Progress 06/01/10 to 01/31/13
Outputs
Target Audience: The target audience of this Phase I feasibility research effort is Hawaii Fish Company and affiliated research team, with the ultimate planned beneficiaries of this research being the domestic seafood buying public and possibly future customers abroad. Changes/Problems: The problems encountered were the lengthy IACUC protocol approval process and associated costs, and the costs of periodic inspections; and the issues of failing electrical utility service and periodic thefts of research animals. The latter two issues were addressed by the relocation of the research effort to a more secure facility with a more reliable electrical service. What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The PD/PI and Senior Research Personnel have broadened their professional development and understanding of seafood marketing and trade through information exchanges with project consultants, through interviews with seafood industry professionals and customers, and through discussions with identified Phase II collaboratorswhile planning the Phase II research goals and objectives. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?
Nothing Reported
What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
Overview The Phase I feasibility research investigated the intrinsic qualities and physical characteristics of Hawaiian pongee, identified market characteristics and market potential for pongee, tested innovative production and post-harvest handling protocols, determined the projected costs of production, post-harvest handling, and processing so as to clearly demonstrate the feasibility of the marketing and trade of premium-quality Hawaiian pongee products, and identified and evaluated potential Phase II research and development partners. Objective 1. Identify the intrinsic qualities and physical characteristics of Hawaiian pongee The intrinsic qualities and physical characteristics of Hawaiian pongee were independently assessed by faculty and professional staff of the Seafood Technology, Fishery Industry Technology Center (FITC), University of Alaska Fairbanks, Kodiak, Alaska, the Department of Human Nutrition, Food, and Animal Science, College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawaii at Manoa (UH), Honolulu, by a James Beard Award winning Chef, and by the President and staff of Hawaii’s largest seafood processor and wholesaler. The intrinsic qualities and physical characteristic of Hawaiian pongee were found by all to be very favorable for the marketing and trade of this Hawaii-grown Asian seafood delicacy. Objective 2. Identify and characterize customers, consumer demand, competition, desired products, competitive advantages, positioning and branding for potential product lines, and preliminary marketing roadmap Primary market research was conducted in Honolulu with the current and potential retail customers, and with restaurant, seafood, and Asian import industry professionals to assess the market environment for Hawaiian pongee by market segment. These analyses included conducting direct face-to-face interviews with a broad cross section of seafood wholesalers, retailers and potential customers, and using customer survey forms with primarily Chinese customers at a Chinatown seafood marketplace and Filipino customers at a large Waipahu seafood marketplace (using translators when necessary). The face-to-face interviews included owners, chefs, kitchen staff, wait staff, and customers at a number of popular Chinese, Thai, Laotian, Vietnamese, and Filipino restaurants; an award-winnning fine dining chef and staff; Hawaii’s largest seafood wholesaler/processor; Hawaii’s largest Asian food importer, wholesaler, and a high-end boutique featuring Hawaii-grown packaged food product gifts for the visitor industry; and local consumers and a group of visiting professional women unfamiliar with the fish. Overall, there appeared to be a strong market for pongee with the Asian population and various Asian ethnic restaurants. Secondary market research was conducted by two experienced out-of-state market analysis firms and via the PD/PI’sparticipation inthe U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) funded Export University 101 program following the successful conclusion of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) 2011 Economic Leaders’ Meeting in Honolulu. Together these multiple efforts revealed both market opportunities as well as potential future competition for market share in the highly competitive national and global seafood marketplace. Objective 3. Test innovative production and post-harvest handling protocols The Phase I research tested: 1) the effect of tank color on pongee skin color, as existing customers expressed unfamiliarity with the dark-colored fish produced in existing black tanks, and the desire for lighter-colored fish, 2) the effect of post-harvest electric shock as a possible means to control excessive mucus release following death as well as a potential means of euthanasia, and 3) the effectiveness of baking soda and apple cider vinegar solutions and salt as means of removing the skin surface slime during processing, as practiced in Europe and elsewhere. Colored Tank Trials Eleven 1,140 liter tanks of different colors (black, grey, white, brown, tan, blue, dark green, lime, yellow, orange, and red) were used under ambient light conditions to test the effect of tank color on pongee skin color. The black tank served as the experimental control. A first production trial was run for three months, and a second short-term holding or purging trial was run for three weeks. The fish were digitally photographed and skin color compared with computer vision analysis by Dr. Won, using the program ImageJ 1.46r (National Institute of Health, USA), Adobe Photoshop, and Microsoft Excel, to determine Total Color Difference (TCD). A composite page of the eleven pongee skin color photos was attached to the customer survey forms used in Objective 2, above, and ranked by the customers at the two local seafood marketplaces who were familiar with the fish, to determine their pongee skin color preference. These survey opinions were then compared to the digital photo analyses. The fish from three colored tanks with similar TCD values were preferred by the customers of both marketplaces. Electric Shock Trials The electrical shocking trials were conducted at the UH Food Science Lab to determine whether electric shock affected the opening or closing of the pongee’s mucus glands on the skin, as a potential means to reduce mucus release. These trials utilized a 30cm x 15cm x 20cm shocking tank powered by an Integrated-Gate-Bipolar-Transistor. Mucus samples were collected on one side of the dorsal anterior portion of the fish before treatment and on the opposing side after 24 hours. The collated data were analyzed and the results indicated that the electric shocks tested did not appear to significantly reduce pongee mucus release. Mucus Cleaning Trials Mucus cleaning trials were conducted with a 2% baking soda solution, a 10% apple vinegar solution, a 50% apple vinegar solution, and with medium grain dry salt . The first two solutions were not very effective in slime removal but the 50% vinegar solution and the salt rub were both very effective in immediately removing the surface mucus (Figure 15). Objective 4. Determine projected costs of production, post-harvest handling, processing, marketing, and sales, and compare to foreign and domestic seafood products The projected costs of production for rearing Hawaiian pongee were determined to be similar to those of producing other carnivorous species in Hawaii, with the highest cost items being imported high protein feeds, ocean and ground transportation, hatchery and farm labor, utility and communication services, vehicle and generator fuel, essential business insurance, and financing costs. Fry are produced in-house and their cost is reflected in all the costs listed above. With the ongoing fish losses associated with a moderately cannibalistic fish such as pongee, particularly in the hatchery and nursery phases of production, the current cost of production based on HFC’s production costs to date is currently approximately $10 to $12.00/kg. Objective 5. Identify Phase II partners for research on innovative production and processing technologies, and development and assessment of new product forms, product safety measures, and efficient packing and shipping methods HFC has undertaken due diligence to identify and involve the most appropriate partners for the Phase II research and development effort to best prepare for planned Phase III commercialization. HFC is excited about the proposed Phase II research and development effort with this team, and feels confident that it will lead to a solid Phase III commercialization success.
Publications
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