New technology promises to keep frozen shrimp fresher for longer

New technology promises to keep frozen shrimp fresher for longer

2023-05-30

A new technology promises to revolutionize the freezing process for food products such as shrimp. Taiwan imports tens of thousands of tons of freshwater prawn from Southeast Asia every year. With the new peptide-based freezing technology, frozen shrimp don’t get dehydrated and retain more of their integrity and taste.

A worker opens a box and unpacks frozen giant freshwater prawns. They are shelled and go straight into the pan.

Kuanyin-tea-infused prawns, Thai prawn soup, prawns and spinach in a cheese gratin… All these dishes star frozen freshwater prawns imported from Vietnam or Thailand. Peel back the shells and you can see just how fresh they are.

Freshwater prawn chef
The meat has a firm quality, but with springiness.

Luo Chin-han
Chinese Gourmet Association
Their flavor after defrosting is sweeter and better than our normal prawns produced in the standard way.

They even have the springiness and appealing color of fresh prawns after defrosting. A biotech company has developed a new peptide freezing technology, which can rapidly freeze foods. Prawns transported this way can retain more than 95% of their structure and keep for five years. And the technology works for more than just seafood.

Lin Ku-chun
Biotech company CEO
Giant freshwater prawns can’t be put in ice – as soon as they’re frozen, their soluble proteins and flesh start to disintegrate. Our antifreeze peptides mainly work to inhibit the growth of ice crystals, so we’ve solved the “recrystallization” problem which nobody could manage before. We can freeze milk and eggs, which is relevant to the egg shortage Taiwan experienced recently. Once they are defrosted, the eggs retain their taste, and their yolks and albumens don’t break.

Only about 11,000 tons of whiteleg shrimp are grown in Taiwan annually – not enough to meet the demand for shrimp. About 25,000 to 36,000 tons of prawns must be imported each year to fill the gap. This new technology could make those imports taste, feel and even look much closer to their original glory.

剝開蝦殼還能看出鮮度! 冷凍泰國蝦美味上桌

2023-05-30

台灣人每年有2.5到3.6萬公噸，都需要仰賴進口，有生技公司就研發了新的肽冷凍技術，讓蝦子就算經過長途跋涉運抵台灣，也能保有一定的新鮮度，不會脫水，口感和顏色都不會受影響。

打開包裝，把一隻隻冷凍泰國蝦，簡單去殼，就能下鍋料理。

台灣茶拌炒的觀音茶香泰國蝦、泰式上湯泰國蝦、西式起司菠菜奶油焗烤蝦等料理，都是用越南和泰國運來的冷凍泰國蝦當主角，剝開蝦殼，還可以看出它的鮮。

[[泰國蝦主廚]]
“這個肉質，它就是有那種很緊實的感覺，就是有彈性”

[[中華美食交流協會理事長駱進漢]]
“不管是解凍完之後它的口感，跟一般我們製作的方式，會比一般蝦子更甜更好吃”

冷凍退冰後，還能保有蝦子的彈性和色澤，原來生技公司研發了肽冷凍技術，能夠急速冷凍食材，讓蝦子在正常的冷凍運輸中，也能維持95%以上的完整性，保鮮期長達5年，而不只是海鮮，將來更可以應用其他食品上。

[[生技公司總經理林谷峻]]
“泰國蝦它不能冰，它只要經過冷凍之後，它的可溶性蛋白，它的肉質都會粉掉，那我們的抗凍肽，最主要是可以抑制冰晶的成長，所以我們是解決大家沒辦法克服，叫”再結晶”的問題，我們可以冷凍鮮奶，至於前一陣子台灣發生的雞蛋荒，我們可以冷凍雞蛋，我們還原之後，雞蛋它的香味，它的蛋黃、蛋白，是不會破裂的”

台灣白蝦養殖，每年平均只有1.1萬公噸，產量嚴重不足，因此需要另外從國外進口2.5到3.6萬公噸，為了讓進口蝦的鮮度，水分和顏色不受長途運送的影響，業者研發新的冷凍技術，要讓海產進口到台灣後，仍然維持本色。

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They exchange a handshake at the opening of a religious procession in Kinmen. Vice President Lai Ching-te and Hon Hai founder Terry Gou encountered each other in Kinmen.

Gou presented Lai with a copy of his cross-strait peace declaration. Lai replied that he, too, stood for peace.

Lai Ching-te
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I’m a pacifist, and a staunch supporter of democracy. I know well that peace is priceless and that there are no winners in a war. But it’s also very clear to me that peace cannot be achieved simply by choosing it. We have to use our power and be determined to defend our nation, the safety of our people and their property. Only that is true peace.

Terry Gou
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If we don’t negotiate today, if we don’t communicate, we will never have the possibility of peace.

Despite not being nominated for president by the KMT, Gou has kept himself firmly in the public eye. Walking around Kinmen, he was swarmed with supporters.

Hung Yun-tien
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Whatever office he runs for, we will all support him. The KMT indicated that they wanted me to lead its campaign office in Kinmen. I don’t like that idea too much, because we have different opinions.

Gou was accompanied by Kinmen County Council Speaker Hung Yun-tien 洪允典and lawmaker Chen Yu-chen, both from the KMT. It was as if the KMT primary were still ongoing. Also at the religious ceremony was Taiwan People’s Party candidate Ko Wen-je. He and Gou shared a stage, fueling the rumors of a joint ticket in 2024.

Ko Wen-je
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I want to make clear that my Kinmen trip was arranged more than a month ago, and we are guests here. If the host invited him, too, then as a guest I simply follow the host’s arrangements.

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Panelists talk CCP meddling in 2024 election

China has already begun to interfere in Taiwan’s 2024 election, scholars say. At a panelist discussion hosted by the DPP, experts said China was attempting to influence the outcome, favoring candidates who would be compliant to Beijing. The panelists warned Taiwan’s political parties not to be become pawns in China’s unification agenda.

Tung Li-wen
Central Police University public security professor
Just now the moderator said that it’s “possible” – I think we can remove the word “possible” and replace it with “it’s certain.” The CCP is interfering with Taiwan’s democratic election, and it’s not a question of if, but how.

The DPP’s China affairs department held a panel discussion on cross-strait variables that may affect the coming election. According to Professor Tung Li-wen, the CCP’s objective is to ensure that the most compliant candidates get elected.

Tung Li-wen
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Hou Yu-ih stands for nothing, not war, not peace, and not defense. Ko Wen-je’s cross-strait policy is plagiarized and then distorted. Bonnie Glaser said the CCP prefers Ko, which is true, but the true goal of the CCP is to bring about a Gou-Ko alliance, because the CCP knows that Ko Wen-je alone cannot win.

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Yeh Yao-Yuan
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Tung Li-wen
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This artwork, "Partial View of Taiwan" was created by artist Wang Yi-ting. This piece only showcases a partial view of the island of Taiwan. Wang says the work was inspired by the Kangxi Imperial Atlas of China from the 17th century.

Wang Yi-ting
Artist
It is inside five glass spheres. There is a sculpture that looks like half of Taiwan. In fact, according to Kangxi’s map, there was only half of Taiwan at that time. Using the Kangxi map drawn in the 17th century, I imagined our other half of Taiwan, and whether or not the unchartered part holds out more possibilities. Therefore, I used the other half of the glass as a longitudinal and latitudinal line and then divided it to draw the imaginary other half of Taiwan.

Another piece constructed by Wang is called "Coastline No.6, Coastline No.7". She printed different coastlines of Taiwan, folded them, and put them onto metal plates.

Wang Yi-ting
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I folded it to experiment with the sea level which looks flat. Now, it can be transformed into a bigger space, with different connections at different points in time.

Wang is an award-winning artist. She holds a Master’s in Fine Arts from the Marseille-Mediterranean College of Art and Design in France and specializes in sculpture and painting. In 2020, Wang set out to explore Taiwan and the shifts and changes related to territorialization and deterritorialization along the coastline. Wang conducted much field research in Taiwan. In her latest exhibition "Sea Rhythms," she showcases her observations through videos, sculptures, installations, and prints.

Wang Yi-ting
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Soldiers in full gear open fire against the target. Elsewhere, troops administer emergency treatment to a wounded comrade. It’s all taking place in a war simulation room developed by the National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology.

Pai Fang-ping
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The simulator can reduce fuel and ammunition consumption and allow soldiers to repeatedly execute battle skills. It can lower the risk of injury and enable high-risk training, such as emergency operations. It can also reduce damage to equipment, effectively decreasing wear and tear. It also breaks away from the limitations of a real battlefield. It can be used to show real scenarios, while avoiding disputes between the military and civilians, while maintaining secrecy.

The institute has been developing simulation technology for almost 30 years. It’s already produced 240 different systems for land, sea, air, and shooting training, as well as special scenarios. It will develop a simulator for the indigenous submarine prototype due for completion in September.

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The teacher patiently gives a lesson on the piano. Beautiful melodies ring through the center.

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A total of seventeen pianos were donated to the center. The center will hold free piano lessons every Wednesday morning.

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We have to thank so many people who wanted to donate this piano. The elderly said, they never touched the piano. They never have this lesson before. Not even their faimily members. But, actually, when they sit in front of the piano, they are very happy.

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Besides medication, there are other ways to encourage older adults, such as by encouraging them to exercise and by interacting with them. Learning can delay dementia and disability. Music is important.

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Facilities designed for visually impaired workers are everywhere in the factory – like this hand rail to help blind people navigate the room. The considerate design enables employees to settle into independent working lives.

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