January 10, 2023 — When most people think calamari, they think of breaded rings with dipping sauce, a staple appetizer at many restaurants. What most folks may not know is that a large portion of squid caught for food is usually tossed out in the trash. Now, a joint project between a Rhode Island-based seafood company and the University of Maine at Orono is looking to address a major source of food waste associated with squid by preparing it in new ways.
“About half of it is usually disposed of in landfills,” said Denise Skonberg, a professor of food science at the university who is heading up the project.
Squid have fins which, while often cut off and discarded, are just as edible as any other part of the animal. The university’s project aims to prove to people that they can be just as delicious. The two-year project seeks to develop new products made from squid fins that can be mass-produced and frozen for foodservice companies that already carry and sell the calamari.
The project is a joint effort between the university and The Town Dock, a wholesale calamari product company based in Narragansett, Rhode Island.