308: Consumer Acceptability of Upcycled Squid Wing Dumplings

Introduction

The North Atlantic squid fishery includes two species of squid known as longfin inshore squid and Northern shortfin squid. During processing roughly 50% of the squid is discarded as waste, including the wings (fins). The goal of this research is to develop new food products from squid wings, thereby optimizing resource use and profitability. The specific objective of this study was to evaluate the consumer acceptability of frozen dumplings formulated with minced squid wings.

Methods

The squid were commercially processed, and their wings were removed and blast frozen. The thawed wings were minced, mixed with salt, sugar, transglutaminase, sesame oil, starch, potato flakes, and spices, then wrapped in dough. Four different dumpling treatments were prepared to evaluate the effects of squid species (longfin/shortfin) and mincing method (chopped/ground wing). Participants (n=108) were recruited to provide feedback on their squid consumption habits and the sensory acceptability of the dumplings. Panelists rated appearance, aroma, texture, flavor, and overall acceptability on a 9-point hedonic scale (1=dislike extremely, 9=like extremely) for each of the freshly steamed dumpling treatments. Participants were also shown a product concept statement and asked about purchase intent and willingness to pay. Hedonic data were statistically analyzed by ANOVA (p < 0.05).

Results

Participants rated their overall liking of longfin dumplings as significantly higher (6.4) than shortfin dumplings (5.9), commenting that longfin samples were “less fishy” while the shortfin samples had a “mushy” texture. Longfin dumplings received higher scores for aroma, flavor and texture, but mincing method did not impact hedonic results. Appearance scores were not affected by species, which was surprising given the dark purple color of the longfin samples. Based on the product concept statement, ~85% of the panelists said they would be “somewhat” or “extremely” likely to purchase the squid wing dumplings.

Significance

This study demonstrated that traditionally discarded North Atlantic squid wings can be used as the primary ingredient in frozen squid dumplings, with mean overall acceptability scores ranging from “like somewhat” to “like moderately” for this prototype product. By optimizing the utilization of this byproduct in nutritious and convenient seafood formulations, the food industry can reduce waste and foster sustainability.

Authors: Mallory Perry, Robert Dumas, Brianna Hughes, and Denise Skonberg