In order to ensure better quality and more valuable products, care must be taken with procedures and handling of raw materials and problems in the handling, processing and transport of fish products. Cooling from the time the fish is pulled from the sea and at all stages of the value chain is a key factor in maintaining maximum quality for as long as possible.
ChillFish is Matís' new information provider with practical guidelines and discussion on cooling and handling of fish at all levels of the value chain from target to market. The guidelines are presented in a user-friendly way and will hopefully be useful to fishermen, manufacturers and carriers and will also be useful in training and seminars in this field.
The guidelines are based on research carried out within the Chill on refrigeration projects (www.chill-on.com/), Simulating cooling processes (www.matis.is/verkefni//nr/2801) and Kælibótar which were funded by AVS, Tækniþróunarsjóður and Rannsóknasjóður Háskóli Íslands and also by regulations from Matvælastofnun. Four doctoral students and three master's students worked on the projects and Matís' staff is the first or second author in 10 scientific disciplines and more are expected. The results of many experiments have also been published as Matís reports and are very easy to access www.kaeligatt.is.
Among other things, Matís' research has shown that sea transport is a realistic possibility for Icelandic fresh fish producers. However, this is based on the fact that the temperature control in containers is as good as it gets. Computerized thermodynamics and hydrology have been used to develop new refurbished foam boxes that can extend both the freshness period and the shelf life of fresh products in air transport chains by two days. Significant developments have taken place in rapid microbiological analysis and it is now possible to diagnose various pathogens and pathogenic microorganisms in a much shorter time than was previously possible, which should be useful in the food industry. This development provides the possibility of using forecasting models developed in the Chill-on project in collaboration with the Wessex Institute of Technology (WIT, UK). Shelf life of fresh cod products can be predicted in the temperature range from -1 ° C to + 11 ° C based on the number of pests and known temperature history. Models were also developed that predict the growth of major pathogenic bacteria under similar conditions.
For further information Emílía Martinsdóttir.