A new iPhone app from Nofima was launched at this week’s European Seafood Exposition in Brussels.
The new app will help fishmongers evaluate how fresh a batch of fish is.
The app is free and is aimed at fishmongers and others wanting to evaluate the shelf life of whole gutted fresh fish.
The freshness of the fish may be determined via a few steps, including odour, texture and the appearance of the eyes, skin and gills. The final result appears immediately.
The app is based on the Quality Index Method (QIM), a standardised method for evaluating the freshness of fish, which was developed by scientists from several European research institutes and is now used worldwide. Until now users worldwide have downloaded the manual via the internet, but the new app makes it even easier to use this method.
For the time being salmon, cod and plaice may be checked using the app, but this will in time be expanded to include other species, including haddock, redfish, shrimps and saithe.
The “How fresh is your fish?” app is available in 11 languages and is available to anyone with an iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.
“With the aid of competent seafood research, we have a good basis for being the leading seafood nation in the world. We can increase the export value first and foremost through innovation and development. This app is a good example of applied research,” says Managing Director of the Norwegian Seafood Export Council, Terje Martinussen.
He was the first person to test the new app when it was launched at ESE on Wednesday.
