New Seafood Processing Demonstration Lab ribbon-cutting ceremony set for July 19

The LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant will hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony on a new Seafood Processing Demonstration Lab Tuesday, July 19 at 10:00 a.m. The lab is located at the LSU AgCenter Iberia Research Station, 603 LSU Bridge Rd., Jeanerette, and will house and provide space for commercial food processing equipment used for demonstration, training and research purposes. 

The lab will help potential and existing seafood processors explore new concepts and opportunities for processing, packaging and value-added seafood products. It is modeled on the current LSU AgCenter Food Innovation Institute and operates in collaboration with LSU School of Nutrition and Food Sciences. 

Leadership from LSU AgCenter, Louisiana Sea Grant, LSU School of Nutrition and Food Science, dignitaries from Iberia Parish and the Chamber of Commerce, and seafood industry professionals will be in attendance. 

As the largest seafood producer in the lower 48, Louisiana is poised to move beyond the commodity food chain and become a leader in seafood processing technology, education, and outreach. The new Seafood Processing Demonstration Lab (SPDL) at the Iberia Research Station will build upon decades of field work and research by the LSU AgCenter and Louisiana Sea Grant to further seafood product development and promote best practices infood safety and sanitation. This effort comes at a time when the state’s seafood industry is under considerable duress, providing much-needed assistance in the recovery effort.