Pink and chum salmon. Photo credit: Scott Smiley.
Development of Flaked Products from Pink Salmon
Problem: The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute recently identified the surplus of pink salmon as one of the most serious issues facing the industry. Products are urgently needed to attract new markets if Alaska is to fully utilize its resource. Flaking, used extensively in the meat and poultry industries, may provide an opportunity for creating new value added products. Flaked meat products have an established and growing market. This project seeks to produce and evaluate a flaked pink salmon product. The development of optimum processing conditions and shelf life guidelines will determine potential for flaked pink salmon production.
Solution & Approach: This project was designed to improve the texture of a mince pink salmon product. We employed an Urschel Comitrol flaking machine, a tool most associated with the meat industry, to produce a restructured flaked pink salmon product. We developed optimum processing conditions and determined the fresh and frozen shelf life. We tested a variety of dyes to control color variation in the salmon meats including a suite of natural products such as paprika and several more penetrating synthetic dyes such as red number 5. Finally, we worked with Bear Creek Country Kitchens to develop a soup based on dried flaked pink salmon meats.
Principal Investigator: Chuck Crapo