LACTIC ACID PRE-TREATED GREEN MUSSEL
Patent Number: PH-2-2018-001179

Patent Title: LACTIC ACID PRE-TREATED GREEN MUSSEL

​​Description

A value-added fish and fishery product that pertains to the pre-treatment of green mussel by subjecting it to a combination of processing methods like blanching, acid-pretreatment, vacuum-packaging, and chilling.

​Innovative Features and Benefits:

Green mussel (Perna Viridis) is a commercially significant commodity in the Philippines (Yap, 1999) and is considered as the top six among important aquaculture species in our country (Fisheries Situationer, 2015; PSA, 2015). The mussel has served as an alternative cheap protein source for coastal communities (Masniyom and Benjama, 2007). They are known to have a short shelf life after harvest due to their neutral pH, high amino acid, and water activity. They also contain a high initial microbial load due to their filter-feeding nature which further contributes to shorter shelf life (Batista and Mendes, 2012). The green mussel can be kept alive for 36-48 hours after harvest at ambient temperature (Lima et al., 2016). This period is not enough to transport green mussels from distant mussel farms to markets.

Thus, the development of a pre-treatment process to increase the shelf life and quality of green mussel and fishery products are necessary. Organic acids are among the popular food treatments in the industry due to their natural occurrence in various vegetables and animal substrates (Gomis, 1992). Lactic acid is an organic acid that is generally recognized as safe and beneficial in extending the shelf life of meat products subjected to cold storage (Whittle, 1990). At present, there is no available product of pre-treated green mussel using lactic acid in the market.

The short shelf-life of green mussels after harvest limits its marketability and lowers the price of the said commodity. The Lactic Acid Pre-treated Green Mussel provides a process of pre-treating green mussel (Perna Viridis) using food-grade lactic acid to extend the shelf life and improve the marketability of the said product. The product is an innovation to offer to a wide range of consumers because it is already in shucked form, lactic acid pre-treated, and vacuum-packaged. The hurdles of processing methods used in the formulation of this product improve its market value and increase its consumer acceptability and shelf-life.

​Business Potential:

The fish processing and value-addition of green mussels through lactic acid pre-treatment will help the farmers, target markets (i.e. restaurants and balikbayans), and consumers in various ways. This technology will offer a new opportunity for mussel farmers to sell their cultured species at a higher price once the demand for pre-treated mussels will increase. The product can be a raw material or ingredients that can be offered in seafood restaurants. The balikbayans can also easily transport the product because it is already shucked from its shells and has a longer shelf-life compared to the non-treated green mussels. Consumers can also eat a safe food product because it had undergone a series of pre-treatment (blanching, acid pre-treatment, vacuum-packaging, chilling) that eliminates/ lessen food-borne pathogens.

Application:

The value-addition of this product will help improve its marketability, increase its market price and improve the living condition of the mussel farmers.