• Research and Development
• Extension Service to the Fishing Industry
• Graduate Research, Training and Instruction
Brief History
The Oregon State University Seafood Laboratory was established in Astoria in 1940 to meet the increasing needs of the seafood industry. Over the past sixty-seven years the OSU-SFL has maintained an active research program in seafood science and technology. In 1989, the
OSU-SFL became a part of the OSU Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station (COMES) whose mission is to undertake research in the rational utilization of its marine and related resources. The new OSU-SFL was completed in October 1997 allowing researchers to expand their research potential. The principle goals of the OSU-SFL are:
OSU and the state have backed their commitment to these goals with the appointment of three tenure track faculty positions and staff to the Seafood Lab. The OSU-SFL has made significant contributions to the seafood industry and has had a regional and national impact. The development of the Oregon Moist Pellet (OMP) at the Lab allowed for extensive hatchery rearingof fish and improved nutritional diet formulations. Researchers at the Lab have contributed to scientific knowledge in salmonid nutrition and metabolism, biochemical tests to measure quality, and innovative methods to utilize fish waste. The OSU-SFL has developed procedures for the use of processing aides such as phosphates in the cooking of shrimp and crab. These procedures have increased the meat yield in the deshelling process and have substantially increased revenues for the regional seafood industry.
The OSU-SFL is actively involved in seafood research in several areas. In the early 1990s Pacific whiting research proved that good quality surimi and other whiting products can be produced by on-shore processors. These and other results generated substantial interest and capital investment for whiting processing and greatly assisted development of the shore-based industry. In the spring of each year, the annual OSU Surimi School is hosted by the OSU-SFL .
The school is designed for surimi technicians who wish to improve their knowledge of surimi chemistry, microbiology and rheology. Other conferences on seafood quality, safety and product development are also held at various times. Through its research, publication and training efforts the OSU-SFL has contributed to the economic development of the region and has made significant contributions to maintaining a wholesome and safe seafood supply.
Research Directions
The creation of the COMES experiment station has given faculty and staff an opportunity to define their research goals:
• Value-added Product Development
• Seafood Safety
• Seafood Biochemistry and Quality
• Surimi and Surimi Seafood
• Seafood Byproduct Utilization
Since 1990, the OSU-SFL has received over $8 million in grants-in-aid from federal & state agencies and private industry to undertake research in these areas. Specific research projects include new methods to measure surimi quality, the use of high pressure processing in oysters and other seafood products, value-added product development and marketing of several seafood products including tuna and whiting in the U.S. and foreign markets. Seafood safety is a growing area of research for the OSU-SFL. The reduction of Vibrios in oysters, elimination of Listeria in smoked salmon, and pasteurization of surimi by e-beam radiation are some of the exciting areas of research currently underway. The latest OSU-SFL venture is the Community Seafood Initiative, a partnership among industry, research, community development organizations and business financing to strengthen coastal communities and the seafood industry by enhancing the value of products through product development; research, technology, education, business marketing and capital. Partnering with the Seafood Laboratory are the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station in Newport; the Duncan Law Seafood Consumer Center in Astoria; Oregon Sea Grant Extension; and ShoreBank Enterprise Pacific, a nonprofit community development finance institution in Ilwaco, Washington..
New Facility and Seafood Consumer Center
The OSU-SFL has expanded rapidly over the past fourteen years and currently has three faculty, two technicians and 12 researchers including graduate students, post-docs, and visiting professors working on various research projects. Federal funds were received through the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) with matching funds from the State of Oregon to construct the new facility in Astoria. The new $3.2 million facility has provided OSU faculty and graduate students with state-of-the-art technology to employ the specialized tools of contemporary science. The new OSU-Seafood Research and Education Center is approximately 21,000 sq. ft. including biochemistry, microbiology and seafood engineering laboratories. The new $1.5 million Duncan Law Seafood Consumer Center (SCC), which sits next door, was completed in the summer of 1998. Funds for the SCC were received from the Federal Economic Development Agency and Oregon Economic Development Commission. The mission of the SCC is to address issues in consumer education, training, research and information and is run as a non-profit venture with oversight of the SCC Board. The facility is a 9,500 sq. ft. building located beside the OSU-SFL and contains a fully equipped demonstration kitchen, meeting rooms, and retail center. The mainstay of the SCC is the Seafood School which provides professional and non-professional culinarians a center for hands-on education and training. The SCC works closely with staff of the OSU-SFL in several areas including product development. The new OSU-SFL and SCC have allowed us to expand our capabilities in seafood research and help industry meet the changing needs of the consumer in both domestic and foreign markets.
