New Ideas and Prevailing Paradigms in Fish and Seafood Industry
One of the oldest and richest sources of nutrition, fish and seafood are today a critical topic in food integrity and safety. Whether shipped fresh, frozen, canned or as a key ingredient in prepared food, these products are particularly and uniquely sensitive to foodborne illnesses. Caught wild or raised in aquaculture farms, fishery products are high moisture, making these particular susceptible to pathogens. Wild fish are likely vectors for heavy metals and minerals, and farm-raised products have unique problems related to culture, environment and feed. Once sourced only from local waters, modern handling preservation methods, packaging and shipping have made fish and seafood a global food commodity, adding to the complexity of managing food safety and integrity.
Technologists Convene with Food Safety in Mind
The issue of food safety and integrity was top of mind at the 71st annual Pacific Fisheries Technologists (PFT) Conference in Long Beach, California (USA). As the name of the conference implies, food harvesting, handling, processing, labeling and monitoring is very much a technological issue in this industry. Conference attendees came from technical representatives for industrial manufacturing companies, academic institutions and regulatory agencies.
“Conference attendees were particularly interested in technical issues related to product development and management,” said Doug Marshall, Chief Scientific Officer, Eurofins Microbiology Laboratories. “Needless to say, food safety is critically important, where outbreaks, consumer acceptance and perceptions can make or break a business, species or even the whole industry. Eurofins’ reputation in food testing is well-known in this industry.”
Addressing the Pacific Rim
While held this year in the U.S., the conference encompasses the entire Pacific Rim, particularly Canada, Mexico and Asian countries. “The fact that we have labs around the world is quite helpful,” said Marshall. “This is particularly important in terms of species identification and integrity, labeling, and maintaining fish authenticity with DNA testing.”
Aquaculture is a Growing Concern
Marshall points out that “half of the fish and seafood supply is from aquaculture.” This industry has a number of unique issues where environmental monitoring is critical. Managing stock and its food chain is a daily operation. In terms of regulation, products need to be tested for drugs, disease agents and toxic dyes. “Another issue,” says Marshall, “is supplier verification. Consumers need to know that what they purchase is what the label promises.”
Doug Marshall Addresses Prevailing Paradigms and Seafood Science
As keynote speaker, Doug Marshall presented “Can Seafood Science Alter Prevailing Paradigms?” While aquaculture has been used for food for thousands of years, over the past 50 years this business has seen a dramatic expansion where natural fish and seafood stocks decline and populations increase. However, a number of misperceptions have grown. Doug’s presentation relates how good science can mitigate false information.
When to Eat Raw Oysters
Starting in the 2000s several cases of illness and even deaths were caused by the consumption of raw oysters, particularly Gulf Coast oysters. Guidance was given to only eat cooked oysters, however consumer appeal favors raw oysters. Prevailing thought was that eating oysters was dangerous, whereas consuming raw oysters in months that ended with the letter “r” (winter months) was safe to do. Studies showed, however, that this was not good advice, and that vibrio vulnificus illness could occur in September–December and in April, while the in the colder months of January, February and March, it is still safe months to consume raw oysters.
Domestic versus Imported Catfish
According to Doug, U.S. producers of farm-raised catfish began to witness a rise in catfish imported from other countries. The U.S. producers pressed Congress to enact a rigorous inspection program as a safety issue. While the issue became mired in a political discussion of safety versus import protection, Marshall reported to the conference that studies have shown the safety issue is no more critical than the safety of domestic catfish. In fact, says Marshall, sensory testing studies show a consumer preference for imported farm-raised catfish.
Topics in Pacific Fishery Technology
A number of topics at the conference looked at the convergence of science and the business of fish and seafood harvesting and farming. Topics included using artificial intelligence to manage mislabeling fish species, molecular genetic tools for traceability, consumer evaluation of products, and screening for chemical contaminants by the FDA. Two big topics were defining and certifying sustainable seafood and combating food fraud with food defense measures.
Considering the science in managing risks in fisheries and aquaculture farms, fighting food fraud and maintaining a successful seafood business, Eurofins food testing programs, integrity and innovation lab, and leaders such as Doug Marshall play vital roles in this evolving industry.
