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Activities |
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Core research and extension programs at the Center focus on seafood safety and quality of wild caught and cultured animals and products, business marketing and plans for the commercial and aquaculture industries, engineering and thermal processing, intensive saltwater recirculating aquaculture, and education/outreach. Food science research and extension programs focus on safety and quality issues associated with seafood products. Scientists at the Seafood Center have been responsible for establishing pasteurization guidelines for the blue crab processing industry, and developing thermal processing procedures for the elimination of Listeria monocytogenes in cooked ready-to-eat crab meat products. The Seafood Center currently functions as a regional Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) training center. Third party HACCP audits are conducted, upon request, for seafood companies in Virginia. These audits help ensure that their HACCP programs are adequate, effective and are being followed by the company. Business and marketing activities focus on providing assistance to the seafood and aquaculture industries in Virginia and throughout the United States. Can American-produced fresh processed tilapia be sold in this country? Most of the fresh processed tilapia consumed in this country is imported from Central and South America. However, there is a nascent American processing industry. Domestic tilapia consumption is rapidly expanding. A project in conjunction with other CFAST faculty members is exploring avenues for American producers to profitably capture some of the domestic processed market. Engineering efforts focus on validation of pasteurization and retort cooking procedures to help seafood-processing companies meet the FDA HACCP-based seafood inspection requirements. Data are collected to help seafood companies verify that their HACCP-based seafood safety program is science based and effective. Recirculating aquaculture research and extension efforts focus on summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus) production. Ozone injection and biological filtration methods control and eliminate potential incoming pathogens on the fish. Research efforts also focus on fish reproduction (a 180 day spawning cycle to ripen fish is used), larval rearing techniques, and live food production (e.g., algae, rotifers, copepods and artemia). Education/outreach programs address seafood safety and quality, aquaculture, engineering, business and marketing, for teachers, students, businesses, etc., throughout the tidewater area. |
Other Activities |
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A faculty member serves on the National Advisory Committee for Microbiological Criteria for Foods (NACMCF). Faculty also serve as scientific and technical advisors to the World Food Logistics Organization, American Scallop Association, the National Blue Crab Industry Association, the National Fisheries Institute, Virginia Department of Health, Div. Of Shellfish Sanitation, the Virginia Seafood Council, the Virginia Marine Products Board, the Virginia Aquaculture Advisory Board, etc. |
Current Projects - Michael L. Jahncke, Ph.D. |
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Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing areas of agriculture. Unfortunately, most aquaculturists are primarily interested in growing and selling aquatic organisms and may be unaware of potential public health issues associated with aquaculture products and aquaculture operations. Research projects in this area include the application of Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) Principles as a risk management tool in sustainable aquaculture. Research focuses on applying HACCP principles as a risk management tool to reduce the potential for negative impacts on wild stocks and protected resources. Specifically: 1). Application of HACCP principles as a risk management approach to develop an appropriate risk management strategy to control exotic shrimp viruses in production ponds; 2). Application of HACCP principles as a risk management approach to control possible discharge of exotic shrimp viral pathogens from shrimp processing companies into the marine environment; and 3). Application of HACCP principles as a risk management approach for potential human and zoonotic disease control in a marine finfish Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS).
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Information from this project will provide regulatory agencies, aquaculture producers and seafood processing industries with a recognized risk management approach to address pathogens, diseases, and escapement of exotics. It will be a model for use by both the aquaculture and seafood processing industries around the world. It will help to reduce the frequency of use and quantity of chemotherapeutic and other chemicals now used in aquaculture to control disease and exotic pathogens. It will also help protect animal, environmental, and public health. The use of post processing technologies to eliminate pathogens in fishery products is becoming more and more important. Current research interests include the use of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP), irradiation and microwaves to eliminate Vibrio spp. in raw molluscan shellfish. Information from the project will allow the industry and regulatory agencies to recommend processes to help ensure elimination of Vibrio spp. in raw oyster products. Since the mid-1990's, crab meat imports have doubled and the domestic blue crab processing industry has experienced a significant loss of market share. Currently, 65% of crab meat produced from warm water species consumed in the U.S. is imported. A better understanding of factors affecting the quality of blue crab meat is vitally important for the continued commercial viability of the blue crab processing industry. |
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A series of consumer focus groups were held in Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina to determine consumer perceptions and preferences on domestic and imported crab meat. The information from these focus groups will be used to help the domestic blue crab processing industry better compete in today's global marketplace. |
Current Projects - Daniel E. Kauffman, Ph.D. |
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Project 1: Profitable operation of a yellow perch recirculating aquaculture facility. The goal of this project is to produce a business plan that aquaculturists can use to plan for and to operate a yellow perch production facility. Data for the plan will be produced at Virginia Tech's new yellow perch demonstration facility in Saltville, VA. The plan will include classic farm management production budgets and a marketing strategy. Project 2: Marketing of tilapia. Can American produced fresh processed tilapia be sold in this country? Currently American farmers sell live tilapia and processing here is just beginning. However, most of the fresh processed tilapia consumed in this country is imported from Central and South America. Domestic tilapia consumption is rapidly expanding. This project, undertaken in conjunction with other CFAST faculty members, will look for ways that American producers can profitably capture some of the domestic processed market. Project 3: Using light waves and photography to identify and remove undesirable material from seafood. Processed seafood must often be hand sorted to remove things like shell fragments and bone. This sorting process is done by machine in many other processed food industries. This project, undertaken with other CFAST faculty members, will look for ways this already commercial technology can be applied in the seafood industry. |
Current Projects - Robert M. Lane |
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Mr. Lane provides field technical support, research and training to the seafood industry. He conducts retort cook and pasteurization process validations; air cool room temperature verifications; refrigerated storage temperature verifications and other thermal monitoring related to the production, handling, processing, storage, transporting and marketing of seafood. He provides and/or arranges for training in the use of thermal monitoring, pH, can seam evaluation, processing equipment and other critical food processing for employees. Mr. Lane conducts energy audits for processing and production facilities. He maintains contacts and a working relationship with the power and fossil fuel industry. Mr. Lane works with managers to develop and implement waste and wastewater audits for processing and production facilities. He reviews and provides recommendations on costs associated with waste and wastewater production and removal. He works to develop waste alternatives. |
Current Projects - Michael H. Schwarz |
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Mr. Schwarz is presently engaged in helping build the new marine recirculating aquaculture research program at the VSAREC. Recirculating aquaculture production systems (RAS) incorporating isolation/quarantine facilities, ozonated oxidation/reduction potential (ORP) controlled production systems, hatchery and larvae culture systems and replicated nutrition research systems have recently been built, and are on-line. At present, the main species of interest is summer flounder (Paralichthys dentatus). Ongoing projects funded at the VSAREC include oxidizer evaluations (i.e., ozone and hydrogen peroxide) utilizing marine RAS, summer flounder temperature and nutrition optimization studies, and development of f-1 summer flounder broodstock. Funding has also been received to help create a closed recirculating hatchery production facility at the Cherrystone AquaFarms hard clam production facility on Virginia's Eastern Shore. Mr. Schwarz is presently engaged in developing a program to introduce small recirculating aquaculture systems into the teaching curricula of several Virginia middle and high schools. This program will integrate existing educational programs in Virginia schools to help meet the Standards of Learning (SOL) requirements. Demonstration units are designed to assist Virginia's emerging aquaculture industry by orienting interested youth to this new and challenging field. |
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Virginia Cooperative Extension |