Game

Reindeer

Fish

Aquaculture

Economics and society


	Natural resources		Food production		Aquaculture Forum

Game-, Reindeer- and AquaFood Research Program – GRAF :


»	Consumer needs and expectations in the global markets

»	Healthy, tasty, and high-quality food products

»	Diverse and sustainable food production

»	Changes in livelihoods and business sector competitiveness


»	Projects
	•	Developing Reindeer husbandry and Reindeer meat market
	•	Markets for products of captive fisheries
	•	BENEFISH – the economic impact of the welfare of fish in European fish farming
	•	Development of fish product quality research
	•	Effects of live-chilling on product quality
	•	Regulating the sexual maturity of rainbow trout in food fish production
	•	Improving fish quality
	•	The quality of European whitefish in the supply chain
	•	Electric stunning of vendace
	•	Action plan for sustainable aquaculture in Åland
	•	Effects of location guidance on the fish farming economy
	•	Environmental investment in fish farming
	•	Diversifying aquaculture
	•	Research on the selective breeding of whitefish
	•	Research on production biology
	•	New wave
	•	Software for assessing the profitability of fish farming
	•	Economic success factors of the reindeer husbandry
	•	Fish Consumption and the Catering Sector • The Finnish Catering Sector’s Use of Fish in 2005 • The Trade Liberation and Fish Consumption in the Finnish Catering Sector • Factors Affecting Fish Consumption in Finnish Catering Sector
	•	Utilization of less-valuable fish material in food, feed and bioenergy

Factors Affecting Fish Consumption in Finnish Catering Sector

Fish is a challenge for the catering sector. The popularity, health image or gastronomic status of the outlet can be based on the quality of served fish meals. However, in many occasions fish may be more complicated than other foodstuffs. Fish itself can be an expensive item; moreover the procurement, storage and preparation can cause extra expenses compared to other foodstuffs.

The consumption of fish varied in different catering categories and was biggest in staff restaurants, where the consumption per served meal was double to that consumed by institutional kitchens. The type of consumed fish products was also varying. The fresh fish products were preferred to frozen ones in the commercial kitchens. The institutional kitchens consumed more frozen or pre-prepared products, as they are balancing with tight budgets and nutritional recommendations.

The consumption of fish per served meal in different fields of activity in the Finnish catering service sector. The proportions of different product type of the total fish consumption are indicated.

Many personnel’s opinions were directly influencing the fish consumption. Partly opinions reflected the demand or customers’ needs; partly they delineated the personnel’s professional attitudes or knowledge. If the personnel have good skills and a positive attitude towards fish the consumption of fish was higher.

The opinions concerning fish price or origin had impact on the fish consumption. However, opinions about health aspects, eco-labelling, health risks and nutritional recommendations had no clear connection to fish consumption. Finns are not very concerned about health risks. Also the eco-labeling of fish product is marginal in Finland. However surprisingly, nutritional recommendations had an insignificant role.

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