AFC 2025

The 2025 Aquatic Foods Conference, held across several locations in Louisiana, brought together researchers, industry leaders, extension professionals, regulators, and students to explore current challenges and emerging opportunities in aquatic foods. The conference began with industry tours of Guidry’s Catfish and Ocean Select facilities in Breaux Bridge and the Seafood Processing Demonstration Lab at the LSU AgCenter in Jeanerette, where participants engaged in discussions on sustainability, seafood quality, utilization, safety, and future collaborative research opportunities. Conference sessions featured regulatory updates from federal and state agencies, including the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), U.S. Department of Commerce, New York Department of Agriculture, and Louisiana Department of Health, as well as presentations focused on seafood traceability, food safety, and compliance with FSMA 204 requirements.

Technical sessions highlighted innovative research in cell-based seafood, consumer perceptions of alternative seafood products, seafood waste valorization, aquaculture sustainability, seafood quality, and post-harvest storage. Attendees also participated in poster presentations, networking events, and organizational business meetings that focused on strengthening industry engagement and planning future conference initiatives. The conference concluded with a specialized Shrimp School hosted at Laitram Machinery and Prime Shrimp facilities, where participants learned about advancements in shrimp processing automation, inspection technologies, sanitary equipment design, and modern seafood processing systems.