Project objectives

The strategic objective of the SEAFOODplus Integrated Programme is to make it possible to reduce health problems, to prevent major diseases and to increase well-being among European consumers by using the opportunity to apply the benefits obtained through consumption of health promoting and safe seafood* products of high eating quality.

In order to properly address this strategic objective a fork-to-fish approach is being considered in a total chain context. While embracing the total seafood chain production system, the following six strategic areas will be addressed, each with its specific objectives.

Research and Technology Development (RTD) pillars

When addressing the specific objectives for each of the areas research has been planned in confined projects, organised in clusters designated as Research and Technology Development (RTD) Pillars. The SEAFOODplus Integrated Programme contains 5 such RTD Pillars. The last area, concerning traceability, is being organised as a horizontal activity. The approach will be consumer driven, and when it comes to focusing the research it will be assured that it is seafood driven, and shall not address general discipline issues. All project objectives take their offset in the state of the art, and aim at reaching clear progress beyond this.

RTD Pillar 1 Seafood and human nutrition: To assess the importance of seafood in diet in relation to lowering the risk of majornutrition related chronic diseases (cardiovascular disease, colon cancer,inflammatory bowel disease) and to assess the role of seafood consumption in thepromotion of health in young European populations, including pregnant women andtheir children and in the prevention of obesity and osteoporosis.
RTD Pillar 2 Seafood and consumer behaviour and well-being: To develop and apply an integrated approach to improving the understanding ofdeterminants of European consumers' seafood consumption in order to generatemajor contributions to adapt seafood products more to consumer demands and toasses consumer attitudes and perceptions of seafood and the impact ofhealth-related communication strategies on consumer choice relating to seafood.
RTD Pillar 3 Seafood safety: To make seafood safe forthe consumer, by identifying risk factors, avoiding risks caused by viral andbacterial contamination and biogenic amines in seafood.
RTD Pillar 4 Seafood from source to consumer product: To develop a number of consumer driven tailor-made, functional seafood products andprocesses to improve health and to ensure nutritional quality and safety in aconcept of full utilisation of raw materials from aquaculture production andfrom traditional fisheries.
RTD Pillar 5 Seafood from aquaculture: To study the effects of dietary modulation, husbandry, aquaculture systems, fish physiology,genetics and pre-slaughter conditions on the farmed seafood quality characteristics in order to meet the challenge of finding a compromise betweenthe current trend towards intensive rearing and increasing consumer demand forhealthy, high quality seafood that is produced in ways that are ethicallyacceptable with a low environmental impact.
RTD 6 Horizontal activity Seafood traceability to ensure consumer confidence: To implement validated traceability systems in all productionsystems considered in the SEAFOODplus Integrated Programme in order to make itpossible to span the total chain from the live fish to the product when it isbeing consumed, and to trace back any feature from 'fork to farm'.

Overall coordination of the SEAFOODplus consortium

Prof. Dr. Torger Børresen, PhD

DTU Aqua, Denmark