintaining raw product characteristics.&nbsp; This research was focused on enhancing safety of product intended to be consumed raw.&nbsp; Additional research presented included investigations to determine the effect of&nbsp; shrimp quality and maturity on seafood processing effluent, the use of bioimpedance technology for real-time determination of quality and best management practices, upscaling of seafood by-products into functional protein, flavor chemistry of seafood, especially freshness of tuna fish and quality of caviar, and the health benefits of fish skin and macroalgae. Outreach efforts included the following trainings for stakeholders: Good Fishing Vessel practices, Seafood Quality workshops (species focused), Seafood HACCP, Seafood HACCP for fishing Vessel Operators, and Surimi School.&nbsp; Website resource include Seafood Network Information Center (seafood.oregonstate.edu). Pressing industry needs noted were rapid testing for harmful algae blooms (HAB) on farm, reducing effluent discharges from seafood processing, full resource utilization for waste minimization, chitin to chitosan environmentally friendly, scalable technologies, harvest vessel best practices for seafood quality and processing/distribution best practices for seaweed.&nbsp; Additional needs noted were research support for small processors.</p><br /> <p>University of Florida research focused on aquaculture nutrition and cellular agriculture. Work centers on alternative protein sources to replace fish meal in fish diets and the development of cell-based fish meal. It also focuses on using fish skin, a by product, as a scaffolding material.&nbsp; Challenges faced by the aquaculture industry in Florida, including regulatory issues and the need for rapid testing for toxins.</p><br /> <p>University of Maryland Eastern Shore: Research focuses on improving the safety and quality of seafood, poultry, meat, and fresh produce. Their research includes genotypic and phenotypic methods for tracking sources of food and waterborne pathogens, development of rapid molecular and immunological methods for detecting pathogens, and predictive models for growth and survival of food and waterborne pathogens.&nbsp; Research also includes antibiotic resistance, virulence properties, pathogenicity for Vibrio, Salmonella, Listeria and STEC.&nbsp; Aquaponics and Hydroponics are also a part of the research portfolio.</p><br /> <p>University of Massachusetts Amherst: Research focuses on understanding the pathogenesis of epitheliocystis, a disease affecting over 90 species of fish, including salmon which causes lesions on skin and in gills. Work is connected to this project because there is a need to understand how genetic and environmental conditions impact sources of pathogens (fish disease).&nbsp; These pathogens ultimately impact product quality, and contribute to resource losses along cold chain.&nbsp; Work includes cultivating and sequencing the Chlamydia-like organisms involved in the disease, understanding the disease process and its transmission in zebra fish. Work includes partnerships with the Richard Cronin Aquatic Resource Center.&nbsp; This disease also threatens the shellfish industry in Massachusetts.</p><br /> <p>Maryland Sea Grant Program: Research projects include Sustainable Aquaculture Systems Supporting Atlantic Salmon (SAS²), Smart Sustainable Shellfish Aquaculture Management, Refrigerated recirculating wet-storage technology for <em>Vibrio parahaemolyticus </em>control in oysters, Wild catfish market enhancement through improved cold chain management and packaging, HPP to enhance quality and shelf life of blue crab, Vision-guided robotic system for blue crab meat picking automation. Outreach includes Seafood HACCP training and education, service program for Maryland crabmeat quality assurance and inspection, consumer education on Health Benefits and Safe Handling of Seafood, Maryland Day Blue Catfish Cooking Show,</p><br /> <p>Chapman University: Research focused on food authentication and development and application of DNA-based detection methods for seafood.&nbsp; Currently conducting a meta-analysis for seafood mislabeling.&nbsp; Food safety efforts include detection and inactivation of foodborne pathogens such as using UVC to inactivate <em>Listeria</em> in salmon residue on food contact surfaces. Outreach is focused on teaching K-12 students about food science and collaboration with federal agencies (USDA and FDA) on research projects.&nbsp; Better Process Control School is taught as well as working directly with industry on research and development projects.</p><br /> <p>Cornell: Program for aquatic foods is more focused on outreach. Outreach includes Seafood HACCP Training program and development of a hazards and controls guide for the seaweed industry.&nbsp; In addition, includes network building such as the NY Seafood Processing and Marketing Task Force, NY Seaweed Pocessing and Marketing Task Force, Annual Seafood Summit.&nbsp; Provide online seafood and seaweed technical assistance which includes nyseagrant.org/seafoodguides and /seaweedguides.&nbsp; Additional educational programs include &ldquo;Access to Capital&rdquo; and &ldquo;Traceability&rdquo;.&nbsp; Also now hosting the Seafood Health Facts website and nyseagrant.org/seafoodmarketing.&nbsp; Seafood topics of interest include development of accessible retail refrigerated seafoods (ROP, OTR packaging, extending shelf-life, and HPP applications for seafood, C. bot control).&nbsp; Other current issues include PFAS in seafood, Dry Aged seafood, and seafood economics and processing infrastructure/capacity.&nbsp; For seaweed, environmental contaminants, heavy metals and value-added processing technologies are all current issues.</p><br /> <p>Louisianna State University: Research focused on byproduct recovery, enhancing quality of seafood.&nbsp; Areas of research include bioactive compounds and gelatin extraction for pharmaceutical application.&nbsp; In the area of product development and sensory, LSU is looking at incorporation of fish bones into fried fish and enhancement of utilization of crawfish shells.&nbsp; In addition, incorporation of antimicrobials into a gelatin film to coat fish to extend shelf-life.&nbsp; Outreach includes developing market opportunities for small entrepreneurs in rural areas, providing micro-processing capacity for fishers through a seafood processing demonstration laboratory.&nbsp; In addition, the micro-processing facility is being utilized to host &ldquo;Field Days&rdquo; with various leadership groups across the state to expand awareness across the state.&nbsp; These include Nutrition and Community Health leaders, Agriculture Leadership Group (other ag groups learning about aquatic foods in Louisianna), and Agriculture and Natural Resource Agents.&nbsp; A more recent seafood &ldquo;Field Day&rdquo; was focused on byproduct development, underutilized species and product development.&nbsp; They are getting many requests for help with smoked seafood.&nbsp; They have a USDA-ARS grant to enhance market opportunities with catfish.&nbsp; They also have a USDA Rural Development Rural Business Development Grant they have recently received is entitled &ldquo;Beyond the Boat: Developing market opportunities for seafood entrepreneurs in Rural Louisiana.&nbsp; This grant is utilizing the meat separator on crab to create a flavor enhancer that can be utilized in chowder and crab cakes. From garfish, value added development is focused on sausage and smoked products from recovered meats and/or trim.&nbsp; From buffalo fish, smoked ribs and mince.&nbsp; They are also working with the Acadiana Regional Seafood Hub to develop a multi-use facility that will provide retain space, commercial kitchen, instruction and training, cold storage, packing, shipping and a drive-through window.&nbsp; They have refurbished part of processing facilities to create a training and demo kitchen.&nbsp; Current industry issues include the use of 10,000 OTR or oxygen permeable packaging and its ability to keep C. bot from forming.&nbsp; (It was noted in discussion that Dr. Alvin Lee and Illinois Institute of Technology are potential good resource for C. bot research support).&nbsp; Species substitution is an issue and country of origin, especially the latter for shrimp.&nbsp; The industry is interested in rapid field tests that can help them identify products in real time.</p><br /> <p>Industry stakeholder comments &ndash; An important trend for the industry is full utilization of the resource.&nbsp; Opportunities exist throughout the supply chain to better understand how products are impacted in terms of their ability to be fully utilized.&nbsp; This includes improving knowledge and understanding of impacts of harvest and handling prior to reaching the processing facility.&nbsp; How processing facilities can contribute to further improvements in retention of useful materials from the resource.&nbsp; New technologies to bring more value from the same raw materials to the market.&nbsp; Additional important trends are reducing water usage and increasing the efficiency of all the processing steps.&nbsp; Especially important is innovation that reduces need for extensive manual labor and, for safety, reduce human interactions with the product.</p><br /> <p>Milestones: To create collaborative project teams that work to address emerging issues that advance aquatic food product sustainability by 2025.&nbsp; Heightened awareness and visibility of&nbsp;aquatic food&nbsp;research at USDA-ARS.</p><br /> <p>&nbsp;</p>

Publications

Impact Statements

1. Impact Statement for W1197: Advancing Aquatic Food Product Sustainability Overview The multi-state Hatch project W1197, initiated in 2024, addresses critical challenges in advancing aquatic food product sustainability by improving quality, utilization, and safety. This collaborative effort engages researchers and stakeholders from across the U.S., representing diverse expertise in seafood safety, aquaculture nutrition, byproduct utilization, and innovative technologies. The project is poised to make significant economic, environmental, and social contributions to the aquatic food sector. Key Achievements Collaborative Framework: The project established a robust network among land-grant universities and other institutions to address stakeholder-identified challenges, such as resource utilization, safety, and environmental sustainability. Stakeholder Engagement: Industry collaboration emphasized critical needs, including innovations for full resource utilization, reducing water use, increasing processing efficiency, and minimizing labor through automation. Research Highlights Food Safety: Development of rapid molecular methods for pathogen detection and innovative packaging solutions to mitigate contamination risks. Resource Utilization: Upscaling seafood by-products into high-value products (e.g., functional proteins, flavor enhancers, and bioactive compounds). Technology Development: Investigations into bioimpedance technology for real-time seafood quality assessment and the use of high-pressure processing for pathogen inactivation without compromising product quality. Intended Impacts Economic Benefits: By creating innovative solutions for byproduct utilization and quality improvement, the project is expected to enhance profitability across the aquatic food supply chain. For example, converting seafood by-products into consumer-ready products like smoked ribs and flavor enhancers opens new market opportunities. Environmental Sustainability: Research on processing wastewater management and scalable chitin-to-chitosan conversion technologies addresses key environmental concerns, reducing waste and improving resource efficiency. Social Contributions: Training programs and consumer education initiatives aim to increase awareness about seafood safety, handling practices, and sustainability, benefiting both the industry and consumers. Long-Term Vision The project seeks to advance a sustainable bio-circular economy for aquatic foods by: Extending product quality and shelf life through supply chain best practices. Developing solutions to mitigate contaminants (e.g., PFAS, heavy metals) and address emerging toxins. Enhancing processing technologies to adapt to environmental changes and reduce manual labor. By leveraging interdisciplinary expertise, W1197 aims to position the U.S. aquatic food industry as a global leader in sustainability, safety, and innovation, driving economic growth while fostering environmental stewardship.

Back to top