Seafood safety and market access

We conduct research for the seafood industry and regulators to:

• protect the health of seafood consumers
• enhance Australia’s commercial competitiveness as a trusted supplier of seafood
• develop new products, enhancing product quality
• improve cold chain and processing efficiencies to maximise post-harvest value.

Research areas

Our scientists focus on the following topics of seafood regulation and development.

Risk analysis

Identifying food safety hazards across the supply chain, ranking hazards in terms of risk and quantitative risk assessment. This helps to improve management practices across the supply chain and market access.

Technical market access

Resolving technical barriers to trade through research and maintaining international market access.

Adding technical input into international regulatory seafood standards, ensuring they are risk commensurate and cost effective.

Providing information on existing international regulatory standards for Australian seafood exporters.

Marine biotoxins and harmful algal blooms

Assessing biotoxin risk in Australian seafood and researching improved methods for risk management.

Seafood microbiology and molecular biology

Analysis of seafood in PC2 rated laboratories for microbiological pathogens and indicator organisms. These can be used for optimising:

• seafood processing performance
• shelf-life assessment
• industry benchmarking
• safety evaluations of new product types.

Chemical residues

Testing residues and contaminants in seafood, including product safety verification and selection of residue test methods. This facilitates quality control and export of seafood products.

Post-harvest handling

Optimising processing efficiencies and investigating the impacts of post-harvest handling on product quality and resultant shelf-life.

New product development

Developing new products that are safe and cost effective. These include alternative products from waste materials, by-catch, or under-utilised lower grade fish.

Packaging

Applying new and existing packaging technologies to seafood, maximising:

• product quality and shelf-life
• access to new markets.

Shelf-life assessment

Testing microbiological, chemical and sensory techniques to evaluate impacts of post-harvest handling, processing and packaging.

Contact

Dr Stephen Pahl – Seafood safety and market access
Phone: (08) 8429 2298
Email: stephen.pahl@sa.gov.au