Value adding and supply chain development for fisheries and aquaculture products in Fiji, Samoa and Tonga: seagrapes post-harvest and value addition in Fiji: progress report

Introduction: In Fiji, edible seaweeds are an important part of the diet of coastal people. Native Fijians have a long tradition of collecting and consuming different species and varieties of seaweeds. However, Caulerpa racemosa or seagrapes is one of the most common species that is regularly harvested for consumption and sale in Fiji (Morris and Bala, 2011; Richards. et al., 1993). Nama is a highly nutritious sea vegetable rich in iodine, vitamin A and carotenoids and is therefore an important part of the diet for coastal people. According to South (1993a), commercialization of edible seaweeds is a relatively recent phenomenon that coincides with the expansion of the cash economy in the Pacific. A major problem with C. racemosa however, is its perishable nature which prevents it from being stored long after harvest. Its utilisation within the Pacific has thus been restricted to domestic trade and consumption (Chamberlain, 1997). The aim of this project is to explore and develop an ideal preservation method for seagrapes that would be acceptable to consumers and make it possible for exporting

CTA learning journey report : meeting food safety standards for product and process certification of agri - food enterprises , and for good health and nutrition

A 5-day Food Safety Learning Journey for Pacific-Caribbean food experts took place in Trinidad & Tobago on the 2-6th November, 2015 which aimed at building the capacity of Pacific-Caribbean experts in order to support Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), agro-processing and food services industries in meeting the food standards for production and distribution of healthy and safe foods in the Pacific and Caribbean respectively. Premier Quality Services Limited (PQSL) with two international experts; Mr Sean Victor and Mrs Margaret Weston who have significant capacity and experience in Agro-Enterprise development delivered and conducted the training workshop. Specific training in Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs) and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (CCP) principles were the focus of the workshop and the learning journey will continue until the American Society of Quality (ASQ) certification is attained

Dietary trend and diabetes: its association among indigenous Fijians 1952 to 1994

The dietary trends of indigenous Fijians have changed drastically in the past 50 years. Deviating from the traditional food consumption pattern and traditional lifestyle may have increased the incidence and prevalence of non-communicable diseases. The aim of this study is to examine the dietary trends of the indigenous Fijians in relation to the prevalence of diabetes from 1952 to 1994. The data used were obtained from the Naduri Nutrition Survey reports of 1952 to 1994, the Fiji National Nutrition Survey reports of 1983 and 1993, and the two diabetes survey reports of 1965 and 1980. Results indicated an increased consumption of introduced foods, which may be associated with an increased prevalence of diabetes. The total energy derived from cereals and sugar increased dramatically with a reduction in consumption of traditional foods. The prevalence of diabetes among the urban indigenous population in 1965 was very low compared to the 1980 figure, while the National Nutrition Survey of the same ethnic group showed a 433% increase of urban diabetes from 1965 to 1993. The hospital diabetes admission cases of 1952 to 1982 also showed an increased trend

Product development of chilled sea urichin for human consumption

The widely distributed edible sea urchin (cawaki) species that grows wild in Fiji is the Tripneustes gratilla species. This species is mainly harvested near intertidal zones by women and are sold in the urban markets fresh either with shells or as the gonads packed in plastic containers. However it has not been commercially processed for sale in supermarkets or for export. Sea urchin gonads are rich in proteins and a good source of vitamin A and Bs, and are also believed to enhance virility. There has been no published research on the wild populations and catch data of sea urchins in Fiji and hence further research is warranted to establish these. This project aimed at developing fresh-chilled sea urchin gonad products and other high quality gonad products suitable for export. Three separate processing trials were conducted during November 2014 to March 2015 on sea urchin species Tripneustes gratilla that were harvested by Ministry of Fisheries officers from different locations in the Kalokolevu district to the west of Suva harbour. Harvesting was done on the day of processing and the whole urchins stored in a commercial chiller prior to processing. Samples were processed, preserved using selected preservatives, packed and stored in selected temperatures for shelf life determinations which included standard plate count, total coliforms, psychrophiles, pH, salinity and physical characteristics such as colour, texture, flavour and taste. The preservatives used were dry salt, salt solution or brine, alcohol and a solution containing dextrin, salt and sodium alginate. Storage temperature was varied between -5C to +5C or ambient (approximately 25-30C) and of up to 62 days. Microbial, organoleptic and chemical analyses were conducted in determining the shelf life of each product formulation and storage condition. The desirable organoleptic characteristics aimed at are bright mango-orange or yellow colour, whole firm texture, fresh seaweed odour, fresh seaweed-sweet taste and free of leaking fluids. Results showed that the most desirable and acceptable organoleptic characteristics were the gonads preserved in 5% dry salt stored at -5.40C with the shelf life of 23 days and the 8% alcohol mixed with 5% dry salt stored at ambient temperature with the shelf life of 34 days. These recommendations were obtained after evaluating the three trials of different processing procedures and formulation. It is interesting to note that brining appeared to be unacceptable due to the oozing and leaking of yellow and orange fluid into the brine, contributing to unacceptable milky-turbid solution. Soaking in sodium phosphate did not stop the oozing, instead aggravated milkiness and turbidity of brined samples hence, the adoption of dry salting and alcohol based preservation formulations respectively. Further work is required to test for consumer acceptance and for further inter-laboratory analyses to confirm the in-house and acceptability tests. Further research is also needed to establish the ideal time and protocol for harvesting including temperature and storage conditions prior to processing

Postharvest handling practices and the development of histamine in giant Trevally (Aranxignobilis) fish: the case of Fiji

This study aimed at assessing the common post-harvest handling practices of artisanal fishers in Fiji and its impact in the development of histamine in fish. The study involved in-depth interviews of postharvest handling practices, and its relationships in the development of histamine in Giant Trevally (Aranxignobilis) fish that were further exposed to three different temperatures; 00C, combination of 00C and 280C, and 280C. Results revealed that spear-gun fishers do not ice fish and rarely gut fish during their fishing trips, however only iced by either middlemen or vendors when fish are at the landing sites and are stored in old freezers. Fish are usually displayed un-gutted without ice on well drained tiled stalls and are recycled for display every two hours. Any unsold fish are returned into the old freezer for sale the next day. Histamine determination revealed that after 35 hours postharvest including further storage at 00C, and at combination temperatures of 50C and 280C (recycled every two hours) had histamine levels below the Food Drug Administration (FDA) permitted levels (50ppm). However fish stored at 280C showed histamine concentrations increased to 192.20 ppm at 15 hours post-harvest. The study demonstrates the importance of time and temperature control at postharvest handling of fish in tropical countries

Trans fatty acid content of selected foods in Fiji

This article focuses on studying the effects of processing on trans fatty acid content of selected foods that are commonly sold in Fiji. The results of trans fatty acid content of 30 manufactured and 34 commonly consumed fast foods and snacks are presented. Attenuated Total Reflectance Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopic method was applied to the analysis of trans fatty acid content in the food and oil samples. The trans fat contents are represented as elaidic acid equivalent. The results for the food samples analyzed showed that bakery products contained the highest amount of trans fatty acid content, while the spreads contained the lowest trans fat content. The differences in the data have been attributed to the factors that contributed to the higher rate of cis to trans conversion. These include the materials for the cooking vessels, temperatures and duration for cooking and types of cooking oil or fat used. Results were correlated with the dietary consumption patterns in different population groups in Fiji. Study shows a positive correlation between the high incidence of non communicable disease in Fiji and the presence of trans fatty acid in commonly consumed processed foods. It appears that in the absence of any regulatory mechanism, only a few manufacturers had voluntarily reported the appropriate values of the trans fat content in their processed foods on the food labels. It is thus recommended that consumer awareness and a statutory regulatory mechanism for labeling of trans fat in different foods should be carried out

Food habits and nutritional status of Fiji rugby players

The 15-a-side Fiji rugby team trains well in preparations for any rugby competition but rarely performs to expectations. In order to help the Fiji local based rugby players to identify some key basic areas in improving their performance, a series of workshops were conducted to assess their nutritional status and dietary habits in relation to energy demand during rugby matches. The nutrition workshop included the administration of questionnaires to 19 local based rugby players, requesting the following information: usual food intakes, training camp food intakes, carbohydrate loading, pre-game meals and post-game meals. The study revealed that poor eating habits of the players resulted inthe low carbohydrate intake, which may have contributed to increaselevels of fatigue leading to loss of stamina even before the second half of the game. It appears that the diet of most 15-a-side players does not provide enough energy to enable them to last the full eighty minutes of the game

Dietary patterns and risk factors for Type 2 diabetes mellitus in Fijian, Japanese and Vietnamese populations

Diabetes mellitus is now a serious and increasing problem in Asian countries, where dietary patterns have shifted toward Westernized foods and people are becoming more sedentary. In order to elucidate the relationship of dietary habits to the development of diabetic risk factors, the dietary patterns of 200 Fijian, 171 Japanese and 181 Vietnamese women of 30–39 years of age were investigated using 3 day–24 h recall or dietary records. Anthropometric measurements and glycosuria tests were also conducted. The dietary trends of Fijians and Japanese have changed drastically in the past 50 years, while Vietnamese have been minimally influenced by Western dietary habits. The mean 24 h dietary intake showed that Fijians had the highest energy intake. Energy intake from fat was only 13% for Vietnamese, but over 30% for Japanese and Fijians. Percentage of body fat was higher in Vietnamese than in Japanese, though there were no significant differences in body mass index (BMI). In the overweight and obese women, Vietnamese had higher abdominal obesity than Japanese. The prevalence of obesity (BMI � 30 kg/m2) was 63.0% for Fijians, 1.8% for Japanese and 1.1% for Vietnamese. Glycosuria testing yielded the most positive cases among Fijians. Dietary transition and dietary excess appear to be potential risk factors for diabetes in Fijian women