Search Results (681)

The recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) marks a significant shift in global aquaculture, transitioning to controlled, land-based production. This review highlights technological advancements that enable the treatment and reuse of over 90% of water, thereby enhancing water quality and production efficiency. These features position RAS as a cornerstone of sustainable seafood production. This review introduces the RAS Readiness Level (RRL) framework which is a novel, structured approach to assess the commercial maturity of emerging RAS technologies. Applying the RRL to six key technological domains (from digital AI systems to biological PHB recovery) reveals a pervasive pilot-scale purgatory where most innovations stagnate at RRL 4–6. It further addresses advanced processes such as membrane bioreactors, denitrification reactors, and the conversion of waste into valuable products. Furthermore, this review addresses persistent challenges, including high energy demand, economic viability, and the accumulation of pathogens. Finally, it focuses on the emergent integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) and artificial intelligence (AI), which are revolutionizing RAS management through data-driven optimization. By synthesizing current innovations, this review envisions a future of intelligent, closed-loop RAS where advanced IoT- and AI-driven technologies optimize water quality and feeding strategies to minimize ecological impact while enhancing sustainability and productivity. Full article

Illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing activities have become one of the most critical challenges facing the global fish industry, particularly in developing countries, with the economic impact of fish fraud reaching billions of dollars annually. A major contributor to this problem is the limitation of conventional fish supply chain systems, which lack secure data sharing among stakeholders, fail to provide trusted product information to consumers, and offer insufficient transparency for regulatory authorities. These shortcomings facilitate fraud and weaken trust and oversight across the supply chain. Blockchain technology has demonstrated strong capability to address key cybersecurity challenges by enhancing traceability, transparency, and tamper-resistant data integrity across distributed supply chain stakeholders. In this paper, we present an enterprise-oriented prototype of a secure, permissioned blockchain-based fish supply chain system designed to enable trusted data sharing and end-to-end traceability across multi-stakeholder environments. Building upon our prior work in Ethereum-based seafood quality monitoring, this study contributes: (1) a modular, consortium-grade architecture implemented using Hyperledger Fabric and containerized via Docker, supporting scalable organizational participation; (2) formal UML-based system modeling of supply chain actors, assets, and lifecycle transitions; and (3) custom chaincode logic that enforces ownership transfer workflows and regulatory compliance policies. In addition, the architecture is designed as agent-ready, exposing standardized APIs that enable future integration of autonomous AI-driven client applications for proactive supply chain orchestration. By leveraging a private, permissioned network model, the functional prototype demonstrates the feasibility of improving data veracity and providing a practical foundation for mitigating fraud and enhancing regulatory oversight in the global fish industry. Full article

The rising global demand for functional, “clean-label” fermented foods has driven intense interest in versatile microbial starter cultures. Levilactobacillus brevis is an obligately heterofermentative lactic acid bacterium that is highly valued for its robust environmental adaptability and exceptional capacity to synthesize bioactive metabolites, notably γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and exopolysaccharides (EPS). This review comprehensively evaluates the recent progress in L. brevis applications across major food fermentations. In dairy systems, L. brevis is most effective in co-cultures, where partner starters compensate for limited proteolysis and acidification, enabling improved texture, aroma profiles, and GABA enrichment. In fermented meats, selected strains contribute to nitrite reduction, flavor formation, and bioprotection, supporting nitrite-reduced strategies while maintaining sensory quality. In fish and seafood fermentations, L. brevis shows promise for controlling spoilage indicators and biogenic amines (notably histamine) in high-salt environments, although strain compatibility in mixed cultures is product-dependent. In plant-based matrices, outcomes are strongly constrained by acidity and nitrogen limitation; however, optimized fermentation can enhance phenolic bioaccessibility, generate high GABA levels, and enable emerging precision-biofortification approaches. Despite these functional advantages, its industrial application is frequently constrained by strain-specific technological limitations, and its use often necessitates synergistic co-culture systems, particularly in challenging matrices. Ultimately, this review highlights current research gaps and proposes future directions, including multi-omics integration and targeted strain evolution, to overcome sensory trade-offs and fully harness the biotechnological potential of L. brevis in next-generation functional foods and agricultural byproduct valorization. Full article

The global seafood industry faces persistent challenges related to product quality, safety, and authenticity, driven by complex supply chains, increasing demand, and the perishable nature of aquatic products. Traditional analytical methods often fall short in providing rapid, comprehensive, and non-destructive insights into the intricate biochemical changes occurring in seafood. ¹H Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (¹H NMR) spectroscopy has emerged as a powerful and versatile tool for metabolomics, offering a holistic view of the low-molecular-mass compounds (metabolites) present in biological samples. The present study applied ¹H NMR for chemical fingerprint identification in mullets (Mugil liza) from Brazil. Dorsal muscle samples were taken from the fish during summer, autumn, and winter. The procedure involved freeze-drying the muscle tissue, thereafter extracting polar metabolites using designated solvents (methanol, water, and chloroform), and analyzing them using a 600 MHz spectrometer. As a result, 23 metabolites related to degradation biomarkers, essential metabolites, energy expenditure, and muscle structure were identified. The statistical analysis demonstrated a distinct separation between the geographical origins (RJ vs. SC), mostly influenced by variations in the concentrations of lactate, histidine, threonine, phenylalanine, and ornithine. Factors like fish size and seasonal variations did not markedly affect the overall metabolic profile, underscoring the reliability of these chemicals as stable origin indicators. The Principal Component Analysis identified two distinct groups of metabolites, establishing a profile for each geographical origin. The developed protocol can be applied to the processes of geographical identification. Thus, the ¹H NMR tool was efficient in determining metabolites that can be considered biomarkers in analyses for seafood traceability. Full article

Heavy metal contamination of foods remains a persistent global challenge for food safety and public health, driven by industrialization, mining activities, intensive agriculture, and ongoing environmental degradation. This scoping review synthesizes peer-reviewed literature on the occurrence of priority toxic metals—arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, and nickel—in food matrices, with emphasis on contamination pathways, analytical detection strategies, and documented human health effects. The reviewed studies reveal widespread accumulation of heavy metals in staple foods, including cereals, vegetables, seafood, and processed products, with concentrations frequently approaching or exceeding international regulatory limits, particularly in regions exposed to strong anthropogenic pressure. Conventional laboratory-based techniques, such as atomic absorption spectrometry and inductively coupled plasma methods, remain the reference standards for quantitative determination and regulatory compliance; however, their application to large-scale or continuous monitoring is often constrained by cost, infrastructure, and operational complexity. Consequently, increasing attention has been directed toward emerging detection approaches, including portable X-Ray fluorescence, Raman/SERS spectroscopy, electrochemical biosensors, electronic tongues, and in situ magnetic measurements, as complementary tools for rapid screening and field-based surveillance. Among these, environmental magnetism and in situ magnetic techniques stand out as non-destructive, low-cost proxies capable of identifying metal-associated particulate contamination linked to food production systems. Chronic dietary exposure to heavy metals is consistently associated with neurotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, carcinogenicity, and oxidative stress, underscoring the need for integrated, multi-tiered monitoring frameworks to support early detection, risk assessment, and prevention. Full article

Reliable identification of seafood species is critical for fisheries management and product authentication, especially when morphological characteristics are lost during processing. In this study, a multiplex PCR system was developed to distinguish seven cuttlefish species (six Sepia spp. and Sepiella inermis) commercially distributed in the Korean seafood market. Species identity was first confirmed by amplifying a mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) fragment (~658 bp) using universal primers (LCO1490/HCO2198), showing 99–100% sequence similarity to corresponding GenBank reference sequences. Analysis of genetic variation based on a 530 bp aligned region demonstrated complete interspecific differentiation without shared haplotypes among species. The number of haplotypes per species ranged from 5 to 21, with haplotype diversity values between 0.667 and 1.000. An extended COI fragment (~1200 bp) was further analyzed to identify diagnostic interspecific variation for marker development. Seven diagnostic single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites were identified and used to design species-specific forward primers with diagnostic nucleotides positioned at the 3′ termini. Distinct amplicons (220–1099 bp) were generated and clearly resolved by agarose gel electrophoresis. Because simultaneous amplification of all seven primer pairs reduced amplification efficiency, the assay was divided into two multiplex sets. Under optimized conditions (56 °C), each species produced a single expected band without cross-amplification. This multiplex PCR system provides a rapid and sequencing-free approach for reliable species discrimination and can be effectively applied to fisheries monitoring and seafood authentication in commercial supply chains. Full article

Food fraud has emerged as a significant and under-recognised public health threat, with documented global incidents resulting in severe illness, hospitalisations, and fatalities. International estimates suggest that up to 9% of the global food trade is adulterated. In South Africa, evidence of mislabelling, substitution, counterfeit products, illicit trade, and the use of unauthorised additives continues to surface, yet the national burden and regulatory response remain insufficiently characterised. This review synthesised peer-reviewed literature and articles from reputable South African media sources published from 2015 to December 2025, focusing on food fraud within the South African context. Searches were conducted across Web of Science (WoS), Scopus, and PubMed, supplemented by Google Scholar and the EU Food Fraud Database, with emphasis on studies reporting fraud associated with South African food products. Standard PRISMA procedures guided the final selection of fifteen (14) eligible articles. These studies reveal widespread food fraud driven mainly by economic gain. Common practices include substituting high-value products, mislabelling meat and seafood, altering dates on expired goods, and producing counterfeits with unauthorised additives and packaging. Collectively, these factors compromise consumer health, undermine industry integrity, and impede effective surveillance. Strengthening South Africa’s food fraud prevention ecosystem will require coordinated multisectoral engagement, targeted investment in detection technologies, and robust regulatory reforms. Full article

The increasing consumption of raw and minimally processed fish products has raised concerns regarding the risk of anisakiasis, the infection caused by ingesting larvae of the Anisakis genus. Freezing is currently the standard control measure; however, alternative non-thermal technologies are being explored to preserve product quality while ensuring safety. Several studies have investigated the impacts of high-pressure processing (HPP) on seafood products, but limited information is available about the minimum effective pressure required to achieve complete inactivation of Anisakis larvae while maintaining fillet quality. Moreover, no studies have evaluated the use of portable near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy as a rapid tool to authenticate HPP-treated fish products. This study evaluated the efficacy of HPP in inactivating Anisakis spp. larvae in gilthead sea bream (Sparus aurata) fillets and investigated the impact of treatment on physicochemical quality parameters. In addition, the reliability of portable NIR spectroscopy coupled with chemometrics was assessed for rapid discrimination between treated and untreated samples. HPP treatments were applied with different pressure–time combinations, and the treatment at 200 MPa for 5 min was selected as the optimal treatment since it was able to achieve 100% larval inactivation. Quality evaluation showed significant changes in color (increase in L* values) and texture parameters, consistent with pressure-induced denaturation, while lipid oxidation remained within acceptable limits. NIR spectra analysis combined with chemometrics approach allowed discrimination between not treated and HPP-treated fillets with an overall accuracy of 98%. The results demonstrate that HPP at moderate pressure levels represents a promising alternative to freezing for Anisakis larvae inactivation in farmed sea bream, and that portable NIR spectroscopy may serve as a rapid, non-destructive tool for on-site verification of treatment. This combined approach could support the development of innovative control strategies in seafood safety management Full article

The global seafood industry generates millions of tons of by-products each year, creating environmental and economic challenges but also presenting a valuable opportunity for resource recovery. These by-products, rich in bioactive compounds such as proteins, omega-3 fatty acids, collagen, chitin, and antioxidants, have traditionally been underutilized due to inefficient and energy-intensive conventional extraction processes. Pulsed electric field (PEF) technology has emerged as a promising, non-thermal, and environmentally friendly method for valorizing seafood by-products by enhancing the permeability of biological membranes through electroporation, thereby facilitating the efficient extraction of high-value compounds. This manuscript critically reviews the scientific principles underpinning PEF, including dielectric breakdown and transmembrane potential generation, and explores its mechanisms for improving mass transfer during extraction and dehydration. Applications of PEF for recovering proteins, lipids, and antioxidants from diverse seafood side streams are comprehensively discussed, with emphasis on its advantages such as reduced energy consumption, preservation of thermolabile compounds, and improved product quality compared to conventional methods. Despite demonstrated laboratory-scale successes, industrial adoption of PEF remains limited due to challenges in process optimization, economic feasibility, and regulatory frameworks. This review synthesizes current knowledge and provides guidance for future research to advance the industrial implementation of PEF as a sustainable and efficient tool for seafood by-product valorization. Full article

Against the backdrop of increasing global emphasis on sustainable development and ecological conservation, green seafood has emerged as a key component of sustainable marine food consumption. However, the discrepancy between consumers’ intention to consume and their consumption behavior remains a critical issue requiring in-depth investigation. Herein, based on survey data collected from 415 consumers in China in 2025, this study employs structural equation modeling (SEM) to analyze the determinants and mechanisms influencing green seafood consumption intention and behavior. The findings indicate that heightened concerns regarding dietary health, food safety, and nutrition significantly enhance consumer intention, driven primarily by ecological awareness and the pursuit of a higher quality of life. Individual and household characteristics, along with consumers’ cognitive status of green seafood, exert significant positive effects on consumption intention, with cognitive status demonstrating the strongest influence. Nevertheless, a notable gap exists between consumption intention and actual behavior. Among respondents with consumption intention, only 48.7% had ever purchased green seafood, and the consumption frequency remained generally low. SEM path coefficients further reveal that marketing factors play a dominant role in actualizing consumption behavior. Compared to marketing factors, consumption intention shows a relatively weaker effect in facilitating consumption behavior. This finding further confirms the intention–behavior gap in green seafood consumption. The intention–behavior gap in green seafood consumption is jointly driven by asymmetric information on product quality, an underdeveloped certification system, a relatively undiversified supply structure, and elevated prices. Accordingly, this study proposes an integrated strategy that includes establishing a unified certification and traceability system, optimizing supply structures and pricing mechanisms, and strengthening science communication and targeted marketing. These measures aim to bridge the intention–behavior gap and promote the transition toward sustainable consumption patterns. Full article

Repetitive temperature fluctuations during transportation and storage promote ice crystal formation in salmon flesh, leading to protein denaturation, lipid oxidation, and quality loss. Tuna skin, a major by-product of tuna processing, is a potential source of antifreeze peptides (AFPs) but remains underutilized. This study examined the cryoprotective effects of tuna skin-derived AFPs on salmon cubes subjected to repeated freeze–thaw cycles. Cubes treated with AFPs from three groups of protein hydrolysates prepared using trypsin, pepsin, or neutral protease were evaluated for texture, color, water holding capacity (WHC), volatile odor profiles, protein conformation, biochemical indices, and microstructure. AFP treatment improved textural properties, maintained color stability, and reduced thawing, cooking, and centrifugal losses. The neutral protease-treated group exhibited the optimal cryoprotective ability and it also limited aldehyde and sulfide accumulation, preserved the retention rate of α-helix structure at 49% which was higher than 39% in controls, and enhanced Ca²⁺-ATPase activity to 1.75 μmol Pi·mg⁻¹·h⁻¹ with a 45.8% increase compared to controls, and significantly inhibited protein and lipid oxidation. Microstructural analysis showed compact fibers and intact sarcolemma in the neutral protease-treated group samples, contrasting with severe disruption in controls. This study showed that tuna skin AFPs mitigate freeze–thaw damage in salmon cubes by stabilizing proteins and reducing oxidative deterioration, highlighting their potential as natural, healthy cryoprotectants for seafood preservation, meeting the growing demand of the food industry for clean-label, low-calorie preservation solutions, while advancing the circular economy of aquatic processing via the valorization of tuna skin by-products for high-value seafood applications. Full article

Background/Objectives: Sea urchin gonads (“roe”) are a valuable seafood product and a chemically complex matrix whose composition varies with physiology and environment. We present a biphasic extraction and ¹H NMR workflow to build a reusable reference inventory of polar metabolites and apolar lipid features in Paracentrotus lividus. Methods: Gonads from 37 adults (23 males, 14 females) collected at two sites (Alicante and Jávea–Dénia, Spain; October 2024) were lyophilized, extracted with methanol/chloroform/water, and analyzed by 400 MHz ¹H NMR in buffered aqueous solution (polar) and CDCl₃ (apolar). Polar metabolite identification combined 1D patterns with database matching and ¹H–¹³C HSQC confirmation on representative samples, yielding 71 annotated resonances corresponding to 37 metabolites spanning amino acids, osmolytes/quaternary amines, carbohydrates/aminosugars, and nucleoside/purine-related compounds. Results: Polar fingerprints enabled supervised modelling: PLS-LDA separated sexes with low cross-validated error, and SPA/COSS ranking highlighted glycine, alanine, creatine and osmolyte-associated signals as key discriminants; pathway mapping supported the enrichment of amino-acid and one-carbon/purine networks. Apolar spectra were annotated at the motif level and used for lipid-index estimation, indicating substantial unsaturation but low docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and modest sex effects. Conclusions: The curated peak lists and reporting framework facilitate reproducible NMR annotation and future comparative studies of P. lividus gonads. Full article

Fresh bluefin tuna is highly susceptible to quality deterioration during refrigerated storage due to lipid oxidation and microbial activity, creating a need for effective clean-label preservation strategies. This study evaluated the efficacy of natural astaxanthin as an antioxidant treatment to improve the refrigerated stability of fresh bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) fillets stored under vacuum packaging (VP) or modified atmosphere packaging (MAP; 70% N₂/30% CO₂). Tuna fillets were treated by short immersion in astaxanthin solutions (10–20 mg/L), applied alone or in combination with other natural antioxidants, including ascorbic acid, and compared with a rosemary–ascorbic acid reference system. Selected treatments incorporated microencapsulated astaxanthin to enhance antioxidant stability. Quality changes were monitored during refrigerated storage (4 °C) through sensory evaluation (appearance, colour, and odour), total volatile basic nitrogen (TVBN), histamine determination, and microbiological analyses. Astaxanthin-treated samples exhibited improved colour stability, delayed sensory deterioration, and significantly lower TVBN accumulation compared with the rosemary–ascorbic acid reference treatment. Under MAP conditions, astaxanthin reduced TVBN values by approximately 20% after 12 days of storage, while microencapsulated astaxanthin combined with ascorbic acid achieved reductions of up to 30% under vacuum packaging. All selected treatments complied with regulatory microbiological and histamine limits throughout storage. These results indicate that natural astaxanthin, particularly in microencapsulated formulations, can enhance quality stability of fresh bluefin tuna when applied in combination with oxygen-limiting packaging systems under controlled refrigerated conditions. The findings provide a scientific basis for further investigation of astaxanthin-based preservation strategies in high-value seafood products. Full article

Marine byproducts generated from seafood processing represent valuable reservoirs of structurally and functionally distinct biomolecules, whose composition reflects species, habitat, and processing history. This systematic review identified which marine byproducts have been most extensively studied between 2020 and 2025, with emphasis on their composition, valorisation, and suitability for tracing their geographic origin. Following the PRISMA protocol, 6443 publications were initially retrieved, of which 96 peer-reviewed studies were included for data extraction and analysis. The five most frequently investigated byproducts—skin, bones, scales, shells, and roe—were identified as rich sources of proteins (collagen and gelatin), minerals (hydroxyapatite and calcium carbonate), polysaccharides (chitin), lipids (notably polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA)), and vitamin B12. Collagen properties, particularly imino acid content, hydroxylation degree, crosslinking density, and thermal stability, correlate more strongly with environmental temperature than taxonomy, supporting their potential as markers for tracing geographic origin. The mineral fractions, dominated by hydroxyapatite in bones and scales, or calcium carbonate in shells, provided complementary inorganic fingerprints based on calcium-to-phosphorus ratios, carbonate substitution, trace element composition, and thermal analyses. While the lipid profile alone could not completely discriminate fish roe, proteomic techniques, such as MALDI-TOF MS, make it possible to reliably identify species. Collectively, these byproducts offer complementary organic and inorganic markers that support integrated strategies that allow tracing their origin and fostering their sustainable valorisation, overcoming a key technical bottleneck for their use. However, their large-scale conversion into market-ready products remains limited by technical complexity, process variability, and cost-related constraints. Full article

The global demand for sustainable and effective food preservation techniques has spurred significant interest in biodegradable packaging materials, with chitosan films emerging as a promising solution for extending the shelf life of highly perishable seafood products such as shrimp. This review systematically summarizes recent advances in the development, characterization, and functional enhancement of chitosan-based films for shrimp. Chitosan, derived from chitin, has inherent antimicrobial, antioxidant, and biodegradable properties, making it an ideal candidate for eco-friendly packaging. The key physicochemical and functional properties of chitosan films, including their mechanical strength, barrier performance, and structural characteristics, are discussed. Functional enhancements, such as the incorporation of natural bioactive compounds (e.g., essential oils and plant extracts) and nanofillers, have been shown to significantly improve the antimicrobial efficacy, oxygen and water vapor barrier properties, and mechanical stability of films. A critical aspect of this progress is the synergistic effect achieved by combining chitosan with other antimicrobials, which broadens the spectrum of activity against various bacterial strains and enhances overall preservation efficacy. Recent studies have demonstrated that functionalized chitosan coatings effectively inhibit microbial growth, retard lipid oxidation, and maintain sensory and nutritional quality during refrigerated storage of shrimp. In addition, this review evaluates current limitations related to large-scale production, cost-effectiveness, and regulatory approval for commercial applications. Overall, chitosan-based preservation systems represent a promising approach for sustainable seafood packaging. Future research may focus on industrial scalability, multifunctional film design, and integration with smart/active packaging technologies. Full article