Meet Antonio Marques as one of the Invited speakers at WEFTA 2022.

Antonio Marques graduated in Marine Biology at the University of Lisbon (Portugal, 1999) and received his PhD degree in Applied Biological Sciences from the University of Ghent (Belgium, 2005). He is Senior Researcher at the Portuguese Institute for the Sea and Atmosphere (IPMA). His main interests are seafood quality and safety (chemical contaminants), innovative solutions for the seafood production and processing industries, seafood preservation methodologies, and effects of climate change on seafood quality. He has published more than 140 manuscripts in peer reviewed journals and has been Guest Editor of the peer reviewed indexed Journals Food and Chemical Toxicology, Environmental Research and Toxins. He has coordinated several EU funded project, such as ECsafeSEAFOOD (FP7; 17 partners; 2013-2017) and SEAFOODtomorrow (H2020; 35 partners; 2017-2021).

Eco-innovative seafood processing solutions for consumers of tomorrow

In the last decade, there has been a downward trend in European seafood consumption in Europe, while the costs of seafood have increased. This represents a huge social challenge, as lower income population groups are not consuming seafood and the essential nutrients it contains, which is in turn reflected in several diet-related illnesses. In this context, seafood processing plays an important role in European economic and social wellbeing, being essential to maintain the quality and nutritional attributes of the highly perishable seafood to avoid wastes and losses. Yet, seafood processing can be resource intensive, requiring high volumes of water and energy. Consequently, implementing cost-effective and environment-friendly solutions in the seafood processing industry is crucial, as well as developing intelligent packaging/shelf-life and processing towards new products with higher consumer acceptance and trust, while supporting European seafood security. This includes:

1. Digestible, attractive, functional, sustainable, and nutritionally adapted food to specific population groups, convenient seafood products that meet modern lifestyle demands and seafood products with reduced sodium.

2. Fast screening methods for the management of seafood production systems.

3. Help consumers taking informed decisions and select the most appropriate seafood products for them using consumer digital risk benefit tools.

4. Assure consumers that the seafood they purchased is authentic (fast screening DNA authenticity tools) and can be traced along the value chain (transparent digital traceability system linked to a certifiable quality label with a QR code).

5. Technological solutions that reduce the levels of contaminants in seafood products, particularly bivalves and ready-to-eat fish (bacteriophages, thermal processing and depuration). 

6. Produce farmed fish biofortified with natural and sustainable ingredients in an integrated multitrophic way.

7. Energy, water and costs reducing strategies in the seafood processing industry