Researchers of this group have complementary knowledge and experience in different scientific areas, including biology, biochemistry, veterinary, food quality/safety and food engineering, to develop interdisciplinary studies aiming to:
- Qualify the quality and ensure the chemical, physical and biological safety of fishery, aquaculture and algae-based products.
- Develop sustainable, appealing, safe and healthy food products based on eco-innovative technological strategies.
- Contribute to the sustainable production of bivalve molluscs.
The expertise of the team has been updated through the involvement in national and European R&D projects, as well as collaborations with different stakeholders. Aspects covered include: (i) assessing the different dimensions of quality and safety of fish and algae-based foods, taking into account the requirements of the circular economy, sustainability, as well as the impacts of climate change; (ii) contributing to the reliability and traceability of fishery, aquaculture and algae value chains; (iii) develop strategies to assess different environmental indicators (energy efficiency, carbon and water footprints, etc.) and reduce seafood waste based on life cycle analysis (LCA) tools; (iv) take advantage of new technological and eco-innovative developments in preservation, processing and packaging processes to propose new strategies for valorisation of available aquatic resources; (v) formulating and testing healthy and appealing products, as well new ingredients to meet the growing nutritional requirements and demand from different segments of the population and markets; (vi) assessing risks/benefits associated with the consumption of new seafood species fish and algae-based products to facilitate responsible and informed choices and (vii) contributing to strengthen the competitiveness of mollusc farming, on a sustainable basis, to better manage production and meet demand.
Seafood Safety and Processing Co-PI: António Marques
