SilverFin Jerky™

Come join Jamie on his step by step food innovation process, as he develops a high protein fish jerky which incorporates seaweed as a sodium substitute, producing additional health benefits for consumers. This project is being carried out as part of  a BSc (Hons) Food Science and Innovation degree. #WITfoodies

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Showcasing Day

I would like to say a huge thank you to all individuals who attended and participated in the food innovation showcase at Waterford Institute of Technology. It was a huge success overall, and lots of positive feedback was received for both SilverFin products.

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Infographic for Showcase Day

Hi guys,

So this is just a small infographic which will be handed out on showcase day to provide individuals with important information about SilverFin Fish Jerky. This graphic will also be utilised as a large poster behind the stand to convey information to people who are may be curious about the fish jerky products when passing the stand 

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Final SilverFin Jerky flavours in their resealable packaging. This packaging concept allows consumers to enjoy multiple servings of each healthy snack whenever suits them best, be it after a work out, on an outdoor adventure, or even as a working lunch snack. Its convenience will appeal to the millennial market, an age generation known for their busy adventurous lifestyles. 

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SHOWCASING DAY!

The big day is finalised and I would like to invite everyone to our showcasing event, after all who could refuse free ice cream? 

On the day please feel free to come have a chat with me at my stand, I’m more than happy to answer any questions. There will be plenty of samples for your taste buds to experience 

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The big day is getting closer, don’t forget to save the date in your diary, 25th of April. 

Everyone is welcome, so please come along and sample our food products and let us know what you think! On the day there will be an array of food products, you will certainly be spoiled for choice. 

Fish Jerky- tuna&pollock jerky @silverfin-jerky 

Struffles- craft beer & sloe gin infused chocolates @struffles

Vitaease- high protein drink for the elderly @vitaeasesmoothie

Protein Pasta - made with cricket powder @tastylittlebuggers

Recovery juice- apple and apple&blackcurrent @recovajuice

Gourmet popcorn- white chocolate @niairin

Breakfast muffins - black pudding & onion @snowysgirlbakery

French Marshmallows - rhubarb&mint, elderflower @naturalkix

Tangle tea- Made with infused seaweed @tangletea

Stripped back food company-Quinoa pizza @strippedbackfoodcompany

Nutty Chef-  array of peanut spreads - indian delight @thenuttychef

Flapjack with function ingredients @chewjack

Luxury muffins- cherry& chocolate @blathannasbakery

Munchin- healthy protein balls for kids @munchinfoods

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Finalised Packaging

Finalised packaging design for SilverFin Jerky. Hope everybody likes the premium quality, clean, marine appearance which draws together fish and the wilds of the Atlantic Ocean where they are sourced. I am confident this will help the product stand out from similar type products on retail shelves, and help build brand recognition with consumers.

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More Showcasing Ideas...

Great prop ideas for SilverFin Jerky showcasing day. Everybody is invited along to WIT to sample this healthy new product on the 25th of April. Looking forward to seeing you there.

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Innovation Showcase Ideas

As the date of showcasing draws near (25th of April for those who don’t already know), its important that design the showcasing stand is already underway. SilverFin's stand will have a nautical theme, incorporating wooden fishing crates and other rustic marine elements. The striking brand logo for SilverFin shall also be prominently on display, as it is important to keep this image fresh in consumers minds at every available opportunity

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Good News From Shelf Life Testing

Hi everyone,

So over the past number of weeks I have been finalising the recipe of SilverFin Jerky and one vital aspect of this the quantity of seaweed used. This seaweed acts as a salt substitute, stopping all types of nasty's from growing on the product. Well I'm pleased to say that SilverFin Jerky has passed all tests related to shelf life testing, and can be considered free from all those nasty microbes.

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A History of Jerky

The word “jerky” comes from a South American native tribe called the Quechua, originally part of the ancient Inca empire, as early as 1550. They called it ch’arki, which means “to burn (meat)”. The Quechua used meat from the alpaca and llamas that was boned and defatted, cut into slices and rubbed with salt. The meat was then sun dried or smoked over a fire. 

The Spanish Conquistadors picked up on this and when they invaded the Americas they saw that the natives of North America were drying meat from buffalo, elk, and deer as well. It did not take long before the natives adopted the Spanish term, Charqui, only adding their accent and the word “jerky” was born. 

This method of preserving meats enabled people to consume high protein fuel that was readily available and eat it when food was scarce. Jerky became a staple foodstuff for early American pioneers and cowboys, who sometimes dried meats by placing them between their horse and its saddle. This produced a jerky variant known as Biltong, which is still very popular in South Africa. 

Over the years people discovered that jerky could be made more palatable by the addition of various spices, consuming it for its taste rather than out of necessity. Many flavors, styles, and different types of animal and fish have been prepared as jerky and is it is now one of the world’s leading snacks.

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Teriyaki & The Taste of The Irish Sea

This Weeks Innovative Flavour Concept From @SilverFinJerky;

       Teriyaki & Kelp Flavoured Tuna & Pollock

              - High Protein 

              - Low Salt 

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First Impressions Always Matter...

So this week was mainly focused on the primary packaging of SilverFin Jerky. The image above is a provisional packaging concept which includes all mandatory information, mostly on the rear of the packaging.

I believe the packaging gives the product a premium quality, clean, marine appearance which also illustrates the wilds of the Atlantic Ocean. I am confident this will help the product stand out from similar type products on retail shelves.

As always I am excited to hear your thoughts on my product and appreciate all feedback. So let me know what you think of my packaging concept☺

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Lets Reduce That Sodium

Traditional jerky products use large quantities of salts in their preservation process. Silverfin jerky aims to buck this trend by utilising a preservation process which benefits the consumer from a health standpoint.

Dillisk - a reddish purple seaweed that typically grows off rocky shores in northern oceans - makes a perfect salt substitute for those looking to reduce their sodium intake. By incorporating this substance into Silverfin jerky, a reduction in overall sodium content of the fish product will be achieved, which can only be good for those who just cant get enough of the delicious flavour of Silverfin jerky

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And The Results Are In....

Fat analysis is vital for Silverfin Jerky as too much fat in the product would impact negatively on the products shelf-life.

Unsurprisingly, the tuna (oily-fish) had a higher fat content than the pollock (whitefish). This gives me a number of things to think about going forward, which is all part of the food innovation process after all :) 

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Fats In Fish. No Need To Be Afraid

All fish contain fat in the form of oil. Certain kinds of fish known as whitefish store all oil in their liver. Meanwhile others have oil dispersed throughout their bodies. These fish are commonly referred to as oily-fish strangely enough!

But do not be put off by this revelation, as I have some good news. Fish oil is actually good for you! The oils in fish offer a wide range of health benefits that the fat in meat, chicken, and eggs just can’t.

This is because the fish fat is made up of Omega-3s, a form of fatty acids that are great for your heart. Fish oil also reduces inflammation in the body, stops clots from blocking blood flow to your brain and heart, and prevents the cholesterol from hardening on the walls of your arteries.

By eating fish, you’ll do your body a BIG favor. You’ll improve the health of your heart, digestive system, joints, brain, and every other organ in your body, leading to increased overall health and well-being. All thanks to the fat in fish! 

So stay tuned for the results of Silverfin’s fish jerky fat analysis, which will be coming very soon. 

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New Week, New Recipes....Its Time For Some Marinades

I trialed two very different flavour combinations this week. First up was a take on the traditional beef jerky marinade, utilising a soy sauce base with a smokey lemon flavour. 

For the second marinade, locally sourced Dunphy’s whiskey was used as the marinade base, with dillisk  seaweed as a flavour enhancer and salt replacer.

When comparing the dry rub jerky from last week and the marinated jerky from this week, it is clear that marination provides more flavour notes, as it able to penetrate deeper into the fish. This penetration enables the fish to retain more flavour in the drying process.

These flavours certainly are a change from last week, but this is what food innovation is all about. There is just no substitution for testing flavour concepts than tasting them.You will never know if it works or not unless you tuck in.

So who knows what flavours next week will bring. 

Please let me know what you think of my product, all your comments are greatly appreciated.

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Benefits of Fish Consumption

For individuals who are thinking about increasing their consumption of fish and seafood products, this article highlights some amazing benefits.