On Sunday, 25.06.2017, 2nd District Sea Days in Władysławowo were held. The event took place in the port. The co-organizer of the picnic was “Szkuner” Ltd., which is the NMFRI partner in the SeaQual project. The NMFRI was invited to participate in this event to promote the SeaQual project and the Institute’s activities. The aims of the project are: 1) assess risk and minimise the effects of the presence of pathogens, allergens and toxic substances in fish; 2) develop novel, specific and sensitive molecular methods for detecting the presence of pathogens; 3) develop and prepare for the implementation optimal, innovative technologies for the production of fish products that meet high quality and safety standards; 4) enhance the competitiveness of the fishing industry through an appropriate system of education in the field of safety and quality of fish products, as well as to broaden the knowledge and competence of the veterinary and sanitary authorities. Taking this opportunity, the participants of the picnic were introduced to the SeaQual project and some of the results of research carried out within the project concerning the occurrence of harmful substances in Baltic cods were presented. Research shows that the contamination levels in the muscle tissue of cod are well below allowable limits. In addition, the studies conducted at the NMFRI show that cod is a source of easily assimilated proteins with very beneficial content for our health. In spite of unfavorable weather, our stand attracted a lot of interest from the picnic participants who asked about food safety in the context of fish consumption and fish products, which indicates how important and needed is the research performed at the NMFRI, especially for the consumers. The NMFRI was invited by the organizers to celebrate the Sea Days and present the SeaQual results also next year.
Photographs: Olga Szulecka i Katarzyna Nadolna-Ałtyn
