Kyle Peveto

As the global population increases to an estimated 9 billion people by 2037, many scientists are focused on new ways to feed the world.

Through his work in the LSU AgCenter School of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Witoon Prinyawiwatkul is doing his part.

A food scientist, Prinyawiwatkul and his team of researchers devise solutions to the problem of food waste while also developing new revenue streams for agricultural producers.

“The population is growing, so we need a new source of food,” Prinyawiwatkul said. “We are looking for alternative sources of protein or other material.”

In collaboration with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Prinyawiwatkul’s Sensory Services Lab recently developed uses for two underused parts of catfish and then tested consumers’ reactions. Catfish is the predominant aquaculture fish product in the South. It is also a vital feature of Louisiana’s food culture, whether served fried, blackened, broiled or smothered with etouffee.

The work of Prinyawiwatkul and his team to help feed the world while simultaneously helping producers develop new sources of income fulfills the promise of the LSU Agriculture strategic plan — Louisiana Solutions, Global Impact. Hundreds of LSU AgCenter and College of Agriculture researchers work on the LSU campus and 14 research stations across the state to implement this vision. Prinyawiwatkul works closely with FOODii, the AgCenter Food Innovation Institute, which assists food business entrepreneurs with technical and marketing assistance and provides additional services.

For much of the world, fish is an important source of healthy protein. Fish and seafood provide about one-fifth of all animal-derived protein, according to a 2021 study by the United Nations.

The aquaculture industry has found commercial uses for most of the fish it produces, but up to 60% of the fish can be wasted in processing depending on the industry, Prinyawiwatkul found. Prinyawiwatkul and his team hope to feed humans with as much of the fish body as possible.

“Can we do something with that byproduct to convert it into a food product?” Prinyawiwatkul said. “Normally, it’s going to the landfill or into animal feed.”

Another AgCenter lab, the Seafood Processing Demonstration Lab, has worked to teach processors to use new processing methods to separate bits of dried and grounded the bones into powder. This powder could be used as a calcium supplement for fried catfish. They tested consumers’ opinions in the Sensory Services Lab on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge. Learn more about the tests on page 16.

Consumer studies helped researchers determine how much ground bone could be added to the fried fish batter before participants reacted negatively.

“It’s challenging,” Prinyawiwatkul said. “If you add bone into fish patties, the texture is going to be horrible because you can detect that sandiness.”

In Sensory Services Lab tests, consumers approved of the new products, leading Prinyawiwatkul and his team to dream up new ideas.

“That has inspired us,” he said. “What can we do with that?”

Kyle Peveto is the editor of Louisiana Agriculture.

The work of Prinyawiwatkul and his team to help feed the world while simultaneously helping producers develop new sources of income fulfills the promise of the LSU Agriculture strategic plan — Louisiana Solutions, Global Impact.

Photo by Olivia McClure