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H2020Staff exchange2020–2025

ICHTHYS · OptImization of novel value CHains for fish and seafood by developing an integraTed sustainable approacH for improved qualitY, safety and waSte reduction

Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2020-01-01 → 2025-06-30
EU contribution
€1,007,400
Participants
19
Scheme
MSCA-RISE

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners. CORDIS does not always give exact coordinates for projects before 2014. These points are placed at city or country level.

Results in brief

OptImization of novel value CHains for fish and seafood by developing an integraTed sustainable approacH for improved qualitY, safety and waSte reduction

Seafood such as fish and shellfish is among the most perishable types of food. If not eaten quickly after harvest, a large portion spoils and must be thrown away. Globally, about one-third of all food produced is lost or wasted, causing not only economic and nutritional losses but also a significant environmental impact. Seafood provides high-quality protein, essential fatty acids, and micronutrients; thus, its premature spoilage has serious consequences for food security, sustainability, and human nutrition. The European Union is the world’s largest seafood market, and ensuring a steady supply of safe, high-quality products is vital for both consumers and the economy. Extending the shelf life of seafood is therefore crucial to reduce waste, improve resource efficiency, and enhance food safety. The ICHTHYS project addressed this challenge by developing novel post-harvest strategies to preserve seafood quality and extend its shelf life. The consortium, consisting of 15 academic and industrial partners from 6 countries, focused on integrating innovative nonthermal processing technologies with advanced packaging solutions and state-of-the-art quality monitoring tools. The key objectives were: - Improve seafood quality and safety by reducing spoilage and identifying microbiological and allergenic risks associated with processing and storage. - Develop innovative preservation technologies, particularly nonthermal processing methods, that maintain nutritional and sensory attributes while extending shelf life. - Advance active and intelligent packaging systems capable of improving product stability and providing real-time information on seafood freshness and safety. - Promote sustainability and knowledge transfer by fostering collaboration between academia and industry, training researchers and stimulating the uptake of innovative solutions by the seafood sector. The research conducted on ICHTHYS demonstrated that combining novel nonthermal processing technologies with smart and environmentally sustainable packaging can significantly extend the freshness and safety of fish and shellfish. These advances are expected to reduce post-harvest losses, protect consumer health and enhance the sustainability of the aquaculture and seafood value chain.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

ICHTHYS (OptImization of novel value CHains for fish and seafood by developing an integraTed sustainable approacH for improved qualitY, safety and waSte reduction) will optimize novel value-chains for fish and seafood products for the EU and international markets. It will develop an integrated sustainable approach to improve quality and safety, while reducing product loss in the whole supply chain. ICHTHYS is intersectorial and focuses on two essential parts of the value chain, postharvest processing and packaging, integrating novel modern techniques and molecular biology tools in the evaluation of the quality and safety of fish and shellfish, including their allergenic capacity. The proposal has 13 consortium members from 6 countries that have complementary expertise in food, aquaculture and postharvest processing. New nonthermal processing methods such as high pressure, pulsed electric fields and high-intensity pulsed light will be studied together with active and intelligent packaging and smart labels (Time Temperature Integrators) and biosensors for monitoring safety and shelf life enriched with novel data from ""omics"" analysis. The implementation of ICHTHYS will offer the industrial partners the opportunity to translate scientific research into well-defined knowledge-based end products and analytical tools. In addition, to the scientific objectives ICHTHYS will provide a platform for efficient dissemination and transfer of knowledge and technology through training and research with complementary measures to engage other stakeholders including citizens. Overall, ICHTHYS aspires to provide cross-cutting intersectorial and interdisciplinary knowledge exchange and training for academics and commercial partners to improve their employability and career prospects. The project will contribute to the knowledge-based economy and society and boost regional and European competitiveness and growth, food exports and job creation.""

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • CENTRO DE CIENCIAS DO MAR DO ALGARVE · FAROCoordinatorPortugal
  • ATLANTIK FISH - PESCADO DE MAR LDA · FaroPortugal
  • AVRAMAR AQUACULTURE SOCIETE ANONYME · ATHINAGreece
  • BIOPOLIS SL · PaternaSpain
  • BLUE ISLAND PLC · NICOSIACyprus
  • CONEY ISLAND SHELLFISH LIMITED · SLIGOCity levelIreland
  • ETHNICON METSOVION POLYTECHNION · ATHINAGreece
  • GEOPONIKO PANEPISTIMION ATHINON · ATHINAGreece
  • GEORGIOU FLEXIBLE PACKAGING AE · AVLONASGreece
  • KEYWATER FISHERIES LIMITED · BOYLEIreland
  • NUTRIFRESCO COMERCIO E INDUSTRIA DE PESCADO LDA · ALBUFEIRAPortugal
  • PACKTIN SRL · REGGIO EMILIA REItaly
  • PANEPISTIMIO DYTIKIS ATTIKIS · AIGALEOGreece
  • SCRIBA NANOTECNOLOGIE SRL · BOLOGNAItaly
  • SHARED VISION TECHNOLOGY LIMITED · TrimIreland
  • SUSEA BV · EindhovenNetherlands
  • Technological University of the Shannon: Midlands Midwest · LimerickIreland
  • UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI MODENA E REGGIO EMILIA · ModenaItaly
  • WILD ATLANTIC SHELLFISH LIMITED · SLIGOCity levelIreland

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union