Day for Fish: Final stakeholder event on fish and its substitutes

6 September 2024 By

On 3 September 2024, the LOWINFOOD partners from the Institute of Sustainable Nutrition (ISUN) of the FH Münster University of Applied Sciences (Germany), held their final stakeholder event as part of LOWINFOOD. People who run kitchens or work in product development were invited to the workshop, among others.

Some theory and a lot of practice, and also a little enjoyment – that’s what Tobias Engelmann and Prof. Dr. Guido Ritter had promised for the “Day for Fish”. The participants tried out for themselves in the food lab muenster how fish can be prepared and used well and completely. In the sensory laboratory, they tasted small things with and without fish. “Because fish stocks are limited, we turned our attention to waste-free use of fish and possible alternatives,” says Engelmann. These included vegetables prepared in a certain way and algae.

In addition to the practical training on waste-free utilization of fish, a large part of the day was devoted to the presentation and discussion of the results of the stakeholder dialogue in the German fish value chain. In order to give other interested people the chance to participate online, the lecture and discussion part was organized in a hybrid format. The findings of the past years were reinforced in the lively discussion. The participants, some of whom are themselves responsible for catering in educational institutions, were particularly concerned about the need for nutrition education as the basis for intelligent, appreciative eating habits that produce as little waste as possible – after all, most waste is not generated in industry or trade, but in households. With the “Day for Fish” we not only presented project findings but also contributed to strengthening the basis for low-waste handling of the precious food fish with the involvement of multipliers.

Voices from the workshop

Simone Brüning, Thünen Institute of Sea Fisheries Photo: FH Münster/OEF

“I’m here because we at the Thünen Institute are dealing with fish leftovers from processing, among other things. We want to see whether there are thematic overlaps with the FH Münster. It’s also exciting to get to know people who deal with similar topics and to get new ideas from the food lab.”

Anil Kumar, apetito catering Photo: FH Münster/OEF

“I learned a few new things at this workshop on fish and its substitutes. For example, how to create a fish texture from carrots and watermelons. And also how to bring the taste of fish and seafood into fruit and vegetables. The ISUN team held the workshop with a lot of passion. I would like to say a big thank you for that.”

Marie Hatke, Hofmann Menü-Manufaktur GmbH Photo: FH Münster/OEF

“Fish alternatives are particularly important for everyday work and product development in the future. I learned a lot today about the direction in which they can go in terms of taste and consistency.”