Finnish researchers present a new system to reduce off-flavors in fish

The Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) and VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland have developed capture solutions to address off-flavors and water mold in aquaculture.

"These new cellulose-based capture materials capture water mold spores and off-flavor compounds from the water, preventing them from accumulating in the fish," explained Hannes Orelma, Research Team Leader at VTT.

Due to off-flavors and water mold, the product value is reduced, and the demand for fish products may decline. Furthermore, in salmon aquaculture production, these issues cause production losses of up to 10% annually.

"Our solutions can have a significant impact on the profitability of the industry," advised Jani Lehto, Director of Luke's Bioeconomy and Environment Unit.

Promising results

The initial tests involved testing the concentrations of 14 off-flavor compounds at Luke's Laukaa experimental aquaculture facility, which has a recirculating water system.

The results showed that the concentrations of off-flavors in the fish remained below the sensory thresholds. In more detail, concentrations of off-flavor compounds accumulated up to 1,000 times higher than those in untreated water.

"This is a very interesting result, as no new solutions have been introduced in recent years to reduce off-flavors in recirculating aquaculture systems," clarified Luke's Research Manager and Senior Scientist Petra Lindholm-Lehto.

In addition, the fiber material developed for capturing water mold spores and tested at Luke's Enonkoski aquaculture facility reduced the amount of mold spores in the water.

"Our next steps are to continue development of both technical solutions in commercial-scale farms and to move forward with commercialization," advanced Jani Lehto.