2008 Alaska Symphony of Seafood
The 15th Annual 2008 Alaska Symphony of Seafood New Products Contest kicked off on January 23rd in Seattle, where a panel of judges tasted, evaluated and selected their favorite products. Evaluations were based on the products’ packaging and presentation, overall eating experience, price and potential for commercial success. The winners were announced Thursday, January 31st at the Gala Soiree in Anchorage, where contestants, members of the industry and media gathered to celebrate and toast the winners. This year’s first place winners included: Trident Naturals Mediterranean Style Cod Fillets by Trident Seafoods in the Retail category, Morey’s Wild Alaskan Party Pack by Morey’s Seafood in the Smoked category, and Heart Smart Low-Fat Breaded Alaskan Pollock by Trident Seafoods in the Foodservice category. The grand prize, awarded to the product that received the most overall votes, also went to Morey’s Seafood with their Morey’s Wild Alaskan Party Pack. This year’s judges included: Greg Blakey of Snopac Products, Drew Cherry with IntraFish, Eric Donnelly with the Oceanaire Seafood Room, Jim Harmon with SeaShare, Jim Humphreys with the Marine Stewardship Council, Bill Luke with Food Services of America, Richard Mullins with Orca Bay Seafoods, freelance food writer, Amy Pennington, Kevin Rowlee with Cannon Fish and Bill Springer with Seafood Business.


AFDF Sponsors Symposium on Processing Coproducts







AFDF seeking certification of sustainability from the Marine Stewardship Council for the Pacific cod fishery in Alaska
After forming a working group of industry representatives in early 2006, AFDF solicited proposals from the 4 accredited certifiers, and contracted a confidential pre-assessment with Mood Marine International Ltd.  The foundation sought additional funding from the Sustainable Fisheries Fund in Sacramento, CA and was awarded a grant for approximately $50 K to assist with some of the full assessment costs.  In late 2007, AFDF and the working group reached “critical mass” when Trident Seafoods joined the effort; this lead to an agreement regarding cost sharing between the industry representatives that was necessary for AFDF to contract with Moody Marine International for the full assessment.  The assessment has begun with the team, consisting of Dr. Bob Mohn – DFO Atlantic Canada, Dr. Don Bowen – DFO Atlantic Canada, and Dr. Geoff Tingley – CEFAS UK, conducting a site visit to Seattle and Kodiak during the week of May 12, 2008.  A draft assessment report is expected in September.  The MSC certification should be completed by late 2008/early 2009; considerable economic benefit through market expansion and price premiums would be realized by both industry and the State of Alaska. 


Salmon Baby Food I Project
Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, in collaboration with UAF’s Fisheries Industrial Technology Center in Kodiak, University of Illinois Food Science Department, and USDA ARS, is working to help develop baby food products from Alaska’s wild salmon. A USDA grant totaling $460 K was awarded to UAF FITC and AFDF for this project.

AFDF successfully worked with Ocean Beauty Seafood LLC and Beech-Nut Nutrition Company to help bring wild salmon flesh in babyfood to the market. In late March, 2008 Beech-Nut Nutrition Company introduced their new line of DHA-Plus Stage 3 babyfood that included “Sweet Potatoes & Wild Alaskan Salmon”. The product label notes that it “supports brain & eye development and digestive health”. The “Alaska Seafood” logo is prominent on the label.

AFDF continues to work with the University of Alaska Fisheries Industrial Tech Center and USDA Agricultural Research Service on further development of alternative uses of salmon including flesh, oils, and roes in babyfood. Information on the DHA-Plus products can be found through Beech-Nut Nutrition Corporation.






Perishable Handling Tests
AFDF and Tednologies, Inc. have teamed to test the TEDSBOX LD3 refrigerated container in transporting fresh salmon filets from Alaska salmon fishing communities to market. During this summer, AFDF and Tednologies are planning to conduct 14 demonstration trips from salmon communities in western, southcentral, and southeast Alaska. Each test will show how salmon can be transported in a refrigerated and insulated air cargo container with clean recyclable plastic boxes and no gel packs. The goal of the project is to prove the feasibility of moving high quality salmon filets and roes to market in a temperature stable environment with completely recyclable materials. By transporting salmon filets and roes at between 28°-34° F salmon can be delivered from the processor to the market place in the highest quality and command the highest price. Complete records of the temperature profile will be maintained. Insert picture below and link to powerpoint presentation.

(Proprietary and Confidential. The information contained in this drawing is the sole property of Tednologies, Inc. Any reproduction in part or as a whole without the written permission of Tednologies, Inc. is prohibited. )

The TEDSBOX is a lower deck air cargo container that includes a battery powered refrigeration system. The self contained unit has the following specifications:

• Maximum external dimensions: 79 wide X 60.4 long X 64 tall inches
• Maximum internal dimensions 51.5 tall X 56.3 wide X 73.75 deep inches
• Maximum internal volume: 105.9 cu ft
• Maximum gross weight: 3500 lbs
• Maximum tare weight: 800 lbs - 1300 lbs (Options Available)
• Maximum payload: 2200 lbs – 2700 lbs (Depending upon options)
• Maximum door opening: 50.5 tall X 52.5 wide
• Temperature Ranges can be held for your perishable goods between 34°F - 89 F°. Add dry ice or gel packs to keep down to -10°C/14 F°.

The project will provide DacoCorp plastic fish boxes in 25 lb and 50 lb configuration. These boxes are significantly less weight than the waxed cardboard wetlock box and recyclable. The use of plastic fish boxes is being integrated into the project to manage weight and meet the interest of marketplace to eliminate waste packaging.

Click here to download the Power Point Presentation (1.7 megabytes)


Co-products advisory panel convened
In order to better assess the potential for new products to be developed from increasing the recovery of meals and oils from the salmon processing stream, AFDF has convened a panel of knowledgeable experts to guide further research. The members are: Sandro Lane, Alaska Protein Recovery; Brett Gibson, Arctic Paws; Ken Roemhildt, Roemhildt Consulting; Pete Nicklason, FishTek, Inc.; Dr. Peter Bechtel, USDA ARS; and Dr. Susan Goldhor, Center for Applied Research. The panel has met several times to look at products being developed through hydrolysates and stabilized storage, market potential for these products, and research direction. A meeting is scheduled for April 15 in Seattle to visit the modified silage demonstration project mentioned below, and plan a Seafood Coproducts Conference in conjunction with Pacific Fisheries Technologists.


Modified Silage – a potential bridge to full waste stream utilization
AFDF has contracted with QuotaMax and FishTek, Inc. to develop a demonstration pilot plant to show the process and system design for stabilizing and recovering salmon processing waste utilizing “modified silage” from small processors in remote communities. The project is to demonstrate the design and operation of a 450 lb batch plant for salmon processors and provide a cost estimate for a 25 mt plant for location in rural Alaska communities. The project is now set up and running demonstration batches at the NOAA Fisheries Montlake Lab in Seattle, WA as part of the mutual interest in optimizing fishery utilization.

To date, the project has demonstrated the stabilized approach to 13 different companies, as well as state and federal researchers and NOAA fisheries scientists. Products developed to date include salmon meals with and without soluble proteins, gelatins, chondroitin rich cartilage powders, and bone meal. Fishery researchers are using the whole meal in fish growing experiments with Hawaiian threadfin. Interest in the suite of co-products have been expressed by pet food companies, nutrition companies and shown at the USDA/NOAA Alternative Aquaculture Feed meeting in Silver Spring, MD in April 2008.



Pete Nicklason, Tony Bimbo (International Fisheries Technology), and Peter Stitzel with demonstration of salmon whole meal on drum dryer.
*graphics by Pete Nicklason





Refractance Window Dryer salmon drying tests
AFDF has contracted with NPZ Enterprises to test dry red and pink salmon products on the MCD Technology “Refractance Window” Dryer. The goal of the project was to demonstrate that the use of the refractance window technology could produce a high quality product from lower quality (#3) salmon flesh and from high quality by-products at low temperature, thus preserving the integrity of the proteins and amino acids. Tests would be conducted to determine system throughput, proximate analysis of materials, and chemical composition. Use of this USDA approved drying system also will document that the material produced is appropriate for human consumption, if HAACP is controlled in the processing and handling prior to drying.

The project required the purchasing and transporting of pink and sockeye salmon to Tacoma for handling and processing. A total of 4 tests were conducted on October 29 & 30, 2007 as follows:
* Fish Products, Ground
• Received 324.8 kg
• Initial Moisture Content 70.84%
• Dried kg produced 91.38 kg
• Dried Moisture Content 4.18%
* Fish Heads, Ground
• Received 27.15 kg
• Initial Moisture Content 69.8%
• Dried kg produced 16.54 kg
• Dried Moisture Content 3.55%
* Fish Meat, Ground
• Received 138.0 kg
• Initial Moisture Content 73.54%
• Dried kg produced 35.7 kg
• Dried Moisture Content 4.34%
* Fish Guts, Ground
• Received 16.54 kg
• Initial Moisture Content 81.0%
• Dried kg produced 2.54 kg
• Dried Moisture Content 1.68%

Each test protocol was documented with a Process Protcol Development Test for Lot # 710291, 710301, 710302, & 710303.

Process throughput rates were calculated for
• Fish Products, Ground at 19.1% solids
• Fish Meat, Ground at 24.6% solids
• Fish Heads, Ground at 30.2% solids
No rates were projected for Fish Guts, Ground as the volume or raw material was inadequate for establishing the rate.

A complete suite of analytical tests were run on each sample. Tests include
• Proximate Analysis
• Nutrient Profiles
• Fatty Acid Analysis
• Chemical Analysis
• Bacterial & Mold Activity

Results are available in hard copy through AFDF or NPZ Enterprises at

Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation
431 West 7th Avenue, Suite 106
Anchorage, AK 99501
907-276-7315

Or

NPZ Enterprises
16170 SW Sumac Street
Beaverton, OR 97007
503-819-2271


Omega-3: Wild Alaska Salmon
(click photo to view trailer)

AFDF is producing a video documentary for “Alaska Salmon Omega-3 – a Documentary” to increase the awareness of the sustainable source of natural omega-3 oils that are available from Alaska’s wild salmon and the value in a healthy lifestyle.  The film will feature several aspects of this issue with a focus in four (4) major areas: the Alaska salmon industry in general; the people who work to insure sustainable returns of wild Alaska salmon; omega-3 fish oils and their health benefits; and potential new markets for inherently contaminant-free omega-3s as a byproduct of the Alaska salmon industry. The film includes many interviews with experts from throughout the medical and scientific fields, in the salmon enhancement, processing and management, and in the omega-3 industry.  AFDF has teamed with Tungsten Strategic and Kodiak Resource Development in producing this film.  The film is anticipated for release in Summer 2008. For more information on the film you can visit http://www.wildsalmonomega-3movie.com/Omega-3_Documentary/Welcome.html.