High-Pressure Seafood Processing Supported by Provincial Government

The Provincial Government will assist the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation and Ocean Choice International with a high–pressure seafood processing project by providing $100,000 through the Fisheries Technology and New Opportunities Program. The project is intended to commercialize high-pressure processing of crab and other species.

“Making use of advanced technology in the seafood processing sector is becoming more and more important in today’s economy,” said the Honourable Clyde Jackman, Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture. “In order to compete in the global marketplace our industry needs to be able to produce higher quality product at a faster pace. To that end, we must develop and use innovative technologies to advance our seafood processing sector.”

High-pressure processing is a non-thermal technology that can be used to improve the quality of various food products. It is of particular interest for processing crab because it allows for better yields, enhanced quality, extended shelf life and a variety of new products. Crab is a complex species to process because of its anatomy.

The Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation will purchase a high-pressure processing unit and install it at the Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University. Research and development will be undertaken to develop an automated system around high-pressure processing. The project will span four years.

“We know high-pressure processing works well on crab,” says Robert Verge, Managing Director of the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation. “The focus of this project is to integrate the technology into an automated processing system that will be critical in the coming years.”

“Ocean Choice International is committed to research and development and is continually seeking new opportunities to enhance our operations,” said Blaine Sullivan, Chief Operating Officer of Ocean Choice International. “We are extremely pleased to be part of this innovative project using the high-pressure processing technology in the crab sector. It is anticipated that high-pressure processing will improve productivity and yield in the labor intensive crab process as well as provide the opportunity to introduce new products to the marketplace.”

The Fisheries Technology and New Opportunities Program is an important component of the Fishing Industry Renewal Strategy. Since the launch of the program, the Provincial Government has invested approximately $6 million in a total of 127 industry-driven projects. Investment in the program has leveraged an additional $20 million from the industry and its partners. These initiatives have generated a total of $26.9 million for fishing industry research and development in the province. The Fisheries Technology and New Opportunities Program will continue to be funded with an investment of $6.6 million over three years as outlined in Budget 2011 Standing Strong: For Prosperity. For Our Future. For Newfoundland and Labrador.

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2011 05 25                                                                        1:00 p.m.