The Norwegian Seafood Research Fund (FHF) has announced funding of up to NOK 3 million (around €260,000) for a new project focused on developing an innovative whitefish production concept using partially thawed raw materials in fillet processing operations.
According to FHF, whitefish that has been frozen and later thawed can deliver quality and shelf life comparable to fresh fish when handled under carefully controlled conditions. The organization highlighted that effective process management, suitable freezing and thawing techniques, and maintaining a stable cold chain are essential to achieving consistent product quality.
The project will explore a processing method in which the fish is not completely thawed before filleting and further production. Instead, a controlled amount of ice will remain in the raw material during processing. This approach is expected to influence the texture and mechanical properties of the fish, making it firmer than fully thawed raw material.
As a result, existing production lines may require adjustments and modified processing strategies to effectively handle partially thawed fish. The funded initiative aims to identify the most important process parameters, conduct industrial-scale trials, assess the impact on product quality and raw material yield, and evaluate how the concept could affect efficiency in industrial seafood processing operations.
The development comes at a time when concerns over whitefish availability continue to grow in Europe. Earlier in 2025, Seafood Europe warned that increasing pressure on wild-caught whitefish supplies could create significant challenges for the EU seafood processing sector.
Seafood Europe has called for stronger measures to secure seafood raw material supplies in order to protect processing activities, employment, and the long-term competitiveness of the European seafood industry.