In the shadow of a global economic slowdown, Michel Barnier, French minister of agriculture and fisheries, has underlined innovation in France's seafood industry as one of 10 R&D priorities for the country's food industry.
The No. 1 manufacturing activity in France, the farm-to-fork food industry, turns over about EUR 150 billion (USD 202 billion) a year, with the seafood market valued at EUR 1.4 billion (USD 1.9 billion) in 2005.
But according to the French government, seafood byproduct losses are estimated at 50 percent, a figure Barnier wants to see contracted. Embracing the belief that in tough economic times the tough must innovate, the French government highlighted innovation as key to bringing added value to the seafood industry.
"Seafood products are characterized by large volumes of wasted byproducts, such as heads and skin, that could be developed to add value," said the French ministry.
For the government, adding value has two objectives: to optimize all seafood catches and to improve the profitability for all players in the seafood industry.
"This could take the form of preparations that are not directly consumed, but which contribute to the formulations of other consumer products, such as stocks, flavors or seaweeds preparations used in prepared foods to boost their taste," said the government.
New types of methods to convert byproducts "can be envisaged" to boost added-value and answer new consumer trends for marine products, such as sushi, surimi, seafood salads and fish terrines.
Figures released by the ministry show that in 2007 pre-packaged fish products rose by a considerable 29 percent, and prepared foods using seafood in their formulations increased by 17 percent.
"By-products in the seafood supply chain can be used to obtain gels, flavors, peptides and oils," said the ministry.
In terms of potential sources of revenue for applications in non-food sectors, market opportunities are arising in the field of health (peptides and fish oils), cosmetics and animal foods.
Seafood companies named by the ministry that may benefit from innovative developments include Profumer, Findus, Valofish, Groupe Aqualand and Fleury-Michon.
April 5, 2009
