Fiskbestånden i Östersjön har sedan början av 1980-talet genomgått en omfattande förändring. Stora predatorer, som torsk (Gadus morhua) och abborre (Perca fluviatilis) har minskat i antal medan det finns tecken på att storspigg (Gasterosteus aculeatus) har ökat. Denna sannolika ökning av storspigg skulle kunna ha att göra med minskningen av både torsk och abborre som predatorer i de kustnära tångbältena. För att undersöka detta utfördes ett mesokosmexperiment där torskens och abborrens förmåga att predera på storspigg undersöktes, både i ljus och mörker. Hypoteserna som arbetet utgick ifrån var att torsk var en bättre predator i mörker än i ljus och att torsk var en bättre predator än abborre i mörker. Resultaten visar på att torsk är den bättre predatorn i både ljus och mörker, samt att den är lika framgångsrik i mörker som i ljus. Detta tyder på att torskens försvinnande skulle kunna vara en bidragande faktor till ökningen av storspigg. Ytterligare visades abborren vara en mer framgångsrik predator i mörker än i ljus, detta trots att den alltid anges som en visuell predator. Detta visar att även minskningen av abborre skulle kunna vara en anledning till att storspiggen ökar.

<p>Superchilling is a method that can be used to prolong the shelf life of foods by partial freezing. Knowledge of the effects of this method on both the shelf life and quality of foods is important in order to find optimal processing and storage conditions and is of great importance both for the industry and for the consumers. Different raw materials of muscle foods were studied with the purpose of creating a basis for further improvements of both the process and the storage conditions. Products from the commercially important species pork (both roasts and rib steaks), Atlantic salmon (both vacuum packed and wrapped fillets) and Atlantic cod (vacuum packed fillets) were chosen to represent different muscle foods.</p><p>Based on both sensory and microbial evaluations, the superchilled storage improved shelf life of pork roasts from 2 to 16 weeks, and shelf life might even be further prolonged if temperature is kept more constant. The H2S-producing bacteria in superchilled cod fillets did not exceed the limit of consumption during the whole storage period of six weeks, while the microbial shelf life of the ice chilled fillets was estimated to be 8 days after processing.</p><p>Quality changes have been studied with focus on biochemical and physiochemical properties. One of the major goals in meat and fish processing is the ability to retain water and it was observed that drip loss was lower in superchilled samples compared to traditionally chilled samples in all species studied. However, the subsequent liquid loss was higher both in pork roasts and in cod fillets.</p><p>The extractability of protein was used as a tool to monitor protein denaturation. It was found that myofibrillar proteins denatured more easily during superchilled than during traditionally chilled storage both in salmon and in cod fillets. This was confirmed by electrophoresis in salmon. The amount of free amino acids were higher in cod than in salmon and increased more during superchilled storage than during ice chilled storage indicating exoproteolytic activity during storage. Activities of cathepsins B and B + L in salmon fillets were relatively stable during the storage period in all storage groups, demonstrating that these enzymes are not deactivated at the selected storage temperatures and may therefore lead to softening during subsequent chilled storage.</p><p>In superchilled samples of all species studied, white spots emerged on the product surface. However, the appearance of spots did not correspond either to higher drip loss or to higher microbial growth on surface of these samples. On the contrary, the total plate counts of superchilled samples were lower than of the other storage groups. This observation also applied to iron agar counts on cod fillets. These findings are interpreted as a strong indication of that the spots most likely were not of microbial origin.</p><p>The optimal superchilling process and storage conditions remains to be found for the products studied. From the present results it is reasonable to suggest that optimal storage temperature for the vacuum packed salmon fillets is found between the superchilled temperatures in the present experiments. The quality both of the pork roasts and the cod fillets would probably benefit from a storage temperature slightly closer to 0 °C than those studied. It can also be assumed that the control of the superchilling process is more essential to cod than to salmon and pork. In addition, the properties of the raw material are crucial in order to obtain high quality of products after processing and storage.</p> / Paper I-III are reprinted with kind permission from Elsevier, sciencedirect.com

Superchilling is a method that can be used to prolong the shelf life of foods by partial freezing. Knowledge of the effects of this method on both the shelf life and quality of foods is important in order to find optimal processing and storage conditions and is of great importance both for the industry and for the consumers. Different raw materials of muscle foods were studied with the purpose of creating a basis for further improvements of both the process and the storage conditions. Products from the commercially important species pork (both roasts and rib steaks), Atlantic salmon (both vacuum packed and wrapped fillets) and Atlantic cod (vacuum packed fillets) were chosen to represent different muscle foods. Based on both sensory and microbial evaluations, the superchilled storage improved shelf life of pork roasts from 2 to 16 weeks, and shelf life might even be further prolonged if temperature is kept more constant. The H2S-producing bacteria in superchilled cod fillets did not exceed the limit of consumption during the whole storage period of six weeks, while the microbial shelf life of the ice chilled fillets was estimated to be 8 days after processing. Quality changes have been studied with focus on biochemical and physiochemical properties. One of the major goals in meat and fish processing is the ability to retain water and it was observed that drip loss was lower in superchilled samples compared to traditionally chilled samples in all species studied. However, the subsequent liquid loss was higher both in pork roasts and in cod fillets. The extractability of protein was used as a tool to monitor protein denaturation. It was found that myofibrillar proteins denatured more easily during superchilled than during traditionally chilled storage both in salmon and in cod fillets. This was confirmed by electrophoresis in salmon. The amount of free amino acids were higher in cod than in salmon and increased more during superchilled storage than during ice chilled storage indicating exoproteolytic activity during storage. Activities of cathepsins B and B + L in salmon fillets were relatively stable during the storage period in all storage groups, demonstrating that these enzymes are not deactivated at the selected storage temperatures and may therefore lead to softening during subsequent chilled storage. In superchilled samples of all species studied, white spots emerged on the product surface. However, the appearance of spots did not correspond either to higher drip loss or to higher microbial growth on surface of these samples. On the contrary, the total plate counts of superchilled samples were lower than of the other storage groups. This observation also applied to iron agar counts on cod fillets. These findings are interpreted as a strong indication of that the spots most likely were not of microbial origin. The optimal superchilling process and storage conditions remains to be found for the products studied. From the present results it is reasonable to suggest that optimal storage temperature for the vacuum packed salmon fillets is found between the superchilled temperatures in the present experiments. The quality both of the pork roasts and the cod fillets would probably benefit from a storage temperature slightly closer to 0 °C than those studied. It can also be assumed that the control of the superchilling process is more essential to cod than to salmon and pork. In addition, the properties of the raw material are crucial in order to obtain high quality of products after processing and storage. / Paper I-III are reprinted with kind permission from Elsevier, sciencedirect.com

Sportfiskarna söker ständigt efter nyheter inom branschen. Konkurrensen är tuff bland företag inom branschen och det gäller att ständigt kunna erbjuda det senaste. En innovativ produkt som kan skapa uppmärksamhet hos fisken är en eftertraktad nyhet. Examensarbetets genomförande sker med en projektplan innehållande en tidplan, riskhantering, organisation och filhantering. Projektets faser består av planering, förstudie, produktspecificering, konceptgenerering, konceptval, konstruktion, formgivning, prototyp samt en patentansökan. Med hänsyn taget till en kravspecifikation, som upprättades under förstudien där brukarens behov och önskemål samt krav från samarbetspartnern definieras, genererades det slutgiltiga konceptet. Förstudien fokus har främst legat på brukaren, för att definiera vad han eller hon vill ha. Förstudien visar att brukaren i första hand vill ha något innovativt och enkelt.  Vid idégenerering användes verktyg som 6-3-5, skissande av hela koncept samt brainstorming. Dessa verktyg användes vid konceptgenerering, men även under arbetet med patentansökan. Den förstnämnda användes för att generera olika möjligheter för hur och vad som konceptet ska lösa. Den andra användes för att identifiera vad experter inom sportfiskebranschen anser vara ett lyckat fiskedrag. Det tredje verktyget användes för att finna potentiella lösningar vid en specifik frågeställning. Efter sortering av konceptet kvarstod nio unika kombinationer. Det slutgiltiga konceptet består av ett fiskedragshuvud (jigghuvud) med implementerad modul som blinkar vid kontakt med vatten. Detta slutgiltiga val beslutades tillsammans med samarbetspartnern. En patentansökan fick projektplanen och rapporten korrigeras till version 2.0.  Genom projektet har skisser använts frekvent för att testa idéer och kombinationer. Prototyper av det valda konceptet gjordes för att erhålla ytterligare information om konstruktion och funktion. / The fishermen are constantly looking for something new. As a company, specialized in this profession, it is necessary to be able to offer the newest thing within fishing. A new kind of fishing lure that creates attention among the fish is an innovative new and welcomed product among fishermen’s. The thesis work is carried out as a project with a project plan containing a time chart, risk management, organization and file management. The phases of the project consist of planning, research, product specification, concept generation, evaluation, construction, design and patent application. The concept was developed with a product specification in mind. This specification is a list of the users needs and preferences, as well as requirements from the cooperation partner. The research focused on the users need, to determine what the customer really wants. The result from the research was that the user wants something innovative and easy to use. Idea generation utilized tools like 6-3-5, generating entire concepts as well as brainstorming. These tools were used in concept generation, but also during the work with the patent applications. The first mentioned tool was used to generate possibilities for how and what the product will do. The second mentioned tool was used to identify what those within this profession think would be a successful fishing lure. The third tool was used to find potential solutions for a specific issue. Evaluation of the ideas resulted in nine different kinds of concepts. The final concept consists of a fishing lure head (jig head) with implemented module that illuminates when in contact with water. This final decision was made after presentation and discussion with the partner. With a patent application, the project plan and the report were corrected to version 2.0. Sketches were frequently used to through the project to test ideas and combinations. Prototypes of the chosen concept were made to obtain additional information on design and function.