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IMPROVING FOOD SECURITY BY REDUCING POST HARVEST LOSSES IN THE FISHERIES SECTOR

Final Report Summary - SECUREFISH (IMPROVING FOOD SECURITY BY REDUCING POST HARVEST LOSSES IN THE FISHERIES SECTOR)

Executive Summary:
Food security is a major concern for all countries in the face of population increase and diminishing energy and water supplies. Over one billion people in low and middle income countries suffer from malnutrition. To meet the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and post 2015 goals, to eradicate hunger and poverty, it is essential to reduce post harvest losses, including in the fisheries sector.

The overall objectives of SECUREFISH were to strengthen capacity in low cost technology; to improve the preservation of existing fish supplies; to utilise waste and by catch to produce value-added products; to develop an integrated quality management tool and finally to test the developed technology and quality management tool in different real third country conditions.

The objectives were achieved by a multidisciplinary team comprising partners from Europe (Surrey, UK coordinator; IPMA, Portugal; DLO Netherlands); Africa (KMFRI, Kenya; CSIR-FRI, Ghana and UNAM, Namibia); Asia (KVAFSU, India; UiTM, Malaysia) and South America (INTI, Argentina). In addition, SMEs Ebbens, Netherlands, Millennium Exports, India and Peche Foods, Kenya and KFDC, India also translated the research results to commercial applications.

There were six work packages (WP). WP1 ensured the efficient management of the project.
WP2 developed low cost innovative processing tools based on traditional technology for preserving fish including
• A hybrid solar tunnel drier with either a windmill or biomass burner to dry whole fish or fillets in the night or in the rainy season in Africa and India. A building drier was also designed and constructed for drying fish discards.
• A modified solar assisted extruder, using solar panels/batteries in Namibia and Ghana
• An atmospheric freeze-drier (AFD) designed and constructed by Ebbens and DLO, Netherlands and INTI, Argentina.

In WP3, underutilised by-catch and waste by-products of fish processing were recovered and converted to high value products by a) recovering waste nutrients from filleting waste water by centrifugation/ultrafiltration (Surrey); and b) hydrolysing skin and bone by products to value-added gelatin and bioactive hydrolysates and peptides with nutritional benefits (Surrey, KVAFSU, IPMA, ME).

WP4 developed an effective total quality management tool (incorporating safety and risk assessment; HACCP, traceability, carbon footprint, quality cost and nutritional and eating quality of three fish product chains (solar dried, extruded and AFD) which were tailored to suit local needs (all partners).

In WP5, the technological advances (WP2) and quality management tool (WP4) were evaluated in the three fish product chain case studies in Africa (Kenya, Namibia, and Ghana), Asia (India and Malaysia) and Latin America (Argentina) to include different economic, cultural and social conditions. The case studies involved stakeholders including SMEs to ensure sustained implementation of successful project results.

WP6 included education, training and dissemination to widely promote the results and guidelines. Results are being exploited through partner SMEs and external companies, NGOs and Government organisations, thus creating a major global technological and societal impact.

Project Context and Objectives:

The aim of SECUREFISH was to enhance food security by addressing post harvest losses comprehensively in the fisheries sector in selected low and medium–income countries.

The UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) has defined food security as “Food security exists when all people, at all times, have physical, social and economic access to sufficient safe and nutritious food that meets their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life”.

Over one billion people in low income countries are malnourished (www.fao.org) with 60% of deaths in the under-fives resulting from a lack of protein, vitamins and minerals. The problem of food insecurity is predicted to escalate due to a) population growth that is estimated to rise from 7 billion in 2011 to 9 billion in 2050; b) climate change; c) reduction in energy and water supplies and d) an increase in food consumption (Defra, 2010).

SECUREFISH objectives to reduce post-harvest losses in the fish products sector help to fulfil the overarching call objectives of meeting the UN millennium Development Goals (MDGs) (UN, 2000). The MDGs aimed to reduce a number of social problems including hunger, poverty, infant and maternal mortality and lack of access to education and healthcare by 2015. Food and nutrition security are considered key for reducing hunger, which was the first MDG, and continue to have a profound effect on all the MDGs and the UN future development Post 2015 Agenda.

How does the fish processing sector help to fulfil the MDGs?
It is important to enhance food supplies without adversely affecting the environment. Fish is one of the most important food commodities that is consumed world-wide. Thus, a sustainable fisheries sector is essential for food security, hunger mitigation and nutrition. For many poor countries, fish is an important source of dietary protein, (contributing 63% in Ghana, Gambia, Sierra Leone, and 28% in Asia) as well as fish oils, vitamins and minerals (NAGA, 2005). However, low and medium income countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America suffer severe problems of fish shortages due to climate change, overfishing, environmental pollution, poor management and post harvest losses. To counteract this problem, the overall objective of SECUREFISH was to reduce post harvest losses by strengthening the local capacity in sustainable processing, preservation and quality control of fish and fish products. Meeting this objective has addressed the UN Millennium Development Goals (UN, 2000) and Post 2015 Agenda to provide adequate food.

About one billion people depend upon fish as their main source of protein and about 43.5 million people are directly employed in fishing or aquaculture activities, worldwide. Seafood is the planet's most highly traded food commodity, contributing to the livelihoods of more than 560 million people. In 2004 global fish production was estimated at $148 billion, of which capture fisheries was $85 billion and aquaculture was $63 billion. The total estimated value of the reported marine catch of 85.7 million tons was $78.8 billion (FAO, 2007, 2010). Thus fish is a major source of food and there exists the potential to produce more for partner countries and regions. Although marine fish supplies have been declining, aquaculture products continue to increase globally (around 50%) due to technological advances in production and relatively lower production costs (compared with non-farmed fisheries (FAO, 2007).

The seafood supply is worth over US$4 billion for Africa, over US$1.8 billion for India, US $2.8 billion for Malaysia, US$1.3 billion for Argentina and US$8 billion for the UK, Portugal and Netherlands, indicating the importance of this sector to the national economy (www.globefish.org/world supply and DEFRA, 2010). The partner countries of SECUREFISH are major consumers, exporters or importers of fish and fish products (Table 1). India, Argentina and Namibia are major exporters whereas Ghana and Malaysia are major importers and consumers of fish (28 and 50 kg per capita per year respectively). The successful outcome of SECUREFISH will enable developing countries to be less reliant on imports and to build an economically viable fish processing industry. This will improve the livelihoods of farmers and processors and thus meet the MDGs for poverty reduction.

In line with the guidelines for managing by-catch, agreed by 35 countries (UN FAO, 2011), SECUREFISH only targeted post harvest losses that arise from bycatch, by-products of processes like filleting and inadequate preservation processes that pose a major threat to fish supplies. SECUREFISH combined comprehensive and integrated processing and quality control concepts using cheap and energy efficient technology (solar, wind, biomass) to process all of the fish harvested including waste; this helped to not only reduce pollution but also led to novel palatable food products and added-value functional foods. Currently, there are three waste streams in the fisheries sector.

Firstly, unwanted fish bycatch and wastes on board, reduces fish supplies and also causes pollution. These underutilised fish species are sometimes small and bony and require further processing to produce more palatable products. SECUREFISH is built upon outcomes and experience gained from a previous EU project INCO-DEV ICA4-CT-2001-10032 where a food extruder was designed specially for developing countries, tested and implemented in Africa and Asia. SECUREFISH improved the design and application of the extruder by reducing energy costs by using solar assisted extrusion to produce safe and nutritious products that were testing through an integrated and robust quality control chain. SECUREFISH results are now being exploited by SMEs for production of extruded fish products in Kenya, Namibia, India and Malaysia.

Secondly, a substantial amount of fish that is caught or produced is spoilt due to inadequate preservation. For many countries in Africa and Asia, the optimum preservation method namely freezing is expensive, and drying remains a popular means of food preservation. Dried fish is also popular in Europe e.g. salted dried cod. However, traditional drying in developing countries, on the ground in the sun is heavily dependent on the weather and also increases the risk of microbial and insect contamination resulting in a poor quality product. SECUREFISH improved the preservation of sustainable fish sources using novel drying tunnels incorporating solar panels and windmills which allow continuous drying by day and night, even during the rainy season. A model in Kipini Village, Kenya substantially improving livelyhoods for community women. Further hybrid solar tunnel driers incorporating biomass burners (coconut husk) were built in Ghana and India where a number are being installed along the Karnataka coast. Additionally, an innovative roof solar panel and air drying system within an existing building, complying with EU regulations was designed and constructed by DLO and Peche, Kenya for drying discards. In addition, an innovative continuous atmospheric freeze drier (CAFD) that consumes less energy and produces products with better texture and flavour compared to solar drying, was designed and built by an SME Ebbens Engineering and DLO, Netherlands to be marketed in 2015. A pilot plant AFD was also built and tested by INTI, Argentina.

Thirdly, fish waste as by-products of processing like filleting and canning also occur; over 50% of the fish can be lost causing pollution (FAO, 2010). Innovatively, SECUREFISH has used low-value waste material from fish filleting (heads, viscera, skin and frames) to produce novel functional foods including protein hydrolysates, tested in human cellular and non-cellular laboratory models, which have several industrial and health applications. In addition, nutrients e.g. proteins recovered from waste water were processed using low energy centrifugation systems, and further purification of water by ultrafiltration methods.

Having developed the appropriate low cost and eco-friendly processing tools and added-value products from waste, it is vital to assess and monitor the safety, nutritional quality and cost of fish products. To meet this objective SECUREFISH designed a novel effective total quality management tool for assessing and addressing safety and risk assessment, HACCP, quality cost and traceability, nutritional and organoleptic quality and carbon footprint (WP4).

The improved technology, and novel added-value fish products and total quality management tool (WP2-4) were tested in real life third world country situations and incorporated the whole food chain, from harvest to consumption (WP5). For each chain (solar dried, extruded or CAFD), real improvement targets were set and achieved using recommendations from WP 2-4 resulting in best practices for handling and storage.

The outcomes of the evaluation of quality control and safety tool, implemented in a wide range of low and medium income SECUREFISH partner countries, countries (WP5) were used to create a set of integrated quality management and consumer safety guidelines and market standards. Because the partners in SECUREFISH represent different continents (Africa, Asia, Latin America and Europe) and also different regions for example East, West and Southern Africa, the results of SECUREFISH will be multiplied over many countries. All the technological results, safety and quality management guidelines and other outcomes are being disseminated by the SECUREFISH website and externally. Education and training of researchers, staff, students and information for consumers and industry were key elements that were promoted in WP6.

General objectives of SECUREFISH project

• To contribute to the Millennium Development Goals to protect human health by increasing supplies of safe and nutritious food post harvest, by strengthening local technological capacity and developing enhanced tools for assuring and managing quality.

• To protect the environment through a better understanding of the environmental impact on and from the fisheries sector and improved technology to manage changes.

The specific objectives of SECUREFISH are:

• To undertake comprehensive and significantly useful post harvest research and reduce post harvest losses in the fisheries sector to improve food security, particularly in low income (Kenya, Namibia, Ghana) and medium-income (India, Malaysia, Argentina) countries as well as European countries (UK, Portugal, Netherlands).

• To identify, develop and share appropriate technologies including novel or improved solar tunnel drying, continuous atmospheric freeze drying, and low-value food extrusion to reduce post-harvest losses in the processing of fish (marine, aquaculture and freshwater) and to reduce adverse environmental impact (WP2).

• To generate higher-value products from bio-waste from all fish supplies including aquaculture fish; marine by-catch, low value fish and by-products of fish filleting like skin, bones and proteins recovered from waste fish processing water (WP3).

• To improve the quality and safety of food by devising an effective tool for commodity chain analysis and total food chain management including consumer aspects (WP4).

• To implement improved technology, added-value products and a total quality management tool in real-life third-country conditions in Africa, Asia and Latin America using three fish product chains (solar dried, extruded and CAFD) that can be produced by SMEs sustainably after the life of the project. The project involved relevant food chain stakeholders, and set real improvement targets and achievements that were benchmarked against existing processes, creating a legacy of best practices for future wider implementation.

Project Results:
Main S/T results/foregrounds

The overall strategy of the work plan that led to the S/T results and foreground

The work plan comprised six work packages to cover the objectives of each task to be undertaken, the principles and description of methods to be used, and the involvement of partners to achieve the results (milestones and the deliverables) within three years.
In the first work package (WP 1 – Project Management), the coordinator and the WP leaders ensured efficient management of the project to meet project objectives ‘’to reduce post-harvest losses in fisheries chains to improve food security’’ and brought the project to a successful conclusion. The Coordinator Professor Nazlin Howell, University of Surrey fulfilled all the contractual, legal and administrative obligations, including a Consortium agreement, which was signed by all members at the project outset and confidentiality agreement for the Advisory Committee.

The main overall management structure comprised
The General Assembly (GA) composed of all partners including the Coordinator as Chairperson who met at the kick-off meeting, and at 18 months (mid-term) and at 35 months. Executive Management Board: The responsibilities for project management tasks were split between the Project Coordinator (CO) and the WP Leaders (WPL) who formed the Executive Management Board, which met every six months. Each Partner appointed a Task Leader(s), who managed the project on a day-to-day basis and submitted six monthly reports, cost statements and attended meetings of the Management Board.

List of project meetings, dates and venues
Inaugural Meeting of Consortium 7th - 10 February 2012, University of Surrey, Guildford, UK
2nd Executive meeting 11-15th June 2012 at INTI, Buenos Aires and Mar del Plata, Argentina
3rd Executive Meeting 7-11th December 2012 at KVAFSU, Karnataka, India
4th Consortium meeting 10-14th June 2013 at DLO, The Netherlands
5th Executive meeting in December 2013 UiTM, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia,
6th Executive meeting in June 2014 in UNAM, Namibia and
7th Final Consortium meeting 1-5 December 2014 in Portugal.

Methods for monitoring and reporting progress

The Project Management Board met at the six-monthly meetings, and produced written reports on results, finances and minutes. The Coordinator prepared the review and final scientific and financial report for submission to the EC.
At the outset a SECUREFISH Web page www.securefish.net was set up and maintained by the Coordinator and will continue to be maintained for five years afterwards in order to ensure dissemination of results to the public and also for internal communication between all participants.
South-South Forum
Partners from the Southern countries discussed and solved similar problems in a special forum dedicated to this purpose every six months and travelled to Partner countries to assist.
Links with the EU Office
The Co-ordinator was responsible for interacting with the Commission.
External communication and liaison with other projects
The CO was responsible for liaising with other related projects e.g. GRATITUDE, COMMNET, OCEANS, AQUA. Information was communicated to partners on the SECUREFISH web-site which has a data base o and at meetings on all related projects.

The main S/T results and foreground were produced in work packages 2-6.
The second work package (WP 2 – Development of processing tools)
Three innovative technologies were developed:

1. Solar drying in tents, tunnels and building
2. Solar assisted extruder
3. Continuous atmospheric freeze drying


Main results
1. Solar drying in tents, tunnels and building

Securefish focussed on three different drying systems to design sustainable dryers for three types of users and different scales of 10 to 100 kg fish drying per day maximally.
The users are the fishers, the fisher communities and the processors, requiring a cheap drying process to secure their catch and a) to sell it in the market; b) to produce a traditional dried fish product and c) to dry the waste for further processing into a quality product to obtain a better margin on the consumer market. Apart from these three types of drying methods, solar energy using the roof in a building was investigated.

2.1. Solar drying improvement using tunnels or buildings (1-12 M) (DLO, KMFRI, Surrey, KFDC, Peche)

An advanced solar tunnel drier was built in Kipini (Kenya), incorporating additional energy generation by windmills and solar electricity cells. Also, in Ghana, a solar tunnel was completed in the second reporting period. Additional energy for drying during the night was created by solar heating of water by day in an isolated reservoir and by using a bio burner using coconut husks.


In addition a hybrid biomass burner solar tunnel drier was installed in India by KFDC and KVAFSU to dry anchovies as well as salted and unsalted dried soles for WP5.
A new solar family dryer which is cheap around €10, mobile, flexible, compact and designed for temporary use during a few years was made by DLO to fulfil the needs of individual fisher families. (DLO).


2.2.Solar drying in building design (DLO, Peche)
The use of the roof of a building as a solar collector was designed successfully and implemented in an existing building at Peche Foods in Kisumu (Kenya). Preliminary trials with fish waste were undertaken in the buildings drier with the aim of using the dried skin, bones and frames as feed.


2.3. Extruder upgrading through the incorporation of solar panel or cells to reduce energy costs (1-18 M) (DLO, UNAM, FRI, UiTM, Surrey)

The functional quality of the single screw extruders of partners (Ghana, India, Malaysia, Namibia and Kenya), as constructed in a former EU INCO were optimised for producing fish products. A full solar system for 10 kW has been built at the CSIR- Food Research Institute in Accra (Ghana) to supply electrical power to the extruder independent of the grid. UNAM, Namibia also constructed a solar 10 kW cell system with batteries, following a thorough investigation of design and pricing systems. This development has benefitted more than one partner in Africa and involved cooperation with of DLO with expertise in this field. Both systems are already providing electricity for solar energy assisted extrusion as planned, in addition to powering other laboratory equipment like mixers and driers This was particularly pleasing for developing extruded of fish products in Namibia as planned, especially as the it may lead to UNAM collaboration and partnership with an SME in Namibia. Other partners FRI, UiTM and KMFRI/Peche are also developing new extrusion products. At the final workshop in Lisbon, some companies showed an interest in the extrusion of fish snacks and are considering this technology fo producing fish products in Europe.


2.4. Development of a novel method for fish preservation using Continuous Atmospheric Freeze Drying (CAFD) (3-21 M) (DLO, EEIB, INTI)

The use of atmospheric freeze drying (AFD), using absorbents and a heat pump, was designed and was further developed in The Netherlands. The original drying systems had either a fluid bed air drier for small particles or a tray drier for larger products. Following actual drying experiments in June 2013 using the pilot-dryer at Ebbens, Netherlands to calculate the operational possibilities, the design was improved and a new design was constructed based on a heat pump and drums for holding the fish or other food material. Calculation schemes have been developed to model the drying of appropriate products. This pilot equipment design was used to build a prototype which will be marketed in 2015. Depending on the application the drier will use about three times less energy than a comparable vacuum freeze drier.
In addition, a small atmospheric freeze dryer for product analysis was built at INTI (Mar del Plata, Argentina) using an existing freezer. The conditions for operation were calculated and trial dried products like biscuits were made for WP5. Further products like the incorporation of AFD fish or prawns in soups and stews is planned.

2.5. Energy and cost evaluation of the different drying systems

Different dryers were designed and constructed in Africa, Asia and Europe to suit different social needs. All systems were based on the use of solar energy in different ways with the possibility of using additional wind or biomass energy for drying at night or in the rainy season. The effective solar energy was based on 200 W/m² for heating air and 125 Wp/ m² for solar voltage panels.

All dryers were closed systems for hygiene reasons and also to improve the microbial safety and biochemical quality of the product. Because of the use of solar energy the dryers can be independent of the electricity grid. The tunnel dryer may be used at a community level whereas the family dryer is mobile, flexible, compact and designed for temporary use. The atmospheric freeze dryer is compact and light weight, and mobile and can be used at different local places as necessary.

The dryers are a breakthrough in low cost fish drying technology in different respects as follows:
• The explicit use of a solar energy collector to heat the incoming air is new, whilst being practical.
• The integrated use of several sources of energy to dry (hybrid driers) has been shown in Africa and Asia in a practical manner.
• Programmed mild drying with atmospheric freeze drying (AFD) is a breakthrough in its application in Europe ad medium income countries.

The main applications for solar driers include the preparation of traditional dried fish, dried fish waste as an ingredient to food or feed, or to production of quality consumer fish products, to be hydrated afterwards.
The dryers are also suitable for other materials, such as herbs, vegetables, fruit and meat, when fish is not available, so that the equipment is used all year round, generating income and food security in the local population.

The investment costs range from €10 for the small solar drier to €20,000 for the integrated community solar drier and €100,000 for the Atmospheric Freeze Dryer (AFD), excluding the costs for the generation of solar electricity for less than €20,000. The capacity of the driers range from 1-10 kg for the small drier to 100 kg fish to be dried in 1-3 days in the community dryer or the AFD. The nutritional and organoleptic quality of the final products will also be higher with the mild AFD. The cost for the investment per kilogram of fish is from €0.02 for the small dryer to about €0.40 for the larger scale and higher quality driers.

The operational costs are less than €0.05 per kilogram of fish.

The energy costs are low because the dryers use solar energy.



Securefish presentations on innovative fish drying included Bartels, P.V “Newer concepts in freeze drying and air drying of fish products: sustainable processing tools”. Asian Fisheries Society, Indian Branch Silver Jubilee Symposium, Mangalore. The coordinator and KMFRI (Howell and Odote-Oduor) gave a presentation at an Aquaculture conference in Vietnam in December 2013. Further presentations were given by the coordinator, DLO and UNAM colleagues who were all interviewed by the NBC (Namibian Broadcasting Cooperation) about Securefish, including the application of the processing technologies developed in WP2; product development in relation to fish preservation and introduction of nutritional fish products in school and community feeding programs. KMFRI and Peche have a Government-private company partnership agreement. UNAM is also in the process of a partnership with an SME in Namibia to make extruded fish snack products. At the final workshop in Lisbon, some companies showed an interest in the extrusion of fish snacks and are considering this technology fo applications in Europe.



WP 3 –Utilisation of waste to make value-added products

Work package objectives.
• To obtain nutrients from fish processing waste water
• To produce and characterise functional protein hydrolysates from by-products such as skin and frames.
• To produce and characterise functional hydrolysates from fish waste on a pilot scale.

In WP3 higher value products from by-catch, low value fish and by-products of fish filleting like skin, bones and proteins recovered from waste, were developed (WP3). These waste by-products of fish processing were used to produce novel functional fish hydrolysates. In addition, bioactive peptides that have potential health benefits were produced by processing methods including, ultrafiltration, centrifugal and chromatographic separation techniques available in Partners’ institutions (Surrey, KVAFSU, INRB, IPMA). Nutrients recovered from waste fish and water and promising hydrolysates were made on a pilot scale by the SME Millennium Exports, India. The value-added nutrients were incorporated in the fish product chain developed in WP5.

By- or co- products from by-catch, fish filleting like skin, bones and frame proteins as well as from wash water were recovered and dried or used directly in food products in WP5. In addition, the recovered nutrients were used to produce novel fish hydrolysates and peptides with health enhancing, antioxidant, ACE inhibitory, anticancer and immunomodulatory properties. This work package was divided into three sections. 3.1 3.2 and 3.3 as described briefly below.

Task 3.1. Recovery of nutrients from processing waste water and by-products (1- 12 M) (SURREY)
A process for recovering nutrients from waste water from fish processing or from skin and frames was designed and verified. The process included traditional centrifugation which is likely to be used in developing countries for crude recovery of valuable fish oil, rich in omega-3 fatty acids and proteins. In addition, the process described further purification and separation of proteins using ultrafiltration membrane techniques. Further work was undertaken using the process to assess the properties of the frame proteins and water and salt soluble proteins as by-products of filleting. Recovering nutrient products to be dried for direct use in WP5 or hydrolysed is summarised in 3.2.

Task 3.2. Production of hydrolysates (1- 24 M) (SURREY, KVAFSU, IPMA)
The production of protein hydrolysates is an important approach for upgrading by-products of fish manufacture like skin and waste tissue. These value-added functional products have useful nutritional and health properties and can be added conveniently to a variety of food products such as soups and beverages.

3.2.1. Gelatin was produced by enzymatic hydrolysis of collagen from salmon and Nile Perch (Lake Victoria, Kenya supplied by Peche Foods) skin and bones. Although salmon skin gelatin did not gel as well as Nile Perch skin gelatin which had very good gelling properties, it could nevertheless be used for making bioactive peptides as shown below.

The gelatin produced from both salmon and Nile perch bone did not gel and also gave a low yield by most methods; however, one method was identified that produced a high yield of 16% gelatin (SURREY).

As these bone gelatins had poor gelling properties and therefore could not be used for that purpose, hydrolysates were produced from both salmon and Nile Perch bone gelatin using collagenase, alcalase and pepsin. Alcalase was found to produce hydrolysates with the highest bioactivity and was chosen for further studies.

KVAFSU used different proteases suitable for India, namely fruit papain (from Carica papaya latex), bromelain (from pineapple stem), ficin (from fig tree latex), Neutrase (bacterial protease from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens), Flavourzyme (Fungal protease from Aspergillus oryzae) and crude protease prepared from visceral waste of N. japonicus to hydrolyse frame waste from threadfin bream at 5-15% degree of hydrolysis. Good functional, antioxidant and ACE inhibitory activity of the peptides were obtained.

KVAFSU also made protein isolates from croaker head waste by electrostatic precipitation. The protein isolates were hydrolysed by different plant proteases. The resulting hydrolysates were incorporated into a real food fish mince based products which were found to have higher antioxidant and antihypertensive properties compared with the control mince product without hydrolysates. Additionally, a rapid method of extraction for gelatin was devised using croaker and pink perch head waste by KVAFSU. The properties of gelatin obtained were acceptable for many potential food applications.

At IPMA, Cape hake by-products (HPH) –frames and sawdust- were upgraded to protein hydrolysates with readily available commercial enzyme Protamex, a mixture of subtilisin 3.4.21.62 and neutral proteinase 3.4.24.28 obtained from Bacillus subtilis. The addition of HPH in food products can contribute to the protein content. The light colour of HPH allows its incorporation in a variety of products and the high solubility is also important for its application in products with high water content. Additionally, the positive effect of HPH on the WHC and its antioxidant properties may permit its utilization as a food ingredient.

3.2.2. Hydrolysates produced by fermentation
The preparation of fish protein hydrolysates (FPH) by fermentative processes is an alternative to classical preparation using added proteolytic enzymes. This methodology takes advantage of the wide spectrum of extra cellular proteolytic enzymes produced by bacteria. In this way it is expected to increase the number and type of peptides in the mixture obtained, thus improving their biological properties. FPH were prepared from cod protein hydrolysate using an indigenous proteolytic strain, sporulated, Gram and catalase positive isolated from estuarine bivalves. Preliminary results are promising since some properties of new peptides after the fermentation process were improved.

KVAFSU used traditional fermentation process to utilize low economic value fish and assessed the bioactive properties for fermented products. KVAFSU isolated and assessed bioactive peptides from traditional fermented fish product ngari from North East India, as influenced by the length of the fermentation period.

3.2.3. Analysis of hydrolysates (1-33 M) (KVAFSU, Surrey, IPMA)
The hydrolysates were characterised by standard methods (degree of hydrolysis, peptide profile, amino acid profile, antioxidant activity and functional properties including foaming, emulsification). In addition, inhibition of ACE activity, and anticancer and immunomodulatory properties (in vitro) by fish skin and bone peptides were identified by Surrey.

3.2.4. Bioactive peptides and their health properties (12-36 M).
Salmon skin peptides from gelatin hydrolysed with digestive enzymes that had excellent antioxidant properties, similar to the positive controls vitamin C and E. The mechanism of antioxidant activity was identified. Selected peptides had DPPH activity but did not lower glucose uptake in cells. These peptides also showed good ACE inhibitory activity in vitro, indicative of antihypertensive activity. The peptides also showed a reduction in colon cancer cell viability due to apoptosis and necrosis cell death pathways indicating potential therapeutic treatment after thorough testing.

Salmon and Nile perch bone peptides showed antioxidant activity as well immunomodulatory activity in human cells. These value added bioactive peptide products also have potential food and pharmaceutical applications outside this project but they require further development.

3.3 Pilot plant manufacture of bio products (9-21 M) ( SME ME)
Millennium Exports (ME) identified waste fish from markets along the coastal fish landing sites in India and converted it to hydrolysates using enzymatic hydrolysis using papain. The waste was collected hygienically from a single species of fish and converted to hydrolysates that are free from contamination and safe for human consumption. The hydrolysates were incorporated into biscuits and snacks. This commercialisation process is a very interesting and exciting development, and its economic feasibility depends on the scale of operation.


WP 4 - Development of a total quality management tool) - comprehensive quality control tool for total food chain management to improve the quality and safety of food (6-36 M All partners).
WP4 had six objectives:
(i) To develop a food safety and risk assessment tool for the three selected fish product chains,
(ii) To develop methods for monitoring HACCP, quality cost and traceability
(iii) To compile a nutritional and eating quality tool to test the different fish food chains
(iv) To undertake carbon footprint analyses for selected fish food chains and
(v) To develop guidelines for Total Quality Management (TQM) to be implemented in the WP5 case studies.
(vi) To disseminate results and guidelines.

This TQM tool comprised food safety and risk assessment, HACCP, quality costs and traceability, nutritional and eating quality (consumer aspects), and carbon footprint (environmental aspect) parameters. The tool was tailor-made for the three fish product market chains identified (dried, extruded, frozen/CAFD products) in the different partner countries but the guidelines arising from real fish product chains can be used for other types of food products.
Regarding food safety and risk assessment tools, information on the main characteristics of species used in the preparation of solar dried fish, extruded fish and CAFD fish, as well as the quality features and information related to the products and the procedures were collected from the partners.

4.1. Food safety and risk management
For the statistical tools, several power point presentations were shown and discussed during the project meetings, two deliverables were prepared and a tutorial for the utilisation of CrystalBall (for windows 2000, windows XP and windows Vista) and @risk software were distributed to the partners for use in WP5.

In addition the benefit/risk analysis related with the consumption of seafood in all the countries involved in the project was undertaken based on papers published in the scientific journals, about levels of nutrients and chemical contaminants in the most consumed species and scenarios of consumption (1 meal a year up to two meals a week, individual meals of 100 g and a body weight of 70 kg). The application of the tools -@risk and CrystalBall© showed that the benefits are bigger than the risks.

The potential hazards of developed products - solar dried, fresh/frozen, extruded and CAFD-, in terms of food safety were also evaluated. A general conclusion can be drawn: (i) The intrinsic characteristics of the developed products [low aw (≤ 0.3) and pH (5.5-7.0)] and the intended use as an ingredient and cooked before consumption) indicates that no microbiological limits need to be defined, (ii) low/medium Hg values (and consequently low Me-Hg values) were found; accordingly the weekly consumptions can be up to two meals of 160 g each or 4 meals of 80 g each for consumers having a body weight of 60 kg, and higher intakes for consumers having higher body weights can be considered and (iii) the main hazard is related to the histamine formation in some species. Histamine is thermostable and should be controlled in the raw material (limit: 100 ppm/kg). To avoid this hazard suitable handling and preservation practices have to be followed according to the GMP and HACCP plans.

In terms of the influence of raw material quality on yield, quality, productivity and costs of products analysed, a very comprehensive study was undertaken and a linear correlation between raw material quality on process yield and labour productivity was found for solar dried siganids (Kenya) and sole (India). Controllable costs, failure costs and total quality costs for different qualities of freeze dried flounder were identified and compared to those calculated in the proposed model.

In terms of Food Safety, it is advisable to concentrate on the Hazard Analysis part of HACCP of the three selected chains prior to the risk assessment.

4.2. HACCP, quality cost and traceability. The participants prepared flow sheets and indicated the potential hazards for each product. In addition, the compilation of the most used microbiological and chemical methods was undertaken and an evaluation of the quality costs in the fish products prepared and submitted as reports on HACCP, Traceability and Quality cost and a paper for publication.

4.3. The information about nutritional and organoleptic quality of seafood products was assembled as a methods manual. This manual includes methods for proximate analysis of fish in terms of protein, lipid, fatty acid analysis, amino acid analysis; functional property tests included solubility, water binding, emulsification and gelation. Organoleptic analysis included texture analysis objectively by large deformation testing and sensory analysis by trained panels. These are important eating quality properties that determine the marketability of the dried fish and extruded products in WP5.

4.4. Carbon footprint, water and energy costs in the three fish product chains were assembled after site visits (DLO).

4.5 Quality Management Tool: The complete tool incorporating all of the above was assembled. The assessment included fresh, dried fish and cooked fish as this would be the way fish is consumed, as well as extruded snack products. For each TQM for each processing line and product, the quality was determined over a typical storage time period and the influence of different stages until consumption.

The results were disseminated through oral presentations, scientific papers, posters in conferences and workshops and at informal meetings. The Total Quality Management tool and nutritional and organoleptic methods guidelines have been uploaded on the project website www.securefish.net. The target markets include mainly local and regional markets that were established at the project outset. The resulting guidelines or quality tool were implemented in WP5.

WP 5 - Total food chain management in selected fish product chains in individual third countries – CASE STUDIES),
In WP5, the improved processing tools and quality control tool developed in WP 2 and WP4 were used in selected chains in real-life third-country conditions in Africa, Asia and Latin America to make new low cost nutritious products for national, regional and international markets. The products were made in collaboration with SMEs and tested by consumers, setting real improvement targets and achievements that were benchmarked against existing processes, creating guidelines of best practices for future wider implementation.

Work package objectives.
• To develop three different types of fish products (dried, extruded and frozen and CAFD product) to suit selected third countries using the processing tools from WP2.

• To implement the guidelines from WP4 to assess the quality of the three fish product chains from farm/catch to finished product including risk assessment, HACCP safety and nutritional quality, sensory properties and carbon footprint.



Main results
5.1. Development of a good quality dried fish product by solar drying (CASE STUDY 1) (12-33 M) (KMFRI, FRI, KVAFSU, KFDC, DLO, Surrey, IPMA)

Dried fish products were produced using solar tunnel driers in KMFRI Kenya. KVAFSU India and CSIR-FRI, Ghana.

Case study 1 indicated that
• Whole dried fish and dried fish fillets (siganids) were produced successfully in Kipini village using the solar tunnel drier built in this project for the local and regional markets.

• Further, the quality of the dried fillets was enhanced by adding plant polyphenols extracted from underutilised seaweeds and water hyacinth (a nuisance in Lake Victoria for fishers) as well as turmeric that can provide cheap and novel sources of antioxidant to preserve dried fish and extend shelf-life.

• Packaging helped to reduce microbial counts and lipid oxidation. Vacuum packaging gave the best results for improved shelf-life for dried fish fillets.

• Dried fish like anchovies and sole were also produced in India by KVAFSU.


5.2. Development of high quality extruded food products (CASE STUDY 2)(12-33 M) (UNAM, UiTM, FRI, Peche, DLO, Surrey)
For the second chain, the prototype solar assisted extruders which were set up in CSIR-FRI Ghana and in UNAM were used in WP5 to make a range of fish products.
Many different types of recipes using local fish and flours were made into extruded products and their functional properties tested. Ten different extruded products (soup, snack, breakfast cereal) incorporating fish (short-bodied mackerel) were developed by UiTM. The formulations and technology and the pros and cons of using different food raw materials in particular combinations, that are important to ensure good textural and organoleptic quality of the product were thoroughly investigated and reported.
This information was shared with other partner countries, a good example of South-South collaboration. UNAM, Namibia and CSIR-FRI, Ghana and KMFRI/Peche developed snack foods from local fish with starch, cereal and legumes available locally. As a result of the work in this project, these products will be further developed into commercial products and marketed in partner countries and other countries in the region. On hearing about the results at the final workshop in Lisbon, some SMEs were interested to learn more about the production of extruded fish products in Portugal. UNAM is collaborating with a local SME and two companies in Ghana have set up collaboration with CSIR-FRI.


5.3. Development of CAFD fish food product (12-33 M) (EEIB, INTI, DLO)

For the third chain, continuous atmospheric freeze-dried (CAFD) fish, INTI and EEIB Ebbens carried out pilot studies on AFD food products in the Netherlands. A small AFD drier was also designed and built in INTI Argentina. Good quality AFD fish fillets were produced, and the dried fish was incorporated into biscuits with acceptable properties, as assessed by a consumer panel. Further work (outside this project) is planned to produce AFD prawns which can be incorporated into fish stew, soups and sauces (INTI); this will allow the use of the project results beyond the project life.

Also to assist in the preparation of the three product chains for quality and carbon footprint and cost analysis for WP4, preliminary quality control tests and storage studies were undertaken on some chains (solar dried siganids in Kenya and CAFD flounder by INTI) and raw materials and final products were analysed. These results have been submitted for publication. Preliminary guidelines from WP4 were circulated to the third countries to be implemented in the experimental work in the production of products in WP5.


5.4. Sensory analysis, consumer choice and preference tests for the developed products (above partners)

INTI prepared protocols for sensory analysis which were used by all partners in WP5.

Consumer testing of products was undertaken for the three product chains described above :
A. Solar dried KVAFSU, India);
B. Extruded products (UNAM Namibia )
C. Extruded products (UiTM Malaysia) and
D. CAFD (INTI Argentina)

From the sensory evaluation results, all the dried fish products and extruded fish based products were found to be acceptable by panelists. Incorporation of other ingredients such as pigeon peas, orange sweet potatoes, chickpea, rice, cassava flour and starch and maize with fish can produce value-added nutritionally balanced products. Some of these products will be further developed in small and medium enterprises (e.g. UNAM and an SME in Namibia; KMFRI and Peche Foods joint venture in Kenya.

5.5. Potential markets for the developed products were identified (all partners)

Chain 1 - solar dried fish
The Kipini fisherwomen’s group, successfully made dried fish and value-added dried fish fillets, using the KMFRI solar tunnel drier; this women’s group is well organized and was empowered and very excited about selling their solar dried fish (whole and filleted and packaged) in the local supermarkets in the future. These products can have an extended shelf life by using natural antioxidants sourced from local plants like water hyacinth, which is a nuisance in Lake Victoria, and a common local spice, turmeric, that were developed and tested by KMFRI.

The solar tunnel drier technology and products will be extended along the Kenyan coast and could also be set up at Lake Victoria.

The solar drier technology especially the small dome driers (also designed by KMFRI in Kenya) are being tried in Namibia, indicating South-South collaboration. In addition, DLO has designed a very small cheap family solar drier costing just 10 euros.


KFDC (part-Government) have marketed SECUREFISH dried products extensively in their numerous outlets in Karnataka, India under their own brand name and SECUREFISH label.

FAO is interested in the possibility of using solar tunnel drying in other African and Asian countries. FAO is also working together with SMEs who have an interest in dried products in Somalia, other parts of Africa and Sri Lanka.

DLO has established contacts in Ethiopia, Burkina Faso and other African countries for solar drying and making dried fish for local consumption.


Chain 2 –Extruded fish products

A local Namibian company SME is interested in making extruded fish products jointly with UNAM.

Peche and KMFRI have agreed to make and market extruded snack products for local and regional markets, particularly for poorer parts of Kenya.

FRI Ghana has made several extruded products that will be marketed by themselves in the region. In addition, different companies (SMEs) like raw materials supplier and food manufacturer using FRI facilities have got together and have plans for a joint venture to produce extruded fish products.

Millennium Exports, sources waste extensively and will be marketing their own products along the west coast of India.

Chain 3.CAFD products

Ebbens CAFD drier is ready to be marketed in 2015 and could be used for a range of fish and non-fish products.

The AFD, designed and made at Mar del Plata, Argentina by INTI has the potential for making fish and prawn products to be incorporated into soups and stews for local markets.


WP 6 - Dissemination, exploitation and training

WP6 provided the results of the project including guidelines for quality management and consumer protection along the whole value-added fish chains as well as technology developed, to all stakeholders through:
-Training via education workshops, student and researcher training and exchange visits;
-Dissemination of results through papers, reports, media, conferences, workshops and a dedicated SECUREFISH web-site targeting all stakeholders.
Consideration of potential exploitation plans is foreseen.


Work package objectives.
• To ensure adequate and wide dissemination of the project for the project partners and beyond the project boundaries.
• To disseminate acceptable technology and research results and guidelines to local and international communities.
• To encourage exploitation of the results of the project nationally and internationally.
• To provide training for researchers, processors and other stakeholders.

6.1. Dissemination and outreach
The main aim was to organise, adapt and disseminate information gathered. This was achieved by the following methods.

6.1.1. The SECUREFISH project website www.securefish.net was set up and was maintained. The website will be maintained for five years after the project finishes. The web-site has a public site with description of the project, consortium, objectives, news, videos and publications and is constantly updated. There is a secure site for periodic reports, agendas, minutes of meetings, a photograph bank.

6.1.2. Dissemination of total quality management guidelines
Information was gathered for WP4 and the TQM guidelines reported as guidelines and posted on the SECUREFISH website.

6.1.3. Web links. A number of useful web links are given. Contacts have been made with other EU projects e.g. Gratitude.

6.1.4. Papers published in journals, book chapters, reviews for period 1-36 months for all partners are listed. Over 80 items are listed including:
-National and international conference oral papers, posters, proceedings and seminars by all partners
-Newsletters, bulletins (internal and external organisations)
-Various interviews by journalists, for newspaper and journal articles, television broadcast.
The above shows that all partners have been very active in the dissemination of the project.

6.2. Exploitation: Securefish partners have built up many contacts and have had discussion meetings with industry, NGOs and Government Departments. This will continue to develop even after the life of the project e.g. through UNAM-SME collaboration, FAO; and partners own marketing e.g KFDC, India and CSIR-FRI, Ghana; a joint public-private enterprise by KMFRI-Peche Foods, Kenya and a joint venture by CSIR-FRI with two local companies supplying raw materials and product manufacturer. The success of the solar tunnel drier will be replicated in other sites. Funding will be sought from other organisations e.g. Government, NGOs and private enterprise. An added bonus associated with the KMFRI solar tunnel drier was the provision of electricity to light some village homes.

6.3. Training of students. 10 full-time and part-time PhD students, 2 MPhil students and 11 Masters students are undertaking or have undertaken all or part of their studies successfully on this project. They have either completed or are on track to complete on time according to University regulations. In addition, there were 9 research scientists trained and several visiting scientists have undertaken research at partner’s laboratories and Institutes. This has contributed to valuable capacity building in Africa, Asia and Europe.

6.4. Workshops e.g. with local fishermen/women were held successfully in Kipini, Kenya by KMFRI; Karnataka India and in Namibia by UNAM; these will continue beyond the life of the project. Two final workshops were undertaken in a SECUREFISH workshop, Lisbon and at the international EEFoST meeting in Uppsala Sweden in December 2014, generating substantial interest in the project results amongst scientists, food companies and Government organisations.



Overall results and foreground for WP 2-6

WP2
• The solar powered drier/windmill and biomass driers were successfully designed, built and installed and used in Kenya, India and Ghana. A dome drier seen at KMFRI was used by UNAM in Namibia (South-South collaboration). DLO produced a cheap $10 folding family drier.
• The solar panels, batteries and inverter were installed at CSIR-FRI Ghana (for solar energy assisted extrusion) and in UNAM and are being successfully operated.
• Various types of extruded products were produced for WP5 with South-South collaboration between UiTM and UNAM.
• Information on HACCP, traceability and carbon foot printing was compiled for the three chains. Involving visits by DLO to KMFRI and Peche, Kenya and FRI, Ghana and UNAM
• Design an existing building for drying fish discards at Peche Foods.
• The KMFRI extruder was set up in Peche Foods (DLO, Peche, KMFRI).
• DSC, rheology and Raman spectroscopy studies on extruded samples and raw materials for PhD studies were undertaken by S. Barrion, UNAM at Surrey.
WP3
• A centrifugation/ultrafiltration process for recovering proteins from fish waste (bones, skins, and frames) established previously was used to recover nutrients at Surrey.
• Gelatin was produced by Surrey from salmon and Nile Perch skin and bones and from Lake Victoria, Kenya and used to make hydrolysates using digestive enzymatic hydrolysis. The hydrolysates and peptides were tested for antioxidant, ACE inhibitory, anticancer and immunomodulatory properties (Surrey). Using different fish species, Pink perch, croaker and hake were used by KVAFSU and IPMA to produce hydrolysates made with plant and microbial enzymes as well as fermented products that showed antioxidant and ACE inhibitory properties.
• ME made hydrolysates commercially from fish discards and incorporated them in high protein biscuits.

WP4
• Data from drying and extrusion and CAFD drying experiments were sent by the respective institutions for risk analysis and safety and cost and quality analysis. Methods for nutritional and organoleptic analysis were compiled. Guidelines were produced for HACCP, traceability and carbon footprint, quality cost based on the results of analyses that was undertaken on the three product chains.
• The Quality Management Guidelines and the Quality Management Tool was finalized and disseminated on the Securefish website.

WP5
• The final products were made using the three processes (solar drying extruded fish products and CAFD dried products) according to the above guidelines and the whole chain made by the three processes was assessed with the quality control tool.
WP6
• Finally, dissemination of the results was/is achieved through the web-site, several conference presentations, papers, articles and interviews and videos available on the SECURESH web-site and Utube. Over 11 MSc, 2 M Phil and 10 PhD students and 9 researchers, as well as fisher folk were trained.
• The final products will be exploited and marketed by Institutions or in partnership with companies and NGOs who have been contacted.
• All the results and foreground have been uploaded on the EU Project Participant Portal.


Potential Impact:
POTENTIAL IMPACT AND MAIN DISSEMINATION ACTIVITIES

SECUREFISH has and will continue to have tangible impacts in terms of
(i) low and medium income and European competiveness and innovation particularly for SMEs and local communities;
(ii) positive economic effects as a result of reducing post harvest losses and increasing supplies in the food (fisheries) sector in the developing regions and Europe;
(iii) scientific breakthroughs including new healthy food products and new technology that will not only improve sustainability but will also be more energy and water efficient thus mitigating climate change;
(iv) societal impacts: improving education, increasing employment, and improving nutrition and increasing the sustainability of an important food sector and
(v) contributing to food standards and policies through comprehensive quality management guidelines.

SECUREFISH fulfils the core aims of the MDGs and benefits the environment.

The following impacts are considered below in relation to SECUREFISH:

1.1. IMPACT 1. Beneficial effect of research on low and medium income and European competiveness and innovation particularly SMEs and local communities

The research in SECUREFISH was applied to the fisheries sector which forms an important part of the diet and economies of the countries involved. However, 45% of this valuable food resource is wasted during post harvest handling (FAO, 2007). The innovative improved technologies developed successfully such as solar tunnel/building driers and continuous atmospheric freeze-drying will help local SMEs and local communities to produce dried fish and novel fish food products to high standards of nutritional value and safety. Clean, cheap renewable sources of energy were used in the innovative processing (solar, wind) that make the products sustainable and competitive.

SMEs and SECUREFISH Partners in Europe, India and Kenya built research and technology capacity as they made the solar driers and CAFD drier resulting in novel, dried, extruded and CAFD products. SMEs have been/are transferring the research into real products and will benefit economically as they develop local and regional markets. Other new industrial collaborators are also interested and agreements have been set up between KMFRI-Peche, UNAM and a local SME; two SMEs (raw materials supplier and product manufacturer ) with CSIR-FRI, Ghana.

In addition, Research partners made valuable and nutritious products from fish waste skin and bones. A partner SME ME sourced discards on the East coast of India and produced a papain digested hydrolysate in a hygienic manner and added the hydrolysate to food products like biscuits that wre found to be acceptable by consumers. Future commercialisation of this process depends on the scale of the operation. Novel value-added products using by-catch and waste produced as by-products of processing will increase the marketing areas. There are plans to set up solar tunnel driers along the coast in Kenya and Karnataka, where two more driers have been set up. The community driers have already made an impact on the fishing communities e.g. in Kipini village where a group of women have been empowered and have benefitted economically and from their educational training. Spare electricity from the solar panels from the solar tunnel drier has been used to light up a couple of homes in the village. There are plans by KMFRI to extend this scheme to nearby villages with no electricity that will benefit the local population inclduing many schoolchildren.

Other partners in the project e.g. KMFRI in Kenya, CSIR-IFR Ghana, INTI Argentina, as well as the involvement of advisory board members, including government organisations and FAO, have access to manufacturing companies and can help and train other SMEs.

The use of the SECUREFISH quality control tool, which will meet European Safety Standards will give developing country SMEs the opportunity to export internationally.

1.2. IMPACT 2. Regional, European and international added value and economic benefit will be obtained from increasing the effectiveness of the food chain by reducing post-harvest losses and by increasing supplies in the food (fisheries) sector.

Post harvest losses in the fisheries sector are a problem for European and developing countries resulting in a loss of valuable nutrients and causing pollution. Therefore research and development in this area is relevant to all countries. This research provides scientific support to the Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries as it pertains to utilising fish waste by-products.

SECUREFISH has made an impressive number of new products from waste by using improved and innovative processing and quality control tools. SECUREFISH has minimised waste that causes pollution and loss of food by using the new sustainable processing methods. Some of the waste reduction results and processes for example, ultrafiltration of processing water and recovery of functional nutrients may be exploited by European or international partners.

The added value products like hydrolysates and peptides with health or processing aid benefits are of interest to European, regional and international companies as the functional foods market is expanding rapidly.

The continuous atmosphere freeze-drying of fish products is also innovative and will be interest to food manufacturers in Europe and elsewhere. This process may have added possibilites of applications in regions outside SECUREFISH countries and in other fish products like surimi or meat products especially in the Far East and Latin America. INTI benefitted from the DLO and Ebbens expertise and development work, which resulted in building their own AFD that will benefit fishing and agricultural communities in Argentina.

The quality management tool meets European Safety standards thus allowing European countries to access new products, particularly in Asia and Latin America. A third of fish supplies in the world are traded; therefore it is important to comply with European and international safety standards.

The quality management tool is innovative and although it is made up of components that are already used namely HACCP, risk assessment and food safety, the innovation is in assembling of the normal HACCP and risk assessment with quality costs, nutritional quality and carbon footprinting guidelines based on three different product chains. This comprehensive tool has been designed for fish product chains but is flexible enough to be adopted for use in countries other than SECUREFISH countries. The tool can also be a blueprint for similar tools for other commodity chains.

SECUREFISH chains involved food manufacturers, processors, retailers and consumers that will contribute to the added-value benefit. Involving all the stakeholders and testing the new processing and quality management tools in real third country situations in collaboration with SMEs was innovative and produced products that have a market value, and are of direct benefit to consumers and processors. The consumers were involved in the tasting of products and consumer surveys were undertaken to ensure that the product was liked by the local population. Some of the sessions with the communities were educational and used to impart information on nutrition and food safety.

The SMEs in the project played a key role in ensuring that the technology, quality management tools and guidelines produced were used to produce the foods in a sustainable and safe, nutritious form, not only in the project but will continue to do so after the life of the project.

The quality management tool developed to European standards, will ensure that best practices in handling and storage of products are adopted, and that the quality of the products remains high and costs sustainable. The research institutes worked harmoniously with the SMEs to provide consumers with nutritional and safety information. The potential for exporting to Europe and internationally may also be explored by these companies.

1.3. IMPACT 3. New healthy food products and environmentally friendly processing will lead to sustainable food production that will mitigate climate change.

The project used bycatch and recovered waste generated in fish processing to increase food supplies and reduce pollution. In addition, innovative clean technology was used. Renewable energy from sources such as solar and wind is a key factor for addressing diminishing water and energy supplies that can lead to sustainable food production. In this project, solar energy was harnessed in solar drying tunnels and buildings together with wind energy for drying fish by night and day and in the rainy season so that none of the products were wasted. In Ghana and India biomass (coconut husk) burners were used with solar panels for energy to provide drying day and night.

Low energy continuous atmosphere freeze-drying (CAFD drying was designed and built for drying fish products and waste by-products using the combined expertise and knowledge of DLO, Netherlands and an SME Ebbens. Low energy ultrafiltration techniques, were designed and tested by Surrey and used to obtain proteins and nutrients from fish processing waste water streams. This will also help to purify the waste water during processing like fish filleting. The water can then be reused for further processing. The saving of energy and water improved the carbon footprint. Energy and water savings as well as reduction in pollution caused by fish waste will lead to improvement of the environment and thus mitigate climate change.


1.4. IMPACT 4. Societal impacts: improving education, increasing employment, and improving nutrition and increasing the sustainability of an important food sector, by dissemination and education in SECUREFISH has and will continue to make a tangible contribution to achieving the Millennium Development Goals and post 2015 goals.

There was a strong focus on dissemination of the research results and education in order to ensure that the outcomes of the project reached all the stakeholders to obtain the maximum benefits. The processes developed in the project made nutritious food which will help to reduce malnutrition and provide employment and contribute to meeting the MDGs. The partners are already involved in the field of education, community development and partnerships and collaborations with SMEs.

SECUREFISH efforts on the three food chains, that were demonstrated in countries spread around the world in Africa (Ghana, Namibia, Kenya), Asia (India, Malaysia) and Latin America (Argentina) and Europe (UK, Portugal and Netherlands) provided a unique opportunity to spread the results and deliver sustainable technological and quality control method to produce safe, nutritious products in diverse regions. This has provided a wonderful opportunity to disseminate the results
i) Locally through SMEs, researchers, consumer groups and fishermen, trade organisation;
ii) Regionally through national and African and Asian organisation like SADC and ASEAN networks and
iii) Internationally through NGOs, FAO, UNICEF, World Food Programme, World Wildlife Fund amongst others and through international publications, meetings and web-sites.

Some of these contacts have been established e.g. FAO and other networks during the project due to the interest in the results obtained.

The coordinator and the other SECUREFISH partners all have extensive contacts in the partner countries and other regions. The effect on individual stakeholders is listed below.

Impact on stakeholders

The partners and their communities from Africa, India, Malaysia and Argentina as well as European partners benefited directly from the research and the introduction of new low cost and sustainable technology as well as from the production of safe and nutritious fish products and guidelines produced for total quality management that has already been established.

Researchers, technicians and management in partners’ institutes were trained and there were visits exchanged between scientists from different countries, thereby strengthening local capacity. The institutes were able to disseminate information through a variety of organised events or leafleting within their communities and broadcasts and newspapers for the general public. Women’s groups were involved for example WAD (Women Action for Development) in Namibia and Mpaaji ni Mungu group based in Gazi in the south coast of Kenya.

The new technology saves energy and water and is environmentally friendly and therefore benefits consumers and processors.

SMEs

The participating SMEs benefited from SECUREFISH as they were directly involved in the manufacture of the products in WP5 and tested them on consumers. They gained valuable input and knowledge from joint collaboration with researchers.

Impact on partner countries and neighbouring regions
The provision of technology and guidelines for safe production of quality nutritious products in whole fish products chain is availablle not only to the SECUREFISH countries but also to neighbouring countries that face similar problems.

The involvement of partners in Africa, Asia and Latin America means that the technology and products made are amenable to a wide variety of social/cultural backgrounds. Thus this project can have far-reaching impact internationally. The results are relevant for use in many countries.

KVAFSU India and UiTM Malaysia belong to ASEAN network for SE Asia.
UiTM has contacts with the Malaysian Fishery Development Authority (LKIM) and Federal Agricultural Marketing Authority (FAMA), who are interested in being involved in the dissemination of research findings and marketing of any fish product.

SME Karnataka Fisheries Development Cooperation (KFDC), India, processes and markets dried and frozen fish and provides advice to local fishermen and businesses. They have already installed two more solar tunnel driers in Karnataka for the benefit of the fishing villages and also marketed many of the new products in their own outlets,

All African partners belong to the Food, Agriculture and Natural Resources Policy Analysis Network (FANRPAN), a forum to discuss food and seed security, climate change, livestock and fisheries on the continent.

Namibia is a member state of the Southern African Development Community (SADC).
INFOSA, Namibia (known to UNAM) and Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute collaborated with the FAO/NORAD Fisheries Project group. Information can also be disseminated by these organisations nationally and regionally.
Contribution of the research to food standards and policies through the comprehensive quality management guidelines will continue to lead to the production of safe and healthy food supplies that will benefit the population and also benefit processors and fishermen financially, thus reducing poverty. SECUREFISH has left a legacy for future implementation and has made a mark in reducing post harvest losses in the fisheries sector internationally.

The research and results contributed to meeting the EU’s commitment towards the United Nations Millennium Development Goals and post 2015 development goals for reducing hunger, malnutrition and poverty and generate income for poor people. By reducing post harvest losses in the fisheries sector sustainably, by reducing waste and by making novel value-added products in combination with staple foods to give nutritious and safe foods, SECUREFISH has contributed to food security and endorsed the international view to increase food production and access to food in low income countries, thus helping to cut the number of malnourished people.

The research activities supported the European Community’s external relations and development aid policies particularly the fight against poverty and goals of the Plan of Implementation of the World Summit on Sustainable Development and to enhance trade.


1.5. Steps that brought about these impacts

SECUREFISH
• Ensured efficient and tight management of the project tasks and budget to bring the project to a successful conclusion. The project was managed successfully by an experienced coordinator and executive team and regular six-monthly meetings of the partners ensured progress within the time-frame (WP1).

• Developed and produced innovative processing tools - the solar tunnel drier, solar assisted extruder and CAFD which are low-cost and energy efficient (WP2). More partners undertook process development which provided additional benefit to their institutions and countries

• Recovered waste and converted it to value-added products (WP3).

• Created the total quality management guidelines incorporating risk assessment, HACCP and quality cost and traceability, nutritional and organoleptic quality and carbon footprint which was applied in the production of safe and nutritious products and is available for fish and other food products (WP4).

• Translated the research to actual production of three fish food chains using the processing tools and quality management tools for consumers who found the products acceptable. This has enabled the traditional products to be consumed and to be marketed locally and in the regions. .Producing food products to European and international regulations will allow SMEs to market internationally (WP5).

• Ensured that the processing and quality control guidelines were set to European and international standards. An important criterion for the movement of products from the developing countries to Europe is that they comply with the European Food Regulations on food safety and quality.

• Ensured dissemination, education and training of community members and researchers so that the results and products and nutritional and safety aspects were implemented, thereby helping to attain the MDGs and a safe environment (WP6).



2. Dissemination and/or exploitation of project results, and management of intellectual property

2.1. Dissemination Plans

The dissemination and exploitation work package WP6 ensured the utilisation of results from SECUREFISH. The information and knowledge generated was disseminated in the following way:

• Setting up of a SECUREFISH project website at the outset of the project as a means of dissemination (e.g. of project results, calls for workshops, training and exchange activities, repository for project documents and images) to project partners and others in different fields as well as the general public.
- A SECUREFISH presentation available for downloading
- A SECUREFISH flyer and poster
- A news section with news items on topics related to SECUREFISH
- Relevant links to other web sites related to nutrition, processing, microbial and chemical contamination; risk assessment, HACCP and carbon footprint and traceability.
- Links to partner institutions web-sites.

• After project completion, the website will be maintained for 5 years to further disseminate the project results.

• Dissemination within partner organisations existing networks such as African and ASEAN and Latin American networks

The following were undertaken

• Publishing in refereed scientific publications
• Writing articles in trade journals and brochures;
• Publishing a collection of articles from the SECUREFISH project
• Disseminating at relevant food, biochemical, nutrition, engineering WEFTA, IUFOST, EEFoST conferences, and at meetings and workshops
• Publications in relevant magazines, newspapers, newsletters, and bulletin boards.
• Organization of a final conference where the results were presented
• Promoting the use of sustainable fish and fish products at local venues and markets.
• Organising fishing community meetings and training workshops
• Radio and television interviews and programmes
• Informing the managing authorities of the European Fisheries Fund and the Cohesion Policy Funds as the project is on the processing and upgrading of sustainable fish supplies in Europe and Africa and Asia. Some of this work, and a workshop in Lisbon which also encouraged innovation and growth of the economy by research, was undertaken by Portugal (cohesion country).

• A briefing meeting, for stakeholders and media, was held as a workshop as part of the final project meeting.

• Training of 9 researchers, 11 MSc and 10 PhD students and personnel involved in the project was undertaken.


2.2. Exploitation of project results

The results of this project were/will be exploited for the benefit of fishermen, farmers, seafood industry and consumers by improving health and safety; by providing more food efficiently; increasing employment through information and training and by improving competitiveness and market opportunities for industry and SMEs as follows:
Action point: Energy-efficient solar driers and continuous atmospheric freeze-drier, and solar cell enhanced low-cost extruder, to produce dried fish and other food products safely for a wider market were produced.
User groups: farmers and food industry.
Designs for the innovative drier are available for either the SME involved in the project or other companies to market the drier in SECUREFISH partner and other countries.

Action point: Hydrolysates from fish waste, which have health benefits; and/or antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.were produced.
User groups: consumers and SMEs, food and nutritional supplements industry.
The identification and characterisation of novel bioactive hydrolysates are of interest to the food and neutraceutical industries.

Action point: Dried, extruded and CAFD healthy fish products were produced.in the developing countries
User groups: Consumers in developed and developing countries, SMEs and food and nutritional products industry, NGOs.
Traditional products that are safe and nutritious as well as new extruded products particularly those that have a health benefit are continually sought after by the food industry for consumers, Non-Governmental organisations like the World Food Programme and FAO may also be interested in cheap products that provide a nutritionally balanced meal.

Action point: Quality control tool and guidelines for producing safe and high quality products were produced and disseminated.
User groups: SMEs, manufacturing companies.
The guidelines were developed in WP4 and applied in WP5 based on the whole food chain, ensuring product quality and health and safety.

Action point The quality management tool incorporating safety and risk assessment, HACCP, quality costs and traceability, nutritional and organoleptic quality as well as carbon footprint assessment, was developed and tried in the project for selected food chains.
User groups: manufacturing companies and consumers.
The nutritional and safe products benefit consumers and processors and make industry more competitive. Knowledge of the carbon footprint has improved consumer awareness and benefits the environment.
Participation in the project and achieving results has lead to further research opportunities for all partners; this may be used to enhance the nutritional and organoleptic quality and safety of food products to benefit farmers, consumers, SMEs and industry giving competitive advantage, employment and economic growth.


2.3. Management of intellectual property

A consortium agreement was signed.

Knowledge that exists in the organisations prior to the project start date stays as the intellectual property of that organisation.

Results obtained by the partner countries will be presented and published by the organisation that undertakes the work and generates the results.

Main outcomes from SECUREFISH

The guidelines generated in the project are available in the public domain.

All partners are able to use the results generated in the project.

The participants in SECUREFISH generated original and innovative scientific results. Close attention was given to the protection of knowledge and know-how produced within the project.
Procedures for handling of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) are thoroughly described in the
Consortium Agreement , covering knowledge protection and the basis of exploitation. This
defines and/or regulates elements such as foreground and background knowledge, ownership of
inventions, joint inventions, publications and communications, access-rights, patent applications, commercial exploitations etc. and explains the rights and obligations of each participant. The
Consortium Agreement was finalised and signed by all participants. The Legal Office of the Research and Enterprise Support, University of Surrey will assist in the assessment and formulation on how the IPR generated by the project should be protected.

All background and foreground intellectual property was dealt with in accordance with the intellectual property provisions in the Grant Agreement and further addressed in the DESCA version 2 model agreement. Specifically, the starting point for dealing with jointly created foreground intellectual property was in accordance with paragraph 8.1 of the DESCA agreement (below) but all terms and conditions of such consortium agreement were subject to negotiation and agreement between the consortium members.

List of Websites:
www.securefish.net

Project coordinator
Professor Nazlin Howell BSc PhD CChem CSci FRSC FIFST FRSA
Professor of Food Biochemistry
Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences
University of Surrey
Guildford
Surrey GU2 7XH
UK

T: +44 (0) 1483 686448
F: +44 (0) 1483 686401