Other News: New freeze-dry method good for processing fish

A quicker freeze-dry technique used to process salmon cubes could potentially be applied to add value to meat components considered to be less appealing, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) researcher.

The new freeze-dry method, which requires less energy and processing time, was developed by scientists at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks (UAF) in collaboration with Peter Bechtel, a food technologist at the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) Subarctic Agricultural Research Unit (SARU) in Kodiak, Alaska. ARS is USDA's principal intramural scientific research agency.

One of the goals of the study was to set up a process that would produce freeze-dried cubes with less than 10 percent moisture, according to Chuck Crapo, seafood technology specialist with the UAF Marine Advisory Program. This was achieved by manipulating temperature and time.

Scientists created a process that took only nine hours by raising the temperature from minus 40 degrees Fahrenheit to 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Traditional processing can take 20 hours or more.

The new method removed 97 percent of the moisture from fillets of Alaska's most abundantly harvested Pacific salmon species -- pink, sockeye and chum. The freeze-dried salmon cubes maintained their original color, rehydrated quickly and shrank less in a shorter period of time than food processed by traditional freeze-drying.

Such products could offer healthful alternatives for less desirable portions of fish muscle, according to Bechtel. For example, when the salmon gets too close to spawning season, its muscle quality declines. Edible portions of the meat, which are then considered byproducts, could be freeze-dried.

Cubes made from salmon are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and could eventually offer a healthful option for people who want to increase seafood in their diets as recommended by the new Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Salmon cubes could be used to make tasty snacks, salad toppings and ready-to-eat soups.

Story Source: The above story is based on materials provided by USDA/Agricultural Research Service. The original article was written by Sandra Avant. Note: Materials may be edited for content and length.

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NOTE:
Balai Besar Penelitian dan Pengembangan Pengolahan Produk Kelautan dan Perikanan (Research and Development Center for Marine and Fisheries Product Processing and Biotechnology, BBP4KP) is the research center belonging government to make a product from fisheries and marine material. Many research is doing there include food product and nonfood product.
The term fish processing refers to the processes associated with fish and fish products between the time fish are caught or harvested, and the time the final product is delivered to the customer. Although the term refers specifically to fish, in practice it is extended to cover any aquatic organisms harvested for commercial purposes, whether caught in wild fisheries or harvested from aquaculture or fish farming.
Fish processing can be subdivided into fish handling, which is the preliminary processing of raw fish, and the manufacture of fish products. Another natural subdivision is into primary processing involved in the filleting and freezing of fresh fish for onward distribution to fresh fish retail and catering outlets, and the secondary processing that produces chilled, frozen and canned products for the retail and catering trades.