A milestone for the OSU Surimi School

This week (May 10-12, 2017) marks a significant milestone for the Oregon State University (OSU) Seafood Laboratory in Astoria, OR. For the 25^th consecutive year, Dr. Jae Park is delivering the OSU Surimi School (OSS, surimischool.org). The OSS was founded and developed by Dr. Park in 1993. It is the first of its kind and is the only course aimed at training and educating participants about surimi and surimi seafood manufacture and quality improvement issues. The course is held over an intensive 2.5 days that include lectures and hands-on labs and typically has 40+ attendees. At the end of this intensive training period, students are given an exam (open book for industry professionals, closed book for OSU students) and a certificate of training. Attendees also receive educational material, developed specifically for the OSS, in the form of the textbook Surimi and Surimi Seafood. This textbook provides the structure for delivery of all the lectures and labs. It also serves as a handbook for technicians in plants, as its Appendix contains the industry standardized testing protocols for surimi and surimi seafood. Through the OSS, new technology and data are shared to benefit both major players in the surimi industry (e.g., manufacturers, ingredient suppliers, educators, etc.) and also in aiding developing and developed countries to stabilize and maximize the utilization of fish proteins for their own industries and/or fisheries. The OSS has been the cornerstone and locomotive for broadening the international understanding of the surimi and surimi seafood industries since its establishment. Dr. Park expanded the OSS to be hosted in 31 countries in Europe, Asia, and other regions. Approximately 6500 participants have attended the OSS worldwide. Over 90 different companies have financially contributed through sponsorships towards the support of the OSU Surimi School since its establishment. Through Dr. Park’s leadership, OSU Surimi School has significantly contributed to technology transfer between academia, industry, and government, where idea exchange has improved processing and marketing for surimi and surimi seafood processors around the world. The OSU Surimi School has been an excellent example of how the successful cooperation between academia and industry can achieve significant societal benefits.