JIFSAN & U.S. FDA Jointly Conducted Sensory Decomposition Course in Manta, Ecuador as Part of the Shrimp Mandate Program

UMD-JIFSAN and U.S. FDA jointly conducted two Sensory Decomposition courses in Manta, Ecuador April 10-11 & April 13-14, 2023 at the Grupo Degfer processing facility. These courses provided Ecuadorian industry personnel from diverse fields with knowledge on sensory analysis of seafood. Sensory analysis is a critical tool used to protect consumers from seafood that has become adulterated due to decomposition. Each course was a 2-day, in-person training that allowed participants to go through raw shrimp and mahi samples to distinguish between basic quality odor attributes as well as identify different odors of spoilage and the degree of spoilage that defines the accept/reject level for the product examined. JIFSAN collaborated with the Undersecretary of Quality and Safety (SCI) under the Ministry of Production, Foreign Trade, Investment and Fisheries (MPCEIP), Government of Ecuador.

Date Country Location # of Participants Collaborators
April 10-11, 2023 Ecuador Manta 18 U.S. FDA, SCI, Grupo Degfer
April 13-14, 2023 Ecuador Manta 20 U.S. FDA, SCI, Grupo Degfer

Personnel in lab coats and hair nets prepare bags of shrimp in a storage facility.