Accelerated Fish Sauce Fermentation

该提案是为了扩展PI和工业合作伙伴（Neptune, 3349559 Canada Inc.）之间最近完成的NSERC Engage项目。Engage项目的总体目标是开发具有成本效益的新技术，从未充分利用的物种中生产安全的发酵鱼露，并为公司的发展创造新的机会。鱼露是一种琥珀色的液体，具有独特的风味，传统上是由未充分利用的鱼及其副产品与盐发酵制成的。在一些东南亚和东亚国家的菜肴中，它被用作调味品。发酵产品通常与其他成分混合，以“醇厚”其刺鼻的味道和香气，形成一种浓郁的咸味产品，可以为食物增添丰富的鲜味。北美的亚洲移民人口稳步增长，导致加拿大和美国对鱼露的需求不断增加。来自泰国和越南的鱼露在北美的超市里很常见。然而，众所周知，并非市场上所有的鱼露都是正宗的，各种食品和卫生监管机构都报告了假冒和假冒的类型。例如，从海藻、素食清汤和蘑菇中提取的热水提取物被制成鱼露；美国食品和药物管理局最近禁止了一种名为“pairoj”的掺假鱼露，因为它不符合FDA控制肉毒杆菌中毒和组胺危害的HACCP要求；不安全的处理和包装；或在可能对人体健康有害的条件下储存。据工业合作伙伴称，由于不卫生和安全方面的考虑，当地市场对加拿大制造的鱼露比亚洲国家市场上的鱼露更感兴趣。在刚刚完成的Engage项目中，该公司最初确定了两种丰富的未被充分利用的鱼类，用于开发生产国内和出口市场的鱼露。然而，鱼类捕捞具有季节性和不可预测的性质，因此有必要研究和纳入其他大量捕捞但未得到充分利用的鱼类，即大灰鲭鱼、鲱鱼和鲭鱼，以确保这项冒险既可行又可持续。

This proposal is to extend a recently completed NSERC Engage project between the PI and the industrial partner (Neptune, 3349559 Canada Inc.). The overall objective of the Engage project was to develop novel cost-effective technologies to produce safe fermented fish sauce from underutilized species, and create new opportunities to grow the company. Fish sauce is an amber-colored liquid with a distinct flavor, and is traditionally made from fermentation of underutilized fish and its byproducts with salt. It is used as condiment in cuisines of several Southeast and East Asian countries. The fermented product is typically mixed with other ingredients to "mellow" its harsh taste and aroma, to form an intense savory product that can add a lush umami-richness to foods. The population of Asian immigrants in North America has grown steadily, resulting in increasing demand for fish sauce in Canada and the US. Fish sauce from Thailand and Vietnam are the ones commonly found in supermarkets in North America. However, it is well known that not all the fish sauce on the market are authentic, and various food and health regulatory agencies have reported fake and counterfeit types. For example, a hot water extract from seaweed, vegan bouillon, and mushroom was presented as fish sauce; the US FDA recently banned an adulterated fish sauce called "pairoj", for non-compliance with FDA HACCP requirements for controlling hazards of botulism and histamine; unsafe handling and packaging; or storage under conditions that render them potentially injurious to human health. According to the industrial partner, the local market has keen interest in a made in Canada fish sauce versus varieties on the market from Asian countries for unhygienic and safety concerns. The company initially identified 2 abundant underutilized fish species in the just completed Engage project for exploitation to produce fish sauce for both the domestic and export markets. However, the reality of the seasonal and unpredictable nature of the fish harvest have necessitated the study and inclusion of other abundantly harvested underutilized fish species, i.e., alewife, herring and mackerel, to ensure that the venture is both viable and sustainable.