(vasep.com.vn) Besides pangasius, shrimp, squid; surimi is increasingly playing an important part among Vietnam's total seafood exports. However, surimi production is operated on the small scale with backward technology and lack of value added products. As a result, surimi products produced domestically failed to meet high demand from strict markets such as Japan, the U.S.
Small fish are making up a major proportion among the country's total fish production. To raise the economic value of small fish supply as the raw material in producing surimi for exports, Hoa Thang Co., Ltd implemented the project "Upgrading technologies in surimi production to meet demand for exporting the products to Japan". The project creates a promising outlook for exporting surimi to Japan and other strict markets (the U.S., EU).
Surimi is considered as a product for the future thanks to its high protein content, low lipid, non-cholesterol and glucid and easily absorbed by the body.
Surimi was developed in Japan 1,000 years ago. It has become popular since 1959 when a group of Japanese scientists discovered a substance which can preserve frozen finfish meat as well as frozen surimi. Currently, surimi and imitation products become popular not only in Japan but also in many European and American countries in which Japan and the U.S. are leading producers of surimi and imitation products.
After three-year implementation, the project improves the process of post harvest preservation of small fish for processing surimi products to meet Japan's requirements; enhances production technologies to raise the quality of the products. Besides, the project gained success in researching process of preserving finished surimi products and installing modern production line with daily productivity of 50 MT of small fish.