Seafood processing and quality assurance

Code

Course teacher

Associate teachers

Status of the course

Course objectives

- Enabling students to implement knowledge of post mortal processes taking place in fish meat and viscera during different storage and handling conditions.
- Gaining knowledge of the impact that post-mortal changes and handling processes have on fish quality important during both further industrial processing and human consumption.
- Gaining knowledge of conservation technologies (cooling, freezing, canning, salting, marinating, smoking and drying) used for fish and other raw materials originated from sea.

Course enrolment requirements and entry competences required for the course

Learning outcomes expected at the level of the course (4 to 10 learning outcomes)

Learning outcomes:
- Knowledge of post-mortal changes in fish and implementation of this knowledge in product conservation.
- Knowledge of principals for different methods of fish conservation and ability to applying this knowledge.
- Knowledge of quality assessment methods used in different production stages (raw materials, technology processes and final products) in fish processing industry, using information about different fish species, seasonal changes, conservation methods and the changes that take place during processing.
- Knowledge of quality parameters for fishery products and evaluation of shelf-life, along with their assessment using sensory, microbiological, biochemical and chemical methods.
- Knowledge of quality management in fish processing industry.

Course content broken down in detail by weekly class schedule (syllabus)

1st week: Structure and composition of fish and edible portion of fish meat.
Introduction. Fish processing industry today. Fish species used for human consumption. Structure and chemical composition of fish muscle. Commercial value and nutritive composition of fish. Characteristics of fish as raw material. Rational fish processing - maximum yield utilization of raw material. (2 hours)
2nd week: Post-mortem changes in stored fish
Differentiation and identification of physical, biochemical and microbiological post-mortal changes which lead to spoilage. (3 hours)
3rd week: Raw material and final product spoilage. Conservation processes. Raw material quality assessment. Spoilage rates and control. Role of cold distribution chain. (2 hours)
4th week: Ice in marine fisheries. Ice production. Handling catch on fish vessels. Methods of transportation and handling of fish on mainland. Cooling processes: air, cool seawater and super-chilling to -2°C. Changes during chilling of biological material. (3 hours)
5th week: Preservation of fish using low temperatures. Protection of frozen fish. Proper defrosting procedures. Principles of transport and appropriate distribution of frozen fishery products. (3 hours)
6th week: Preservation of fish at high temperatures. Canned fish production. (2 hours)
7th week: Preservation of fish by drying. Principles of preservation by drying. Natural and artificial drying. Preservation of fish by smoking. Principles of preservation by smoking. Function, characteristics and composition of smoke. (2 hours)
8th week: Preservation of fish by marinating. Principles of preservation by marinating. Cold and warm marinades. Preservation of fish by salting. Marinating and salting facilities. Hazards/risks during the production of thermally non-treated products. (2 hours)
9th week: Preservation of fish gonads. Processing of invertebrates. Algae products. Production of fish oils and fish meal, vitamins and fish-originated products, used by other industries. (2 hours)
10th week: Packaging materials and methods used in seafood industry. Allowed additives, declarations and labelling. (2 hours)
11th week: Quality management. Production control, quality management and traceability in the fish processing industry. Quality management and responsible waste/waste water management in seafood industry. Legal responsibilities of food-producing business subjects. Prerequisite programme. (4 hours)
12th week: HACCP system in the fish processing industry. National and EU legislation related to seafood production and safety. Implementation and application of HACCP plan. Getting to know the ”Codex alimentarius” hygienic package and rules for fish processing industry and certain technological procedures, responsibilities of food industry. (2 hours)
Exercises (filed work).

Format of instruction:

Student responsibilities

Students are required to attend classes (lectures and exercises), to actively participate in the teaching process and pass the exam (colloquiums). The presence in the classroom will be recorded (lectures and exercises). A student is allowed one unexcused absence from exercises and two absences from lectures. Field exercises are obligatory. The omission is justified in the case of certain activities at the University for which it is necessary to have a written confirmation. Delay in classes (lectures and exercises) will also be recorded; three delays will be counted as one unexcused absence. 100% presence in the class will be rewarded with two points at the colloquium.

Optional literature (at the time of submission of study programme proposal)

Tewari G., Juneja VK. (2007). Advances in thermal and non-thermal food preservation. Blackwell Publishing Ltd. Oxford, UK.
Huss, H.H., Ababouch, L., Gram, L. (2003). Assessment and Management of Seafood Safety and Quality. Fao Fisheries Technical Paper 444, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome.
Lee R., Lovatelli A., Ababouch L. (2008) Bivalve depuration: fundamental and practical aspects FAO, Rome, Italy.
Devahastin S. (2011). Physicochemical aspects of food engineering and processing. CRC Press, Inc. Boca Raton, Florida, SAD.

Quality assurance methods that ensure the acquisition of exit competences

Quality assurance will be performed at three levels:
(1) University Level;
(2) Faculty Level by Quality Control Committee;
(3) Lecturer’s Level.

Other (as the proposer wishes to add)