Research

Developing Value for Second Grade Salmon Caviar and Roe

Problem:

The value of second grade salmon caviar products continues to decline. Some processors report prices received do not cover production costs. Second grade salmon caviar has some minor defects in color and freshness that do not allow top quality price. This situation provides an opportunity to develop new products using second grade salmon roe and caviar as a raw material. Based on a market assessment, two products will be developed that currently include a caviar paste and pasteurized flavored caviar. Product characteristics and shelf life will be determined followed by a market evaluation.

Approach:

This project will investigate potential uses for the second salmon grade roe and caviar for the production of value added products. Finding better uses for this caviar would help processors increase the value of this resource. The objective of this project is to develop alternate uses for second grade roe and caviar. Specific tasks include: the development of two new products from second grade caviar. We will analyze product characteristics and shelf life, and, finally conduct market surveys for these new products.

Results:

Two products from second grade caviar were developed, a flavored pasteurized product and a paste. The flavored caviar (jalepeño, curry and kelp flavors) was presented to three Alaska processors for their evaluation. They subsequently provided samples to their customers. Two of three flavors (jalepeño and kelp) received positive feedback and these flavors were used in commercial application. The presence of these flavors masked some of the lower quality defects found in second grade roe, primarily some level of immaturity and a lower flavor profile. The caviar paste was produced with similar flavors as well as a plain salt formulation. These pastes had very limited shelf life and did not hold up well in frozen storage. Further testing must be done to improve shelf life. A final trip to Japan to present these product forms to seafood buyers met with mixed results. The market for second grade caviar had moved into the grocery chains and mid-priced department stores where price was more of a determinant of purchase than quality. One marketer expressed interest in the flavored caviar, but there was no interest in salmon paste, although a large market existed for uni (sea urchin) pastes. We believe there exists an undeveloped market for salmon caviar paste.

Contact person:

Dr. Scott Smiley: stsmiley@alaska.edu