Objetivos e Atividades
Sea urchin's gonads are a highly appreciated gourmet product comparable to Caviar. Gonads market price mainly depends on aroma and colour, which are a reflection of animals' diet. This project will promote aquaculture diversification and sustainable valorisation of sea urchin by a) improving gonads quality and marketability trough dietary modulation with natural pigments, aiming the regular production of high quality gonads; b) adding value to sea urchin gonads applying new preservation and processing strategies for gonad upgrading, proposing new refrigerated, frozen and canned products, to better satisfy consumers' and markets' demands; c) to promote the full valorisation of sea urchin under a circular economy approach, converting sea urchin by-products into high-valued compounds, with biotechnological and biomedical application, reducing environmental impact and increasing economic value. |