ICHTHYS is multidisciplinary, cross-sectorial project that aims to optimize novel value-chains for fish and seafood products to reach the EU market and to develop an integrated sustainable approach to improve quality and reduce product loss during the supply chain.

Specific objectives are to:

• Introduce novel nonthermal food processing as an alternative approach to conventional post-harvest fish and seafood processing methods;
• ​Systematically investigate the effect of processing through novel nonthermal methods on the quality and safety attributes of fish and seafood, targeting as required identified challenges (eg. parasites and toxins) and assessing allergenic capacity;
• ​Test and apply active and intelligent packaging systems that can appropriately monitor the quality and safety of fish and seafood products;
• ​Implement modern techniques and molecular biology tools in the evaluation of quality and safety status of fish and seafood;
• ​Integrate “omics” technologies to identify novel markers for quality assessment and microbiological spoilage fingerprints;
• ​Evaluate consumers’ preferences and expectations from the developed fish and seafood prototypes;
• ​Evaluate the socio-economic impact of the developed processing technologies and cold chain management tools;
• ​Provide cross-cutting intersectoral and interdisciplinary knowledge exchange and training to improve employability and career prospects both in and outside academia;
• ​Contribute to the knowledge-based economy and society to boost regional and European competitiveness and growth, promote food security and exports to promote job creation.