With a plenary session divided into four themes, and one day devoted to three parallel symposia, the third Open Seafoodplus conference on 30 and 31 May in Tromsø, Norway, comes as a package of new information delivered in a fresh format.
Tromsø, the largest Nordic city north of the Arctic Circle, is the venue for an event that, as in previous years, brings the latest scientific results from this ambitious project to seafood professionals from around the world.
This year's conference divides the plenary session into four broad themes, which will be addressed from a number of different – and occasionally conflicting – angles, deliberately chosen to ensure a lively discussion after each round of presentations. The first theme considers what consumers would like to know about seafood in contrast to how industry is prepared to deliver this information. The second contrasts seafood product characteristics and how these may impact the quality of life of young consumers. Thirdly aquaculture will be addressed while the last considers potential loss of nutrients by industrial processing and in-household preparations.
Following the plenary session the next day will be dedicated to three parallel symposia, each showing how research within the SEAFOODplus Project is of relevance to industry. Presentations will be made both by researchers participating in the project as well as speakers from outside.
The three themes are: "Consumer oriented seafood product development"; "Seafood and lowering the risk of chronic diseases"; and "New developments to manage microbial seafood safety".
Another novelty at the conference, and one that aims to both inform and entertain, will be a top chef sharing his opinion on seafood for the European consumer as he prepares a series of culinary dishes.
