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(09/25/24) JEANERETTE, La. — The Seafood Processing Demonstration Lab is inviting people involved in seafood production to attend an open house at the facility on Oct. 22.
The lab is located at the LSU AgCenter Iberia Research Station, and the event will start at 10 a.m. and end at 2 p.m. Lunch and product sampling will be provided. The address is 603 LSU Bridge Road in Jeanerette.
As part of a U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development Business Grant, the lab is helping to develop market opportunities for those engaged in seafood production. One way the lab is doing this is by creating new, value-added products that can be sold by seafood producers to increase cash flow and business sustainability.
The workshop will be a hands-on experience showcasing new methods for byproduct recovery and product development. The event will feature several heritage freshwater fish species that are readily available but underutilized in the commercial market.
A recent addition to the facility is an outreach and training venue that can hold up to 40 participants. The room is equipped with audio and visual equipment to host trainings and virtual meetings. There also are plans to add a fully functional demonstration kitchen.
Topics to be discussed include:
— An overview of Louisiana seafood availability and food safety considerations by Evelyn Watts, research director and seafood extension specialist with the AgCenter School of Nutrition and Food Sciences and Louisiana Sea Grant.
— Exploring traditions and reimagining seafood products to expand ethnic markets and develop new dishes for the restaurant industry from Thomas Hymel, marine extension agent with the AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant and executive director of the lab.
“This is not just a research lab,” Watts said. “The demonstration lab offers an opportunity to learn by doing.”
Hymel played a key role in the development of the lab and sees the opportunity it can provide for the seafood industry.
“I think there is an interest in products like the minced seafood and the many ways smoked seafood can be used in the restaurant and food truck industry,” he said.
Hymel said the event will give participants the chance to see some of the commercial food processing equipment housed in the lab.
Organizers encourage participants to preregister by visiting https://tinyurl.com/ycxka98a.
For more information concerning the event, email Anne Dugas at anned@lsu.edu.
